The Hotel Utica is a historic

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

building in Utica, New York. It was designed by Esenwein & Johnson, an architectural firm from Buffalo, for

United Hotels Company of America United Hotels Company of America, also known as United Hotels Company, was a chain of upscale hotels in the United States. The company was headquartered in Niagara Falls, New York, with administrative offices in New York City. The company was foun ...

. The hotel was restored with public funding and reopened in 2001. Since 2017 it has been named Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica.

History

The Hotel Utica opened on March 11, 1912. It was originally a 10-story building of fireproof construction with 200 rooms, four dining rooms, a ballroom, an assembly hall, a restaurant for ladies and a grill and cafe for gentlemen. The top three floors were added in 1926, which increased the total number of rooms to 250. Famous guests included

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Mrs.

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, Hopalong Cassidy,

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American musician and actor. He performed jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country music. He started his career as a songwriter for Connie ...

, and then current U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. As business declined, the hotel ceased operating in 1972. It then became two adult care residences, the Hunter House and then Loretto Adult Residence. After a period of vacancy, it was purchased by local investors Joseph R. Carucci and Charles N. Gaetano. They undertook a $13 million rehabilitation from 1999-2001 that was patterned on the restoration of the

Willard Hotel The Willard InterContinental Washington, commonly known as the Willard Hotel, is a historic luxury Beaux-Arts hotel located at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Downtown Washington, D.C. It is currently a member oHistoric Hotels of America the offi ...

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. Loan payments were a problem for the hotel and the City of Utica, which had been spending around $500,000 a year to cover unmet obligations. The nearby Radisson Hotel has had a special assessment deal on its taxes. The Hotel Utica was listed for sale at $10.7 million in 2009. For years Carucci and Gaetano failed to pay property and school taxes, and fell behind on the remaining $6.3 million on what originally was a $5 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development loan. In 2006 the Hotel Utica became a franchise of the hotel chain Choice Hotels International, though ownership remained private. In May 2016 Hotel Utica was purchased by the hotel management company Visions Hotels. The Corning, NY, based company currently owns and operates over 40 hotels in New York state including several already in Utica. Renovations at Hotel Utica started in the fall of 2016, after Visions Hotels secured an agreement with Hilton Worldwide to complete a Property Improvement Plan and convert to the hotel chain DoubleTree by Hilton. The hotel celebrated its grand reopening as the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica on October 24, 2017. On August 13 2018,

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

spoke at a fundraiser for congresswoman Claudia Tenney at the Hotel Utica. This was the first time a president had visited the Hotel Utica, and the Mohawk Valley, in nearly 70 years.

References

External links

Hotel Utica website
{{City of Utica, New York Hotels in New York (state) Historic hotels in the United States Buildings and structures in Utica, New York United Hotels Company of America Hotels established in 1912 Hotel buildings completed in 1912 1912 establishments in New York (state)