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Cool Old Hotels


alsancle

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My all time favorite hotel is the Mount Washington in New Hampshire.   Been there a bunch of times when the kids were little and the 2016 CCCA NE Caravan was based out of there.

 

Last week Ed and I were on a tour based out of Tulsa Oklahoma.   We stayed at the historic Mayo which was completely renovated and saved from demolition 20 years ago.   It was sold for a dollar I believe to the family that renovated it.

 

https://www.themayohotel.com

 

Fantastic place!    The hotel is divided in half where the room on one side are suites,  about 4 times as big as a typical hotel room with a full kitchen, with the more standard rooms being about 40% bigger than you average room.  There is a ball room located in the upper floors with a penthouse bar overlooking the city.

 

The secure "motor court" parking garage across the street was also very cool and where we parked the cars.   We had most of the lower level to ourselves. 

 

What cool hotels have you stayed at on tour or just in general?

 

 

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The Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Chicago 

has some of the most spectacular hotel architecture

I have seen.  It was built in the late 1920's as the

Medinah  Athletic Club, a luxury men's club, but it

failed during the Depression of the 1930's.

 

The roof has a small tower designed to anchor

dirigibles, which were the up-and-coming transportation

at the time.

 

Today it has been beautifully renovated.  The pictures

here show stairs and elevator lobbies on UPPER floors.

Usually the best architecture is on the ground floor,

and other floors are ordinary;  but here, each level

has its own detailed architecture, and it is grand:

 

intercontinental Chicago--Elevator area Floor 2.jpg

intercontinental Chicago--Elevator area Floor 3.jpg

intercontinental Chicago--Stair landing around Floor 4.jpg

intercontinental Chicago--Stair landing around Floor 5.jpg

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
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Today's architecture, even at its best, does not compare

to what was made 100 years ago.  Can you believe that

people would neglect old buildings, cover up their

beautiful details with 1970's dropped ceilings, and then

figure they are only worth tearing down?

 

Here are 2 more pictures of the Intercontinental Hotel.

One is a detail from one of the ballrooms;  the other is

their indoor pool:

 

intercontinental Chicago--One ballroom.jpg

intercontinental Chicago--Indoor pool.jpg

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When I was a boy our car club used to stay at the Essex-Sussex Hotel in Spring Lake NJ while on tour. The cars were parked overnight in the courtyard. It was seen in the movie Ragtime, some guys had their cars in that film and were extras. Incredibly, after years of abandonment, the building was not demolished and has been converted to senior condos.

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Edited by MetroPetro (see edit history)
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Interesting topic!

 

The 1930s-vintage John Randolph in South Boston VA is currently being renovated as a boutique hotel after sitting vacant and derelict for about 30 years. Started as the John Randolph Hotel and catered to the tobacco market clientele which was a boom industry back then. It was renamed Randolph Motor Inn sometime in the 50s, complete with molded plastic marquee. By 1970 it had been converted to apartments.

 

New owners are renaming it "The Rook Hotel in South Boston". I don't agree with that; it loses the historical connection to its namesake local statesman John Randolph of Roanoke, but it ain't my money and better to see it brought back than to keep deteriorating.

 

https://www.halifaxvirginia.com/news/484-prepping-the-randolph-s-rebirth

 

The building itself. It has good bones and is steel beam and concrete "fireproof" construction.

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And the derelict interior.

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Like most hotels of its time it had its own barbershop and dining room. It also had its own mens' clothing shop to the right of the main streetside entrance.

 

From 1966 thru 1977 the Randolph was home to a small German-themed restaurant "Die Kajute". Everyone told its 24 year old owner it would never work in Southside Virginia but it did. He was stationed in Germany in early 60s, enjoyed the food and bierhaus concept, and brought it home. I'm hoping The Rook might have a tapas bar or similar.

 

What can I say? I love old buildings as much as I love old cars!

 

 

 

 

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The Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, NY opened in 1909 still owned by the same family that had it built

The Franklin Club used to drive there for a lunch during their annual week long car meet when it was held in Cazenovia, NY.

Great place, great food and the Franklins looked at home parked around the front of the hotel.

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1 hour ago, arcticbuicks said:

"cool" as in temperature ? try a night in a ice hotel in Canada

Quebec's Ice Hotel: The Complete GuideFrom Quebec to the Arctic Circle, embrace winter at a snow or ice hotel -  The Globe and MailHôtel De Glace In Québec City Is Now Open For WinterFrozen Experiences of a Lifetime: Spend a Night in an Ice Hotel (Quebec  City)Hôtel de Glace - Ice Hotel | Activities and Attractions | Visit Québec CityExplore Canada's Ice Hotel From the Comfort of Home

Wow! I know about a similar one in Northern Sweden, but this is fancier!

