Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1016288
Dining is a unique experience at this Union Station hotel with offerings ranging from upscale American cuisine to a quick sandwich or pastry. Savor delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Station Grille with lovely fountain views. Stop by the Grand Hall Market for your morning Starbucks coffee and grab a local treat or souvenir. After a busy day in St. Louis, unwind with one of the many hotel amenities. Workout in the fitness center, swim some laps in the out door seasonal pool and revel in The Grand Hall Experience 3D Light Show. HILTON CINCINNATI NETHERLAND PLAZA Open since 1931, and a member of Historic Hotels of America since 1991, The Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel is one of the world's finest examples of French Art Deco design. Take the hotel skywalk to various shops and restaurants and walk to the Duke Energy Convention Center. This National Historic Landmark hotel offers 40,000 sq. ft. of unique event space. Dine at Orchids at Palm Court, responsible for making this hotel the #1 Hilton food and beverage hotel in the USA for six of the last seven years. The historic hotel in Cincinnati opened with seven restaurants: the Frontier Room, the Restaurant Continentale, the Arcadia Tea Room, the Coffee Shop, the Rotisserie Grill, the Luncheonette, and the Pavillion Caprice. In the room now known as the Continental Ballroom, patrons were entertained with an ice-skating show. The Pavillion Caprice was a "big band" nightclub that featured live entertainment, including Doris Day's profes- sional debut, in a tiered ballroom. In 1985, The Netherland Plaza earned National Historic Register and National Landmark status. The hotel also won the prestigious Preservation Honor award because the restoration went far beyond the requirements of the Secretary's Standards for Rehabilitation. In 1989, the hotel became a charter member of Historic Hotels of America. While the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza has been renovated to showcase its 1930s grandeur, it continues to move into the future with the technology for guest service and operations that distinguishes a truly world-class hotel. Current ownership and management ensures that the grand dame of 1931 will face the future with a "positive outlook" indeed. HYATT AT THE BELLEVUE As Philadelphia's only hotel on the National Register of Historic Places, The Bellevue Hotel occupies a storied place on South Broad Street in Center City. From this Avenue of the Arts location, head a half-mile north to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, discover nearby theaters including the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, or browse the Shops at the Bellevue in the building. A city landmark for more than a century, The Bellevue Hotel has earned its place as the only Philadelphia hotel on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1886, and opened in 1904 to handle overflow from the original, smaller Bellevue across the street, it was designed from the start to stand as one of the world's most magnificent hotels. Owner George C. Boldt, known as the "Father of the Modern American Hotel," envisioned a towering French Renaissance building to be called The Bellevue- Stratford—a vision realized by architects G.W. and W.D. Hewitt. It seemed as if the long history of The Bellevue- Stratford had ended in 1976, when it closed its doors with an "I Love the Bellevue Gala" put on by local supporters. But in 1979, the building roared back to life with a $25-mil- lion restoration, followed by a $100-million renovation in 1986. Several lower floors of the Bellevue building were converted into space for upscale retailers and restaurants, while the hotel continued to operate on the first and upper floors. Renamed The Bellevue Hotel, today it stands as one of the most iconic structures on the Avenue of the Arts, and remains host to grand occasions on Philadelphia's social calendar. With a combination of elegance and a unique style, each of the historical hotels mentioned above has some- thing for everyone. Each with its own sets of historical events, downfalls and successful rises gives these hotels their identity, which in turn represents the personalized hospitality bestowed upon its guests. At the end of the day it really just comes down to what theme a planner is going for. Larger or more modernized hotels are great for many occasions but for these memorable more intimate gather- ings historical hotels set a backdrop that guests will cher- ish forever. B M & T ••• July/August 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 18