Adolphus Hotel

The hotel was developed by Adolphus Busch, founder of the Anheuser-Busch company. He already owned the Oriental Hotel, across the street from the present hotel, when he was approached by a group of prominent Dallas businessmen in 1910 with the idea of constructing the first European-style luxury hotel in the city. Busch purchased Dallas's old City Hall on June 22, 1910,{{Cite web |title=History of Dallas City Hall Buildings |url=https://dallascityhall.com/government/citysecretary/archives/Pages/Archives_buildings.aspx |access-date=February 13, 2024 |website=dallascityhall.com |language=en-US}} demolished it, and constructed the new hotel at a cost of $1.8 million. The name was announced as the New Oriental Hotel.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=August 25, 2017 |title=An Exclusive Look at the New Adolphus Hotel |url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2017/september/the-adolphus-hotel-gets-a-refresh/ |access-date=February 13, 2024 |website=D Magazine |language=en-US}} It was designed by Thomas P. Barnett of Barnett, Haynes & Barnett of St. Louis in the Beaux Arts style. The 22-story, 312-foot (95 m) building would be the tallest in Texas until it was surpassed by the Magnolia Petroleum Building, ten years later.[http://www.dallassky.com/ Dallassky.com] – [http://www.dallassky.com/bldg26.htm Magnolia Building]. Retrieved August 24, 2006.

By the time the hotel opened, on October 5, 1912, its name had been changed to match its builder, the Adolphus Hotel. The hotel was expanded multiple times, in 1916, 1926, and 1950, eventually filling much of a city block, and giving the hotel a total of 1,200 rooms. Under the management of Otto Schubert from 1922 to 1946, the hotel grew to national prominence. In the 1930s it was run by hotel industry pioneer Ralph Hitz's National Hotel Management Company{{Cite web |date=July 28, 1934 |title=The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/99487787/ |access-date=February 13, 2024 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en-US}} and played host to many big band musicians of the era, including Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller.

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. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip stayed at the hotel in 1991. The 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 benefited from its position as a Texas business hub.

In 1980, the Adolphus underwent an $80 million renovation, which decreased the total number of rooms to 428 by combining multiple outdated guest rooms into larger ones. The Adolphus was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The hotel was extensively renovated again in 2017.

The Hotel has been named one of the top ten in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler and also receives high ratings from Zagat, Fodor's and Frommer's.

The structure is a Dallas Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

File:ORIENTAL-HOTEL-Dallas.jpg|Oriental Hotel, Dallas, 1893

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

{{Portal|National Register of Historic Places|Texas}}

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallas County, Texas
• Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks in Dallas County
• List of Dallas Landmarks

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• [https://www.adolphus.com/ The Adolphus Hotel official website]
• [https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dalak-the-adolphus-autograph-collection/overview/ The Adolphus, Autograph Collection official chain website]
• [http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=2083003133&site_name=Adolphus,+Hotel&class=2001 National Register of Historic Places narrative]

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Category:Autograph Collection Hotels

Category:Skyscraper hotels in Dallas

Hotel

Category:Hotel buildings completed in 1912

Category:Hotels established in 1912

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Dallas

Category:Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks

Category:Dallas Landmarks

Category:Beaux-Arts architecture in Texas

Category:1912 establishments in Texas

Category:Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas

Category:Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Texas