Located in Washington, DC, the Willard was originally six buildings connected as one in 1860. It boasted telephone service in 1878, movies in 1897, and air conditioning in 1937. The current Willard opened in 1901 and served many dignitaries until closing in 1968. The hotel sat vacant for many years and was nearly demolished. After the owners aligned with the Intercontinental Hotel Group, the Willard underwent extensive renovation and was re-opened  in 1986. It received AAA’s 4 Star Rating and has maintained that rating every year since. The first photo is dated 1860, the second 1900, the third 1910, and the fifth is from the early 1900s.

The Beverly Hills Hotel was built in 1912 before there even was a town of Beverly Hills. Shortly after completion it began to attract many Hollywood stars, i.e., Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Rudolph  Valentino, and Will Rogers. Harold Lloyd made part of a movie there in 1921, and an untold number of stars followed thereafter. Elizabeth Taylor spent six of her eight honeymoons there. The hotel closed from 1992 to 1995 for a $100,000,000 renovation. The first photo is dated 1912, the second 1921 (note position of the towers), the fourth 1925. The seventh shows Will Rogers in 1930 and then the pool in 1948.

Located in Verona, WI., the Auditorium Hotel was so named because of the many performers who appeared there over the years. It was a very popular stage stop and today is occupied by Cahoots Bar.  The first photo is from the early 1900s. The third photo is dated 1911; note the stables to the right.

The Broadmoor Hotel is located in Colorado Springs CO and was built in 1918. It has 779 rooms and 18 restaurants and sits on 3,000 acres. At one time the shooting school was run by Annie Oakley. It has been awarded a 5-star rating from Forbes for 55 consecutive years, the longest of any establishment in America. The hotel has also been awarded the 5 Diamond rating from AAA for 40 years. The first photo is from 1923 and shows the Gold Cup Award for the 300-mile endurance horse ride. The second photo shows a re-enactment in 2010 while the third shows the hotel in the 1930s.

Located in Eureka Springs, AR, the Crescent Hotel was built in 1886 and was considered one of the most luxurious of its time. However, winter weather kept many away, and it was later converted to a college. In 1937 a new owner turned it into a hospital and spa. He heavily advertised cures for cancer but ultimately spent four years in prison for fraud. In 1997, the building underwent a six-year renovation and is once again a hotel. Sci-Fi channel’s “Ghost Hunter” calls it the most haunted hotel in America, the crew having “seen” many former cancer patients. The first photo is dated 1886. The third is undated as is the fourth-my favorite-the donkey ride.