Cool Old Hotels

[Gary_Ash]

When you go to the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, England, near Southampton, be sure to stay at The Montague Arms, very close to the museum. It’s an upscale place, great old-style rooms, fine dining, and lovely gardens. There is an old village on the river that is fun to visit. 

[arcticbuicks]

oops....couldnt figure how to load what i wanted

Edited October 21, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)

[prewarnut]

   This summer we stayed at the Graylyn estate in Winston-Salem, former estate of the CEO of big tobacco. We stayed in the converted chicken coop! (but the mansion's rooms look like the Titanic or Olympic).

 

[alsancle]

My wife and I have this on the list.   Ocean House in Watch Hill RI.   I think running a tour out of here would be a blast.

 

 

 

[John Bloom]

17 minutes ago, alsancle said:

My wife and I have this on the list.   Ocean House in Watch Hill RI.   I think running a tour out of here would be a blast.

 

 

 

My wife and I spent some time in Newport many years ago.  We need to go back.   I still remember being blown away at seeing that side of life (me a kid from a small blue collar farming town).  Don't take your health for granted.  Travel while you can!

[John Bloom]

This may not fit the thread, are we limiting it to US Hotels?  If so, knock/delete this one out.

 

Our oldest daughter lives in Paris.  We were over there last month to spend some time with her.  One place we went to that I highly recommend is Mont St Michel.  If you like old stuff and a one off hotel.......it fits the description.  There are maybe three places that offer lodging/hotel accommodations on Mont St Michel and they each have maybe 8-10 rooms.  Not sure how my daughter scored the room, but nothing she does surprises me.   The highlight of our trip was this adventure.  We had spent the day on the island, the tide was out, the cobblestone skinny streets were bustling with tourists/visitors, buying pasteries, drinks, meals, shopping.  Very fun.  We checked into our room and had a late dinner at the hotel restaurant, finished up about 10pm and walked out into the street to absolute desertion.  There wasn't another human in sight, we walked the length of the road, the chapel doors were open and 5,000 candles were burning, the place was unattended and unlocked.  The three of us all said, it is like we are the only people on this island.  The abbey is over 1,000 years old.  If you are remotely close to this, go see it and try to get lodging overnight.  Our room in the hotel is the upper room with dormer that is circled in red. 

 

 

[Walt G]

15 minutes ago, John Bloom said:

Don't take your health for granted.  Travel while you can!

In total agreement with my good friend John. You never know when the "end of the road" of life will come up and visit you. Been there, done that, and was fortunate  enough to be thrown back on the road to continue life's journey. there is no guarantee for tomorrow. Every day is a gift, every smile from a friend new or long term is something to cherish.

I think of these words often by John Greenleaf Whittier: For of all the sad words of tongue and pen the saddest are these "it might have been".

Walt

[arcticbuicks]

such grand hotels and built to last quality .........the new ones do not seem to have a life expectancy 

[Walt G]

18 hours ago, Gary_Ash said:

be sure to stay at The Montague Arms, very close to the museum. It’s an upscale place, great old-style rooms, fine dining, and lovely gardens. There is an old village on the river that is fun to visit. 

I am in total agreement. Have spent some nights there while doing research at the Motor Museum library . EXCELLENT in all  ways -  save up your funds and treat yourself to this place.

[philip roitman]

On 10/21/2023 at 4:34 PM, alsancle said:

 Did you take the tour of the underground bombs shelter?

Yes, we did. Was very cool and interesting. Loved the hotel so much my wife made me send a application to enter a different car in the Concours two years later just to be able to have an excuse to go again. Even picked out our special rooms. 😎😇

[Akstraw]

Thanks.  I love old hotels.  One of my old time hangouts, The Chamberlin, in Hampton VA is now a retirement village.  Recently I stayed in the Fairmount Royal York in downtown Toronto.  They overcame the small room issue by making every two rooms into one suite during recent renovation.  Nicely done.  ( I have to say it was great having two bathrooms!).  I wish they all could survive.  I remember when the AACA annual  meeting was held in the Bellevue Stratford in Philadelphia back in the seventies, when is still had the grand old lobby.  I loved that place, too.  Wonder what will become of it.