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Jasper Park Lodge.......rustic vintage log and stone [440 rooms and cabins] in a amazing mountain setting  ,great place catch the stunning aurora borealis on a winter night.....and if they are intense and you listen carefully you can hear them......like static electricity crackling...........the lodge hotel had its own fleet of Mc Glaughlins......[I think they were all Mc Glaughlins ? and 12 in total]..and still has one at the hotel,and another is in the Reynolds MuseumFAIRMONT JASPER PARK LODGE | Life at JPL image.jpeg.c4649ca9653ca9707702b545d6be8244.jpeg6 reasons why working at Fairmont Jasper Lodge Park might be for youFairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper National Park, Albertaimage.jpeg.f3a4a0bbbc0166d8a6b829ef43b394d0.jpegFairmont Jasper Park Lodge - Picture of Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge -  Tripadvisorimage.jpeg.e1a2e0b6b72289fe31d36fdf6565ba1d.jpegimage.jpeg.edb164e683b2a910166754d4efe6618e.jpegimage.jpeg.95ea0b84f4b79d36b19011d80df4bf45.jpeg

image.jpeg

Edited by arcticbuicks (see edit history)
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My wife loves to travel, and we like old hotels with character.  In no particular order I like The Drake in Chicago, The Pfister in Milwaukee, we stayed at the Peabody in Memphis last year.... all of them are from that grand era of hotels.  
 

for something different, check out the west Baden springs hotel in French lick Indiana. Called the 8th wonder of the world when it was built. It had fallen into total disarray and it was headed towards tearing it down. Enter the Cook family, from Cook Medical, a huge healthcare manufacturing and supply company with Indiana roots.  They bought the west Baden and French lick hotels and Began an 11 year 600 million renovation.  It is worth seeing.  Just crazy that it is in this little sleepy town in beautiful southern Indiana.   Get an interior room if you book there. 
 

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INTERESTING that two of the hotels mentioned here that still stand have serious connections to the history of classic cars of the pre 1942 era. The Drake Hotel in Chicago and the Palace in San Francisco - both were the locations for the annual custom body salons held each year in the early part of the year. to showcase the custom coachwork on luxury car chassis.

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Don't forget the inimitable Greenbrier Hotel, Greenbrier, West Virginia. Home of the Greenbrier Concours. This is more modern than some of the other grand hotels shown.

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Edited by philip roitman (see edit history)
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Yes they are- if you can find an affordable one! They know what they have...

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Peabody.

 

The Jefferson in Richmond VA and the former Patrick Henry in Roanoke were also great. The Jefferson is still open as a luxury downtown hotel and still serves its famous Sunday Champagne Brunch and afternoon teas. Reservations required- you ARE in the genteel South after all.

 

The Patrick Henry suffered the fate of being repurposed as apartments and office space.

 

The Natural Bridge Hotel in Natural Bridge/Lexington area of Virginia is back to its former glory too. I haven't stayed there in about 15 years but it's no longer "down at the heels".

 

Then there's the incomparable Hotel Roanoke, built to accommodate Roanoke's railroad boom and refurbished to grand hotel state once again. I actually discussed holding an Olds Club Zone show there until it became obvious the event would be so popular the downtown-located Roanoke didn't have enough show car space and we had to regroup.

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The red high-heeled shoe on the Craddock-Terry was mounted on a billboard on Wards Rd in Lynchburg for decades.

 

Craddock-Terry had military shoe contracts and also had a factory in Halifax VA. Knew many people who worked there. That building is now the county school system's STEM Academy.15081699728_7232057ea9_b.jpg

 

A repurposed old building is always better than a demolished one, as long as its basic character isn't altered.

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Not technically a hotel, but an inn......  but it is old and fabulous.   Recommended by yours truly on this thread...AJ. 
 

The Norumbega  Inn, in Camden Maine. Really interesting place to make home if you are in the Camden area.  Maybe 15 rooms available.   The wealthy in the late 1800’s really knew how to build a great home. 
 

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2 hours ago, philip roitman said:

Don't forget the inimitable Greenbrier Hotel, Greenbrier, West Virginia. Home of the Greenbrier Concours. This is more modern than some of the other grand hotels shown.

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 Did you take the tour of the underground bombs shelter?

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Two of our favorites from the last few years Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, Va - Still upset at the Ford Service Writers desk I left behind in an antique store there

 

image.jpeg.14e417dddd333046583c17fae486934a.jpeg

 

And the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburg, Pa

 

Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh – Updated 2023 Prices

 

Both had smaller rooms but the lobbies alone were worth price of admission with a neat wiskey bar in the lower level of the William Penn.

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When we do the Audrain Veteran Car Tour in April we stay at the Viking in Newport.   Be sure to get a room in the old part of the hotel   It has a lot of charm and the rooms are cool.   It is a short walk from there to the start of the tour.

 

Btw,  Newport is a absolutely awesome place to visit.   Much better than Cape Cod.

 

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Edited by alsancle (see edit history)
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5 hours ago, Uncle_Buck said:

 

Mosey over to the Irma Hotel while in Cody to kick up a chair & wet your whistle to see what Buffalo Bill left us in the great state of Wyoming !!

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I have been to the Irma many times.

The bar is a great place to mingle with locals and tourists, alike.

One of my cousins owns a horse ranch in Cody and Cody is on my short list of places to retire to.

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1 hour ago, rocketraider said:

 

A repurposed old building is always better than a demolished one, as long as its basic character isn't altered.

Glenn, no truer words have ever been spoken. I agree wholeheartedly . In the village I reside in ( my family has for a century) I made a big noise when Victorian homes here were being demolished for the property value so two "modern" high ranch style houses could be erected . That started a few others to be vocal. The Mayor at the time told me " you write a law and I will see that it is passed" ( aimed at safe guarding the style and use of the older houses) So that is indeed what I did with the assistance of two local architects.

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