Skirvin Hilton Hotel facts for kids
| Skirvin Hilton Hotel | |
Quick facts for kids  |
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| Hotel facts and statistics | |
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| Location | 1 Park Avenue Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102 United States |
| Opening date | 1911 (Skirvin Hotel) 2007 (renovation and reopening) |
| Closing date | 1988 for renovation and improvement |
| Architect | Solomon Layton Hicks & Forsyth Kahler Slater |
| Management | Marcus Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
| Owner | Skirvin Partners, LLC |
| No. of restaurants | 1 |
| No. of rooms | 225 |
| of which suites | 21 |
| Parking | Valet |
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Skirvin Hotel
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 Park Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 |
| Area | 1 acre (0.4 ha) |
| Built | 1911 |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002010 |
| Added to NRHP | October 10, 1979 |
| No. of floors | 13 |
The Skirvin Hotel is a famous hotel located in downtown Oklahoma City. It has 225 rooms and is the oldest hotel in the city. The hotel has three towers, each 14 floors tall. It was built in a special style called Art Deco. The Skirvin Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical building.
The hotel is managed by Marcus Hotels & Resorts. It is part of the Hilton family of hotels. It is also a member of Historic Hotels of America. This is a program that recognizes important old hotels.
Contents
Discovering the Skirvin Hotel's Past
The Skirvin Hotel first opened its doors in 1911. Back then, it had 225 rooms. These rooms were in a ten-story building with two wings. Later, in 1925, a third wing was added. This new wing was 12 stories tall.
In 1929 and 1930, all three parts of the hotel were made taller. They all became 14 floors high. This gave the hotel a total of 525 rooms. The hotel is named after its founder, William Balser "Bill" Skirvin. His daughter, Perle Mesta, became a famous ambassador. She worked for President Harry Truman.
The hotel closed in 1988. It stayed empty for almost 19 years. Then, it was completely renovated and reopened in 2007. It became part of the Hilton chain.
Bringing the Hotel Back to Life
The plan to save the Skirvin Hotel started much earlier. In 1999, the Oklahoma City Mayor, Kirk Humphreys, created a special committee. This group was called the Skirvin Solutions Committee. Their job was to see if the old building could be saved.
The committee visited other old hotels that had been restored. They learned how those projects were paid for. In October 2000, they suggested a partnership. They thought the City of Oklahoma City should work with private companies. This would help get the Skirvin Hotel open again.
In May 2002, Oklahoma City bought the building. They paid $2.875 million for it. Later that year, they asked companies to propose plans for the hotel. A company called Partners in Development stepped forward. This company was led by John Weeman. They suggested renovating the hotel for $42.1 million. They planned to reopen it as a full-service Hilton hotel. Marcus Hotels and Resorts would operate it.
The Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority chose Partners in Development in January 2004. Weeman bought the building from Oklahoma City in 2005. He used his own money and funds from different public sources. The renovation cost about $51 million. This brought the historic hotel back to life.
Exploring the Skirvin Hotel's Hauntings
Many people believe the Skirvin Hotel is haunted. There are many stories about ghosts there. Even professional basketball teams have talked about strange things happening.
Famous Ghost Stories
In 2010, the New York Knicks basketball team stayed at the hotel. They said their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder was because of the haunting. The Chicago Bulls also reported odd events. They heard doors slamming shut by themselves. They also heard strange sounds outside their rooms.
The stories gained national attention again in June 2012. This was when the Miami Heat stayed at the hotel for the NBA Finals. More recently, the Baylor Lady Bears stayed there. They were the defending champions in women's college basketball. They unexpectedly lost a big game after staying at the hotel.
In January 2019, Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving announced something exciting. He said he was making a movie about the hotel's supposed paranormal activity.
Hotel Staff Experiences
Over the years, hotel staff have shared their own experiences. They say they have seen objects move by themselves. They have also heard strange noises late at night. These stories add to the mystery of the Skirvin Hotel.
See also
In Spanish: Skirvin Hilton Hotel para niños