[Den41Buick]

The Colony Hotel in Kennebunkport, ME is a great old hotel to stay in. Just down the road is Walker Point, the compound of the Bush family. We have stayed here for more than 20 years. Beautiful area. Would love to see a tour stay here.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Den41Buick
Pic (see edit history)

[Walt G]

11 hours ago, Akstraw said:

 I remember when the AACA annual  meeting was held in the Bellevue Stratford in Philadelphia back in the seventies

It was when I attended the annual meeting on a regular basis. I would drive down from long island with Henry Austin Clark Jr. in his Lincoln Mk III.

He and former AACA President George Norton would give a "Truck seminar" and it could at times be x rated - every seat was taken and people were standing in the back of the room to see/hear what was said by Austin and George. They both had a very very good sense of humor. I got roped into running the slide projector for Austin ( this was an era before CD, any computer generated use etc) Austin would start the "seminar" off by asking people to tell what old truck they owned - one guy said " Don't have one , just here to see the show!!"  Yes that hotel/location was great. Also remember friends from long island George & Margaret Vitale being there on a regular basis.

[Steve Moskowitz]

This hotel with some great cars in front does not exist any longer but the building is there in my home town of Great Barrington, MA.  Growing up it was called the Barrington House and was a hotel, apartments and a restaurant. To the left of the entrance was my uncle's store and to the right was a grocery store that has been in existence for well over 100 years and is virtually unchanged from when I was a kid.  Naturally all the store fronts have changed but not the grocery store.

[58L-Y8]

For both an elegant hotel and an opportunity for intellectual enrichment, keep in mind the Atheneum Hotel in the Chautauqua Institute on Chautauqua Lake in far Western New York:

Athenaeum Hotel Chautauqua Institution | Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau (tourchautauqua.com)

[pkhammer]

On 10/21/2023 at 4:55 PM, 3macboys said:

Two of our favorites from the last few years Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, Va

X2 on the Hotel Roanoke. The Wife and I love the city and have enjoyed a weekend stay there many times. Roanoke, a big Railroad town, has some interesting things to see such as The Virginia Transportation Museum, The O. Winston Link Museum which is housed in the old Norfolk and Western Station right next door to the hotel, and the Roanoke Pinball Museum. If you like vintage pinball machines, this isn't a static display. I think we paid $13 to play the machines as long as we wanted.

[pkhammer]

We enjoyed the Dearborn Inn when we last visited the Henry Ford and Greenfield Village.

[pkhammer]

Overlooking the town of Harpers Ferry, WV at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers is the crumbling ruins of the Hilltop House. I never got to stay here but have dined in the restaurant before the hotel closed. Plans are now underway to completely renovate/rebuild this landmark. I hope it happens.

[rocketraider]

Curious what the Hilltop's construction is? I can only imagine the hoops you'd go thru if it's wood frame. Beautiful building though and deserves to be saved. Harper's Ferry is a cool place to visit.

[pkhammer]

 Old photos I can find look like it was mostly stone. Later photos show the majority of the stone covered over with plaster. It will be an ambitious project. I just read that due to the current state of disrepair, it will need to be rebuilt from the foundation up. Here is a link to the website.

https://www.hilltophousehotel.com/

 

 

  

[Walt G]

thanks for the link to the website telling of the history and plans to save as much as possible while being realistic for the current needs / accomodations regarding electric, water, heat, a/c etc.

[demco32]

On 10/22/2023 at 12:57 AM, Gary_Ash said:

When you go to the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, England, near Southampton, be sure to stay at The Montague Arms, very close to the museum. It’s an upscale place, great old-style rooms, fine dining, and lovely gardens. There is an old village on the river that is fun to visit. 

Beaulieu isn't that good anymore.

[Walt G]

4 minutes ago, demco32 said:

Beaulieu isn't that good anymore.

the museum, the annual car flea market or?

[demco32]

Just now, Walt G said:

the museum, the annual car flea market or?

the anual car flea market,Walt.

[demco32]

There are a lot of pittoresk places in the UK, France , Italy and...other country

Nice places to drive with an antique car

[CHuDWah]

The Inman in Champaign, IL - on the National Register.  Built in 1915 with 5 stories, a sixth was added a few years later.  Due to the shape of its lot, the east wall is longer than the west so the corners on the north side aren't square.  It's no longer a hotel - converted to senior apartments but the architecture has been preserved.  This is an old postcard but the appearance still is the same.

 

 

The lobby and dining room as they currently appear.

