Hotel Adolphus (often referred to as "The Adolphus") is an upscale hotel in the Main Street District of Downtown Dallas Dallas, Texas. A

Dallas Landmark Dallas Landmark is a designation by the City of Dallas and the Dallas Landmark Commission for historic buildings and districts in Dallas, Texas, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historica ...

, it was for several years the tallest building in the state. Today, the hotel is part of Marriott Hotel's

Autograph Collection Autograph Collection is a group of independent upper-upscale to luxury hotels within the Marriott International portfolio. The properties are independently owned and operated under the Autograph Collection name. History To grow in the post-200 ...

History

The Adolphus was opened on October 5, 1912, built by the founder of the Anheuser-Busch company, Adolphus Busch, in a

Beaux Arts style Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorpora ...

Thomas P. Barnett Thomas P. Barnett (February 11, 1870 – September 23, 1929), also known professionally as Tom Barnett and Tom P. Barnett, was an American architect and painter from St. Louis, Missouri. Barnett was nationally recognized for both his work in ar ...

of Barnett, Haynes & Barnett of St. Louis. Busch's intention in constructing the hotel was to establish the first grand and posh hotel in the city of Dallas. Under the management of

Otto Schubert Hotel Adolphus (often referred to as "The Adolphus") is an upscale hotel in the Main Street District of Downtown Dallas Dallas, Texas. A Dallas Landmark, it was for several years the tallest building in the state. Today, the hotel is part of Marr ...

from 1922–1946, the hotel grew to national prominence. With 22 floors standing a total of 312 feet (95 m), the building was the tallest in Texas until it was dwarfed by the Magnolia Petroleum Building (now the Magnolia Hotel) just down the street in August 1922. The Adolphus underwent a series of expansions, first in 1916, then 1926 and finally in 1950, at the time giving the hotel a total of 1,200 rooms. In the 1930s it was run by hotel industry pioneer

Ralph Hitz Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

's National Hotel Management Company Cincinnati Enquirer Newspaper, 28 July 1934, pg. 9;https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/99487787/ Retrieved 08 March 2018. and played host to many big band musicians of the era, including

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

and Jimmy Dorsey,

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...

and

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...

. The Adolphus has been the host of many respected leaders of business, government and entertainment, including presidents, from Warren G. Harding to

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

. Elizabeth II and Prince Philip also stayed at the hotel in 1991. This hotel was a Dallas hub for entertainment and provided a platform that helped developing careers, such as Bob Hope, Jack Benny and others. North American Aviation (P-51 Mustangs, World War II) and others benefitted from its position as a Texas business hub. During the 1980s, the Adolphus underwent a $]80 million renovation, enlarging and modernizing the already-luxurious guestrooms. It also shrunk the total number of guestrooms to 428 to make the rooms more spacious. The Adolphus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Hotel has been named one of the top ten in the United States by

Condé Nast Traveler ''Condé Nast Traveler'' is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published by Condé Nast. The magazine has won 25 National Magazine Awards. The Condé Nast unit of Advance Publications purchased ''Signature'', a magazine for Diners Club memb ...

and also receives high ratings from Zagat, Fodor's and

Frommer's Frommer's is a travel guide book series created by Arthur Frommer in 1957. Frommer's has since expanded to include more than 350 guidebooks in 14 series, as well as other media including an eponymous radio show and a website. In 2017, the company ...

. The structure is a

and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Gallery

File:Adolphus Hotel Entrance. Dallas, TX.jpg, Front entrance File:Dallas, Texas Skyline 1913.jpg, The Dallas skyline on April 1, 1913, less than a year after the Adolphus opened File:Adolphus03.jpg, Exterior of the French Room at the Adolphus File:Adolphus02.jpg, Roof detail File:Adolphus Hotel, Dallas, Texas.jpg, Reception desk

References

External links

National Register of Historic Places narrative
{{Authority control History of Dallas Autograph Collection Hotels Skyscraper hotels in Dallas Busch family Hotel buildings completed in 1912 National Register of Historic Places in Dallas Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks Dallas Landmarks Beaux-Arts architecture in Texas 1912 establishments in Texas Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links