The gleaming
bronze elevator doors
at the Jumeirah Essex
House in New York City
Apair of
intricately engraved, bronze elevator doors inside New
York City’s Jumeirah Essex House gleam as if new, although they’ve
opened to guests since 1931. Across the country at the Hotel
Colorado, in Glenwood Springs, the illustrious halls of a
century-old castle betray a feeling, nearly palpable, that past
presidents and dignitaries once dined within them.
Such is the craftsmanship and singular
design of a former age, present and well preserved within a group
of 213 nationally recognized, historically relevant properties
designated as Historic Hotels of America by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation. All are enriched by finely maintained
architecture, tales of former patrons and amenities to accommodate
today’s business needs.
To be welcomed into the group, the
properties must offer full-service amenities; be located within a
structure that is more than 50 years old; and be listed in or
eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, or
acknowledged by the community as historically significant.
Featured below are the six newest
additions to the Historic Hotels family. The collection is an
exceedingly broad cross-section of American cultural history,
ranging from a 200-year-old former cattle ranch to an Italian-style
luxury villa for 20th-century America’s social elite.
The Colcord Hotel
Oklahoma City, Okla.
(405) 601-4300; www.colcordhotel.com
It is difficult to imagine that the
thick slabs of black and white marble blanketing the walls of the
Colcord lobby were confined to an office building since the hotel
opened its doors in 1910. The property was, in fact, originally
designed and conceived as a hotel, but after architect Charles
Francis Colcord and his business partner parted ways shortly before
its opening, it was unveiled as an office building. Today, in the
wake of a multimillion-dollar renovation, the structure’s
century-old marble has been cut, cleaned and reshaped, and the
building’s original purpose as a full-service hotel literally has
resurfaced.
Despite having the distinction of being
Oklahoma’s first skyscraper, the 108-room boutique property offers
amenities that disguise this legacy. Fitness and business centers
are available, as well as a brand new lower-level cocktail lounge
for the hip, after-hours crowd. The Colcord offers its own
restaurant, the Soleil. The defining feature of the upscale eatery
is the Oyster Bar, which, due to numerous requests from members of
the community, was fashioned in the image of the building’s popular
1950s original. Two meeting rooms, totaling 1,800 square feet of
space, and more than 4,900 square feet of prefunction and event
space are available.
Downtown Oklahoma City is clearly
enjoying a renaissance, and the Colcord Hotel is in the center of
it. The 17-acre Myriad Botanical Gardens, the Ford Event Center
sporting complex and Bricktown, Oklahoma City’s trendy
entertainment district, are all within yards of the hotel’s
entryway.
High style: The recently
restored lobby lounge
of the Skirvin Hilton,
Oklahoma City
The Skirvin Hilton
Oklahoma City, Okla.
(405) 272-3040; www.hilton.com
The expansive architecture of the
225-room Skirvin Hilton, Oklahoma City’s original grande dame,
calls to mind the wide-open spaces of the southwestern plains.
Equally impressive is the 1911 hotel’s extensive restoration and
revival as the city’s focal point for social gatherings. The
unrivaled gem of the property’s recent $55 million
renovation is the 14th-floor Venetian Room, named for its Italian
renaissance decor. The black mahogany wood paneling throughout and
the Italian plaster moldings of its barrel ceiling have been
carefully restored, and windows on all four sides of the room offer
views of the Oklahoma City skyline. Once a popular spot for big
band music and dancing, the Venetian Room attracted well-known
musicians such as Johnnie Johnson and Charlie Straight, and also
has received presidential visits from Harry Truman, Dwight D.
Eisenhower and Gerald Ford.
The property’s 18,500 square feet of
meeting space includes two high-
ceilinged ballrooms accommodating 230 and 670 guests, respectively;
the 2,600-square-foot Vene-tian Room, which seats 175; the
1,444-square-foot Continental Room seating 110, and three lounge
areas. Elegant meeting facilities are complemented with broadband
access, a high-tech business center, a health club and a signature
restaurant.
The Skirvin’s central location gives
attendees full access to Oklahoma City’s bustling downtown
district. Alternatively, attendees may take a break from the urbane
and experience a taste of the Old West at the nearby National
Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.
The Sofia Hotel
San Diego, Calif.
(800) 826-0009;www.thesofiahotel.com
The 212-room Sofia Hotel once was known
as the Pickwick Hotel, a 1926 property built by the pioneering,
early 20th-century stagecoach company, Pickwick Stage Lines.
