The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Bellevue |
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Bellevue Stratford Hotel
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(1976)
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| Built | 1902–04 | |||||
| Architect | G. W. & W. D. Hewitt Hewitt & Paist |
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| Architectural style | French Renaissance | |||||
| NRHP reference No. | 77001182 | |||||
| Added to NRHP | March 24, 1977 | |||||
| Former names | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, Fairmont Hotel, The Westin Bellevue-Stratford, Hotel Atop the Bellevue, Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue, Hyatt at the Bellevue | |||||
| Alternative names | Bellevue-Stratford Hotel | |||||
| General information | ||||||
| Address | 200 S. Broad Street | |||||
| Town or city | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||||
| Country | United States
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The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel is a famous building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It stands at 200 S. Broad Street, right in the heart of Center City. Built in 1904, this grand building has been an important part of Philadelphia for over 100 years.
It was originally known as the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. In 1988, it was changed into a building with many different uses, called a mixed-use development. Since then, it has been known simply as The Bellevue. Part of the building is still a hotel, managed by Hyatt, and is called The Bellevue Hotel.
Contents
History
How the Bellevue Hotel Started
The story of the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel begins with a man named George Boldt. He was born in Prussia in 1851 and moved to the United States when he was 13. He started working in kitchens and learned a lot about hotels.
In 1881, George Boldt and his wife, Louise, opened their own small hotel called the Bellevue. It was located in Philadelphia, at the corner of Broad and Walnut Streets. The hotel quickly became famous for its excellent service, fancy guests, and delicious food. Some people even believe that a famous dish, Chicken à la King, was invented there in the 1890s!
George Boldt became very successful. In 1890, he was asked to manage a new hotel in New York City, the Waldorf Hotel. This hotel later grew into the world-famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Building a Grand Hotel
After his success in New York, George Boldt wanted to build an even bigger and more luxurious hotel in Philadelphia. He bought the Stratford Hotel, which was across the street. He then planned the huge 19-floor Bellevue-Stratford Hotel.
The hotel was designed in the French Renaissance style by architects G.W. & W.D. Hewitt. These architects also designed Boldt Castle, a famous home in New York. The Bellevue-Stratford opened in 1904 after two years of building. It cost over $8 million (a huge amount of money back then!). People at the time said it was the most luxurious hotel in the country, and maybe even the most amazing hotel building in the world.
It had hundreds of guest rooms, a magnificent ballroom, and beautiful lighting designed by Thomas Edison. It also featured stunning stained glass and a famous marble staircase. In 1912, a large addition was built, bringing the hotel to about 1,090 guest rooms.
Early Years of the Hotel
From the very beginning, the Bellevue-Stratford was the center of Philadelphia's social life. It was a place where important and wealthy people met, dined, and held events. Many charity balls, weddings, and club meetings took place in its ballrooms.
Famous people from all over the world stayed at the hotel. This included royalty, leaders of countries, presidents, politicians, actors, and writers. Fifteen U.S. Presidents, from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan, have been guests at the hotel. It was often called the "Grand Dame of Broad Street" because of its importance and elegance.
In 1919, the hotel was leased to T. Coleman du Pont. Later, in 1925, a company backed by du Pont bought the hotel from George Boldt's family for $6.5 million.
In 1926, Queen Marie of Romania stayed in the hotel's special Royal Suite, which had 11 rooms. Many other famous people had stayed in this suite, including President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge and President and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson.
Challenges and Changes
The Great Depression in the 1930s made times tough for the Bellevue-Stratford. Even though it was still "Philadelphia's hotel," it started to lose some of its shine. Its classic design, which was once loved, began to seem old-fashioned to some people.
The hotel was also a major spot for politics. It was the headquarters for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in 1936 and 1948.
On October 30, 1963, President John F. Kennedy rode in an open car motorcade from the airport to the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. This happened less than a month before he was sadly assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
The hotel became famous worldwide in July 1976, but for a sad reason. It hosted a large meeting for the American Legion. Soon after, a serious lung illness, like pneumonia, affected many people who had been at the hotel. This illness, which later became known as "Legionnaires' disease," killed 29 people and made 182 more sick.
Because of this negative news, very few people wanted to stay at the Bellevue-Stratford. The hotel's occupancy dropped to only 4 percent, and it finally closed on November 18, 1976.
In 1977, scientists discovered a new type of bacteria that caused the illness. This bacteria, named Legionella, grows in warm, wet places, like the cooling towers of air conditioning systems. The disease was named legionellosis after the first victims.
The empty building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Bringing the Hotel Back to Life
In June 1978, the Bellevue-Stratford was sold to the Richard I. Rubin Company for $8.25 million. The company spent $25 million to restore the hotel. The guest rooms were completely redone, and their number was reduced from 725 to 565. The public areas, like the lobby and ballrooms, were carefully restored to look just as they did in 1904. Special carpets, marble, and chandeliers were brought in from other countries.
The hotel reopened on September 26, 1979, as the Fairmont Hotel. Later, in 1980, it was renamed Bellevue Stratford and then The Westin Bellevue Stratford. However, the hotel still struggled to attract enough guests. Philadelphia had fewer hotel guests than other big cities at the time. The hotel lost a lot of money and closed again on March 7, 1986.
New Life as The Bellevue
The Rubin Company bought the hotel again and spent $100 million to change the building. Its name was shortened to The Bellevue. The large public areas on the ground floor were turned into shops. A big open space, called an atrium, was added to the lobby, with escalators leading to an underground shopping area and food court. A fitness club was built on top of the nearby parking garage.
The hotel rooms on floors 3 to 11 were changed into office spaces, which opened in December 1988.
The hotel part of the building was made smaller, with 170 guest rooms on floors 12-18. The hotel lobby and public rooms were moved to the 19th floor. The two domed ballrooms on that floor were turned into a tea room and a restaurant.
The hotel reopened on April 1, 1989, as the Hotel Atop The Bellevue. It was managed by the Cunard Line for a few years. In 1994, it became The Bellevue. Then, in 1996, Hyatt took over management, renaming it the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue.
In 2007, the restaurants were redesigned. In 2009, balconies outside the cafe and restaurant were opened to the public, offering high-up outdoor dining. In 2010, the hotel's name was shortened to Hyatt at The Bellevue. In March 2018, it joined Hyatt's Unbound Collection and was renamed The Bellevue Hotel.
In 1993, Philadelphia opened a new convention center in Center City. This helped the Bellevue and other hotels in the area get more guests, bringing new life to the historic building.
Images for kids
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A bedroom in the Bellevue-Stratford, photographed by William H. Rau, circa 1905
See also
In Spanish: The Bellevue-Stratford Hotel para niños
