Admiral Hotel (Mobile, Alabama)
| The Admiral Hotel | |
|---|---|
| Former names | The Admiral Semmes Hotel |
| Alternative names | The Admiral |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel |
| Architectural style | depression era art deco style |
| Location | 251 Government St., Mobile, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 30°41′21″N 88°02′36″W / 30.6891°N 88.0432°W |
| Opened | 1940 |
| Renovated | 2014-2015 |
| Renovation cost | $27 Million |
| Owner | Avocet Hospitality |
| Landlord | Charlestowne Hotels[1] |
The Admiral Hotel is a historic hotel[2] located in downtown Mobile, Alabama.
History
The Hotel Admiral Semmes opened in November 1940, named for Raphael Semmes, captain of the Confederate commerce raider CSS Alabama.[3] The 251-room hotel was constructed in 15 months, at a cost of $1 million.[4] It was the first hotel in Mobile to provide air conditioning and telephones in every guest room and featured a coffee shop, a drug store, cocktail lounge and a National Airlines office.
In the 1950s, a motel wing was added across the street, the Admiral Semmes Motor Hotel.[4] In the late 1960s and 1970s, singer Jimmy Buffett performed regularly at the hotel's Admiral's Corner Lounge.[5]
The hotel closed in 1978 and was converted to a retirement home, Admiral Semmes Manor. It was badly damaged soon after, by Hurricane Frederic, in 1979, and closed entirely.[4] In 1982, the vacant building was sold, along with a nearby vacant Elks Lodge, to realtor Arthur Pope, for $975,000. In 1983, the hotel structure was sold again, to a Dallas-based developer, for $1.8 million. The hotel was completely restored and the rooms were enlarged, reducing their number to 170. It reopened in 1985 managed by Radisson Hotels as the Radisson Admiral Semmes Hotel.[4]
In 1989, it was one of the 32 founding hotels in the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America program.[6]
In 2014 after being purchased by the Mississippi-based Thrash Group for $4 million,[7] it underwent an extensive, $27 million renovation, which reduced the room count further, to 156 rooms.[8] The renovations were overseen by architect James Flick of Dallas-based Flick Mars.[2]
It reopened on November 17, 2015 as The Admiral Hotel Mobile, Curio Collection by Hilton, part of Hilton's Curio Collection brand.[9] The name Admiral Semmes was changed due to Semmes's connection to the Confederacy.[10] In April 2020, the hotel joined Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and was renamed The Admiral, A Wyndham Hotel. In June 2022, it was sold to Charleston, South Carolina-based Avocet Hospitality Group for $21 million and renamed The Admiral Hotel.[11]
Description
The building is 12-stories high and originally had 251 guest rooms. It now has 156 standard guest rooms and five luxury, multi-room suites on the top floor. It has a depression-era style and maintains its art deco features, including the elevator doors. The interior has a more opulent look with marble floors, and oval balcony overlooking the lobby, a large spiral staircase and a chandelier.[2][12]
The hotel now features two restaurants and an outdoor pool as well as the original meeting spaces. There are eight event areas, including a ballroom, comprising 6,795 sq ft (631.3 m2).[13]
References
- ^ "Charlestowne Hotels - Portfolio". Charlestowne Hotels - Portfolio.
- ^ a b c "Admiral Hotel". Historic Hotels of America.
- ^ Specker, Lawrence (June 5, 2020). "Mobile's statue: Who was CSA Adm. Raphael Semmes?". Press-Register. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Ask McGehee: What is the history of Mobile's Admiral Hotel?". Mobile Magazine. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ Sharp, John (March 12, 2013). "Before 'Margaritaville,' Jimmy Buffett's early days remembered by Product Sound Studio owners". Press-Register. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ "About Historic Hotels of America". Historic Hotels of America. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
- ^ https://www.al.com/business/2014/08/dont_call_it_a_comeback_extens.html
- ^ "Don't call it a comeback: Extensive Admiral Semmes Hotel renovation rooted in building's art deco roots". AL.com. August 19, 2014.
- ^ "Curio – A Collection by Hilton Opens The Admiral Hotel Mobile in the Heart of Alabama's Gulf Coast". Business Wire. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2020/06/mobiles-statue-who-was-confederate-adm-raphael-semmes.html
- ^ https://mynbc15.com/news/local/the-admiral-hotel-in-downtown-mobile-sold-for-21m-to-be-reborn
- ^ "The Admiral, a Wyndham Hotel - Accommodations". Wyndham Hotels Website. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ "The Admiral, a Wyndham Hotel - Meetings". Wyndam Hotel Website. Retrieved April 30, 2021.