The building’s twin towers stand as the
last remaining example of public, neo-Gothic architecture in San
Diego. The towers’ superbly restored exterior, with crenellated
rooftops and plaster and terra-cotta embellishments, is responsible
for the hotel’s induction into the Historic Hotels of America.
A recent $16 million renovation of the
80-year-old structure also has completely reshaped the interior of
the hotel. Modern amenities such as a yoga studio and in-room spa
treatments lend a boutique feel. A business center, health club and
two meeting rooms are on-site.
The Sofia Hotel is in the heart of
downtown San Diego, and just a short walk from the thriving Gaslamp
Quarter district, the multistoried Horton Plaza outdoor mall and
the glass-enclosed San Diego Convention Center.
Art Deco meets
afternoon tea:
The lobby lounge at
New York City’s
Jumeirah Essex House
Jumeirah Essex House
New York City, N.Y.
(212) 247-0300
www.jumeirahessexhouse.com
The original black marble floors,
immense pillars and mahogany wood paneling of the hotel’s newly
renovated lobby strike quite an impression. Plush furnishings and
local artwork adorning the walls are also worth a
look. But the hidden gem of the ground floor would be the pair of
intricately engraved, bronze elevator doors. Dating back to the
hotel’s 1931 opening, the same doors now serve as a portal to the
hotel’s art deco interior.
The 515-room Jumeirah Essex House
offers elegant event space just beyond the lobby entrance. The
3,800-square-foot Grand Salon and the 150-person Petit Salon, each
with glistening chandeliers, together hold up to 700 people. Two
executive boardrooms, a spa, a fitness facility, a business center
and a new signature restaurant also are
available.
Location is another huge draw: Guests
step outside the hotel’s revolving doors to find Central Park
across the street.
Where dignitaries have dined:
Hotel Colorado in
Glenwood Springs, Colo.
Hotel Colorado
Glenwood Springs, Colo.
(800) 544-3998
www.hotelcolorado.com
Like the 16th-century Italian castle it
was modeled after, the Villa Medici, the 130-room Hotel Colorado
has provided a haven for high society for more than
a century. Once graced with the presence of
President William Howard Taft and designated as the temporary home
of President Theodore Roosevelt during a three-week bear hunting
expedition, the Hotel Colorado has housed gangsters, gamblers and
grandeur within its regal walls. Today, following a $2 million
effort to restore the original architectural features of its lobby
and restaurant, the property’s former luster has returned.
Perhaps the most significant feature
restored was the 115-year-old pinewood floor. Its original planks
were unearthed, sanded and reassembled. Other notable features,
which are close replicas of the originals, include light fixtures,
decorative sconces and a cascading waterfall in the original dining
area. The resort offers 8,000 square feet of meeting space among
five private meeting rooms.
The neighboring community of Glenwood
Springs, surrounded by the Colorado Rockies and within an hour of
Aspen and Vail ski resorts, is home to the 40,000-square-foot Hot
Springs Pool, the town’s main attraction. For the thrill-seekers in
the group, white water rafting on the Colorado River will
suffice.
Barn none: The former
stables of a 19th-century
family ranch now serve
as the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa’s
restaurant and bar.
Tubac Golf Resort & Spa
Tubac, Ariz.
(520) 398-2211
www.tubacgolfresort.com
An amble through the grounds of this
resort, dotted with the original grain silos, horse stables and
dairy barns of a former 19th-century family ranch, inevitably will
lead to the property’s historic centerpiece, the 228-year-old Otero
Hacienda ranch house. Having survived four Indian attacks in its
day, the charming Spanish-mission style villa bespeaks the
turbulent history of the region’s first European settlement. The
house offers three bedrooms, two meeting rooms totaling 1,100
square feet, 4,000 square feet of outdoor event space, as well as
views of the Santa Rita Mountains and the resort’s 27-hole golf
course, whose claim to fame was an appearance in the Hollywood film
Tin Cup.
Traces of the resort’s past lives are
present throughout its 600 acres. The original stable grounds of
the Otero Ranch were converted to a bar and restaurant, but the
rough rock floors and hand-hewn wooden beams of the structure
remain intact. Modern amenities include a 4,000-square-foot spa, a
2,700-square-foot conference center and a 27-hole professional golf
course. Phase three of the Tubac’s $40 million
renovation will add a fitness center, Olympic-size swimming pool
and additional luxury accommodations.
The village of Tubac is a vibrant
artist community, with hundreds of local artisans displaying works
in more than 40 galleries. Wine aficionados will appreciate the
presence of several wineries just a short drive from Tubac.