Battle House Hotel Mobile

[Nunu]

We have 2 rooms booked here before our August cruise. I see a lot of pictures of the hotel but I have also read that there is a new tower of rooms? I haven't seen any pictures showing it. We'd like to stay in the original building but does anyone who has stayed here have any information on this? Thanks!

[futaba951]

We have 2 rooms booked here before our August cruise. I see a lot of pictures of the hotel but I have also read that there is a new tower of rooms? I haven't seen any pictures showing it. We'd like to stay in the original building but does anyone who has stayed here have any information on this? Thanks!

 

The tower is next door. It's a 35 story office building. To my knowledge there are no rooms there. Strictly commercial. I think the two buildings may actually be connected somehow, but the hotel is not in the tower. Both are owned by Retirement Systems of Alabama, who also owns the Renaissance Riverview Plaza across the street from the convention center. They also held the original mortgage on the cruise terminal, but, I think that the city has paid it off already. RSA owns half of downtown Mobile, it seems. The CEO of RSA, David Bronner is known as the Donald Trump of the south. He resurrected the Battle House from total disrepair a few years ago. It had been closed since the early 70's. It is a real showplace now. RSA spent untold millions on the renovation. He also save US Air from total collapse a few years back. One of his rare bad investments. Should have just let it fold.

[Nunu]

The tower is next door. It's a 35 story office building. To my knowledge there are no rooms there. Strictly commercial. I think the two buildings may actually be connected somehow, but the hotel is not in the tower. Both are owned by Retirement Systems of Alabama, who also owns the Renaissance Riverview Plaza across the street from the convention center. They also held the original mortgage on the cruise terminal, but, I think that the city has paid it off already. RSA owns half of downtown Mobile, it seems. The CEO of RSA, David Bronner is known as the Donald Trump of the south. He resurrected the Battle House from total disrepair a few years ago. It had been closed since the early 70's. It is a real showplace now. RSA spent untold millions on the renovation. He also save US Air from total collapse a few years back. One of his rare bad investments. Should have just let it fold.

Ok got it now, thanks dude. So is this hotel as nice as it looks?

[futaba951]

Ok got it now, thanks dude. So is this hotel as nice as it looks?

 

I haven't stayed there so I don't know about the rooms, but the public areas are stunning. The original hotel opened in 1854 or somewhere there about and burned in 1905. It was rebuilt in 1908 and was open until 1974 when it closed. The building was added to the national historic registry in 1975, so any developer who tried to tear it down and rebuild would have immediately been sent rocketing to hell. :) RSA has faithfully replicated the original design in their renovation. They started in 2003 and it was re-opened to the public in 2007. If you like the Battle House, you might want to try the Grand Hotel in Point Clear AL if you are ever back in Mobile. It is actually across the other side of the bay but only about a 30 minute drive to downtown. It is also owned by RSA (shocker, huh?) and is situated right on the water. It has an adjacent golf course. It kind of reminds me of a Fantasy Island setting.

 

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/hotel-photos.mi?marshaCode=ptlal&pageID=HWGRD

[Nunu]

Thanks again, great info. I'm sure we'll love it.

[cookingchick]

There ARE hotel rooms in the new tower...they're quite lovely and modern. My husband's boss stayed in one right after they opened that had a great balcony with a south facing view. I don't know what the criteria is for where they decide to give you a room. When you stay, go up to the second floor overlooking the lobby and on the west side there is an arch called the whispering arch. If you stand at one end and have someone stand at the other end, you can whisper and they can hear you through the arch. It's a beautiful hotel.

[Nunu]

There ARE hotel rooms in the new tower...they're quite lovely and modern.

 

Ok thanks, if that's the case I'll contact them and see if we can stay in the original hotel. If not, we'll probably switch to the renaissance with the view of the port.