The Davenport Hotel is a hotel in the city of Spokane, Washington. The hotel, which was commissioned by a group of Spokane businessmen, is named for Louis Davenport, who served as its initial proprietor and oversaw the construction of the building. The structure was designed by Kirtland Cutter, an architect, in 1914. Among its many innovations were air conditioning, a central vacuum system, a pipe organ, and dividing doors in the ballrooms, which made it the first hotel in the United States to offer these amenities. Furthermore, it is the location where the first Crab Louis (named for Louis Davenport) was prepared and served. The hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it has historical significance.
When developer Walt Worthy refurbished the Davenport Hotel in 2002, it became known as The Historic Davenport Hotel. It is now part of the Davenport Hotel Collection brand, along with its three sibling hotels, and operates under that name.
The Davenport Hotel was neither the brainchild of Louis Davenport, nor was it constructed with his funds. Instead, Cutter and Davenport was picked by a group of prominent Spokane businessmen who believed that the booming city necessitated the construction of a large, beautiful hotel in which to accommodate and entertain their guests. The Davenport Hotel Company was established in 1912, and construction on the site began the following year, capitalizing on the city’s already enviable reputation.
Horse carts, steam jacks, and hand tools were used to construct the hotel tower, which was completed in eight months in 1913. There was not a single worker who was seriously injured or killed, which was unusual at the time. Cutter and Davenport scoured the globe for inspiration and furnishings for their new hotel, which opened in November.
Cutter created settings that were influenced by the great architects of France, England, and Spain, among others. They were decorated with exquisite art and songbirds, and Davenport prepared to seat his guests at tables covered in the finest Irish linens from Liddell (whose linens were used on the Titanic) and set with 15,000 pieces of silver, all donated by his friends and family (the largest private commission ever created by Reed and Barton).
The hotel officially opened its doors for business on September 1, 1914, and staged a grand opening party from September 17–19, 1914, to commemorate the occasion. Since then, the hotel has marketed itself as “one of America’s exceptional hotels,” which it has maintained to this day.
The Spokane Valley Heritage Museum
Spokane Hot Tub Repair Pros
