The Multnomah Hotel, located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States, is a historic hotel building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[3] It currently operates as the Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Downtown.

Multnomah Hotel
Portland Historic Landmark[2]
Embassy Suites Portland - Downtown seen in 2012 (former Multnomah Hotel)
Multnomah Hotel is located in Portland, Oregon
Multnomah Hotel
Location within downtown Portland
Location319 SW Pine Street
Portland, Oregon
Coordinates45°31′19″N 122°40′27″W / 45.522019°N 122.674053°W / 45.522019; -122.674053
Built1911-1912
ArchitectGibson & Cahill
Architectural styleAmerican Renaissance
NRHP reference No.85000369[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 28, 1985

History

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Multnomah Hotel circa 1920

The 700-room hotel was built by local entrepreneur Philip Gevurtz[4] and opened on February 8, 1912.[5] The nine-story building filled an entire city block.[6] It was operated by Western Hotels, now known as Westin Hotels & Resorts, from 1931 until it closed in 1963.[7] At the time of its closure, The Oregonian wrote that the Multnomah had been "one of the most famous hotels on the Pacific Coast".[6] From 1965 to 1992 the building housed government offices.[7] It was sold in 1995 and restored, its 700 rooms reduced to 276 suites,[8] reopening in 1997 as the Embassy Suites Portland - Downtown. The hotel is currently a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.[9]

Famous guests

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The hotel has hosted Paramahansa Yogananda,[10]Queen Marie of Romania, Charles Lindbergh,[6][7] Rudolph Valentino, Amelia Earhart,[11] Jimmy Stewart, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Elvis Presley,[12] and every president from Theodore Roosevelt to Richard Nixon.[8]Maurice Ravel and Lisa Roma concert in Ball Room Feb.15, 1928 8:30 pm

[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ Portland Historic Landmarks Commission (July 2010), Historic Landmarks -- Portland, Oregon (XLS), retrieved November 13, 2013
  3. ^ "Oregon National Register List" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. June 6, 2011. p. 37. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 9, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  4. ^ Roxann Gess Smith (1998). "MULTNOMAH HOTEL, PORTLAND, OREGON". Gesswhoto.com. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  5. ^ Hotel Multnomah, Portland, Oregon : opened February 8, 1912. (Book, 1910s). WorldCat.org. OCLC 670941525.
  6. ^ a b c Sterrett, Frank (May 9, 1965). "Era Of Luxury Hotels Fades Into History As Multnomah Houses Government Offices". The Sunday Oregonian. Section 1, p. 40.
  7. ^ a b c "Multnomahhotel". Pdxhistory.com. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  8. ^ a b Linda Mcdonnell (January 23, 2000). "Portland hotel restoration aims to recapture history". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  9. ^ "Hotel History - Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Downtown". Historic Hotels of America. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  10. ^ "The Making of a Spiritual Classic".
  11. ^ The Oregonian, February 2, 1933
  12. ^ The Oregonian, September 3, 1957
  13. ^ "Maurice Ravel, Multnomah Hotel Ball Room, February 15, 1928". April 2015.
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