The St. Anthony Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saint Anthony Hotel
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The St Anthony
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 Location in Texas
Location in the United States
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| Location | 300 Travis St. San Antonio, Texas  United States |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1909 |
| Architect | Walker, J. Flood |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002186 |
| Added to NRHP | September 19, 1986 |
The St. Anthony Hotel is a famous 10-story hotel in downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. Built in 1909, it was once known as one of the most fancy hotels in the United States. Many film stars, royal family members, and other important guests have stayed there. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a special historic building.
Hotel History: A Look Back
The St. Anthony Hotel was built by three cattlemen: B. L. Naylor, F. M. Swearingen, and A. H. Jones. They believed San Antonio would become a popular place for tourists. They thought a luxury hotel would bring many wealthy visitors to the city.
The St. Anthony was the very first fancy hotel in San Antonio. All its rooms had beautiful mahogany wood and furniture. Each room also had a telephone. About half of the rooms even had their own private bathrooms.
The hotel was very modern for its time. It had doors that opened by themselves. Electric lights turned off when guests locked their room doors. People thought it was one of the most advanced hotels in the world.
The hotel also had a richly decorated bar and lounge called "Peacock Alley." This was added in the 1930s. The hotel's St. Anthony Club restaurant was also famous for its excellent food. In 1915, the owners made the hotel bigger. It then had 430 rooms, twice as many as before.
During the Great Depression, a very difficult economic time, the hotel faced problems. It started to get run down, and the banks took it over. In 1935, a community leader named Ralph W. Morrison bought the hotel for $475,000.
That same year, the hotel added air conditioning. It also got a special drive-up area for guests to check in. Morrison bought a large collection of art to display in the public areas. He also added beautiful oriental carpets and French-style furniture to the lounges.
In 1982, Inter-Continental Hotels bought the hotel. It was updated and reopened in 1983. It was then called the St. Anthony Inter-Continental San Antonio. After more updates, it joined The Luxury Collection of hotels on November 19, 2015.
Famous People Who Stayed Here
The St. Anthony Hotel has welcomed many famous people over the years. These guests include presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower. General Douglas MacArthur and Vice President John Nance Garner also stayed there. The humorist Will Rogers was a guest too.
Lyndon B. Johnson spent his honeymoon at the hotel. The Newton Gang, a group of famous outlaws, often stayed there in the winter. The hotel also hosted the actors from the first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, Wings. Stars like Richard Arlen, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, and Clara Bow stayed at the St. Anthony.
In 2012, the hotel hosted the Arena Football University. This event brings arena football teams together. They meet with sellers and league officials to plan for the upcoming season.
Notable Events: Sad Farewells
Some famous people also passed away at the St. Anthony Hotel.
Samuel Gompers, who was the president of the American Federation of Labor, died at the hotel on December 13, 1924.
Texas politician Robert L. Bobbitt lived at the St. Anthony for the last year of his life. He passed away there in 1972.
Major General Frederick Funston was a very important military leader. President Woodrow Wilson considered him to lead the American forces in the First World War. On February 19, 1917, General Funston was relaxing in the hotel lobby. He was listening to The Blue Danube Waltz. He commented, "How beautiful it all is," and then collapsed and passed away. After this, President Wilson chose General John J. Pershing to lead the forces instead.
| Preceded by Unknown |
Tallest Building in San Antonio 1909—1919 41m |
Succeeded by South Texas Building |