 

 

[V16]

[prewarnut]

It's been awhile since we've been but the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz is a nice get-a-way. Hiking, mini-golf, ice-skating (winter), canoeing and free cookies at 4:00. The carpets reek of wood burning fire smoke from the many fireplaces. It really feels Victorian. The only photo I can quickly find - the view from the main dining hall:

[alsancle]

31 minutes ago, prewarnut said:

It's been awhile since we've been but the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz is a nice get-a-way. Hiking, mini-golf, ice-skating (winter), canoeing and free cookies at 4:00. The carpets reek of wood burning fire smoke from the many fireplaces. It really feels Victorian. The only photo I can quickly find - the view from the main dining hall:

It has been on our to do list for years.

[CChinn]

Another superb thread initiated by AJ!  Love the photos, the history lessons and new bucket list locations. Can’t wait for his next one

[Gary_Ash]

You will never go hungry at the Mohonk Mountain House!  Great scenery, carriage museum with Studebaker carriage, comfy places to sit and stare out at the mountains.  Like the other places in this thread, not cheap. 

 

[John Bloom]

A couple of Pink Gems that haven't been mentioned.  I'm posting stock photos, but I'll find my own and edit and post here.   I've stayed in both.  This thread and thinking about fun places gave me the thought......."Have I not stayed in many upscale high end newer hotels......or do I have almost no memory of those places".........I think it is the later.

 

The Don Cesar, St Pete.  Old Florida, Art Deco:

 

 

 

 

 

And also La Valencia, in La Jolla CA

 

 

 

[3macboys]

2 hours ago, Gary_Ash said:

 Like the other places in this thread, not cheap

Sometimes you can score a bargain.  We ended up at the William Penn purely by happenstance by booking through hotwire.com and it was truly affordable.  That area of Pittsburg was actually one of the real surprises of our trip.  On our fleeing winter road trips, we use Hotwire for our rooms and generally don't book until 5 pm or so which we find to be the sweet spot for rates, yes it is an adventure, and you never really know where you'll end up, but that's half the joy of the trip!  Now if we could some how merge the hotels thread with the back roads thread....

[prewarnut]

Ahh yes pink.....The Pink Palace, the second oldest hotel on Waikiki.

[Paul Dobbin]

12 hours ago, John Bloom said:

A couple of Pink Gems that haven't been mentioned.  I'm posting stock photos, but I'll find my own and edit and post here.   I've stayed in both.  This thread and thinking about fun places gave me the thought......."Have I not stayed in many upscale high end newer hotels......or do I have almost no memory of those places".........I think it is the later.

 

The Don Cesar, St Pete.  Old Florida, Art Deco:

 

 

 

 

 

And also La Valencia, in La Jolla CA

 

 

 

I grew up on the beaches around the Don Cesar on St. Pete Beach, FL.   It was a dying hotel then and later when I first went inside, it was

a Vetrans Administration treatment facility (1968).   I was treated there, It was run down but still looked like a goverment facility.   Later, it

and the Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg were both restored and operate today as luxury hotels again. 

[rocketraider]

All it takes to restore them is a vision, money and a willingness to buck corporate hotel design and thinking. Kinda like an old car!😄

 

I'm reminded of Aerosmith's "No More No More"-

 

"Holiday Inn, lock the door with a chain. You love it and you hate it but to me they're all the same"

 

And that was written in early 1970s when Holiday Inns still had their distinctive signage and usually a decent on-site restaurant and cocktail lounge. Now they're just unimaginative and uninspired boxes with a continental breakfast, if they offer that much. Just like every other cookie-cutter chain hotel.

 

Then we see these, and we know what could be, again.

[arcticbuicks]

I used to love seeing those big ole holiday inn light up  signs travelling as a kid 

[rocketraider]

Which catches your eye first?

 

The Great Sign as it was. A "cool old hotel" that, even though it was a chain, caught your eye and gave value for money. Important when America started taking road trips in the 1950s.

 

[Matt Harwood]

1 hour ago, rocketraider said:

Which catches your eye first?

 

The Great Sign as it was. A "cool old hotel" that, even though it was a chain, caught your eye and gave value for money. Important when America started taking road trips in the 1950s.

 

 

Man, I have so many great memories as a kid going on car tours that were based at a Holiday Inn like that. That third photo brought them all back. I'd almost forgotten.

[arcticbuicks]

Me too.....on the third photo