![]() George Loudermilk, the owner, contracted with another well known hotel operator in Texas, A. In 1938, he relinquished the operating lease of the Dallas Hilton after his move to California. The competition of the luxurious Adolphus and Baker Hotels located just blocks away compelled Hilton to formulate a marketing strategy for attracting a new clientele - "The Average Man" - to whom a moderately priced, modern hotel of handsome design would appeal in a city where there were few alternatives.ĭuring the Great Depression, Hilton lost four hotels and saved five, one of which was the Dallas Hilton. Seventy-five percent of the rooms had south or east exposure for maximum ventilation no rooms were located on the west. Most had full baths, and the rest had half baths. The 325 guest rooms were typically small and were painted in colors of pearl gray and cream. Hilton's private offices were also located on the mezzanine level as were seven sample rooms with Murphy wall beds. The concept was well known in the East in 1925, but it was new to Texas commerce circles. Not wanting to tie up capital in land ownership, Hilton introduced the idea of a 99-year land lease with the Dallas Hilton. ![]() The presence of the druggist, men's shop, barber shop, valet service, beauty shop, coffee shop, tailor, cigar/news stand, telegraph office, dining room and others dovetailed with Hilton's emphasis on service while the rents those services paid supplemented the finances of the operation. Hilton maximized all available space in the public areas of the hotel for an assortment of vending services. The hotel officially opened on Thursday, August 6, 1925. ![]() Ground was broken on Jand the building was completed just over one year later for a total cost of $1.36 million-Hilton's second most costly Texas highrise. The towers were tied together on the main (Harwood) facade with a frontispiece entrance and an elaborate bridge at the l0th level. Its horseshoe plan is similar to that of the Magnolia Building and features two massive towers projecting toward Harwood Street which form an open court. They designed the hotel as a 14-story, reinforced concrete and masonry structure in a simplified Sullivanesque style with symmetrical facades and Beaux Arts detailing. Hilton retained the prominent architectural firm of Lang and Witchell, one of the two most respected firms in Dallas, to design the new hotel. Unlike his earlier hotels, which were bought and renovated but not built by Conrad Hilton himself, the new hotel in Dallas was designed by Hilton from the ground up to be a prominent high rise hotel.įor the building site Hilton chose the highest point in downtown Dallas. Conrad Hilton operated one of the two earliest hotel chains in the state, and went on to become a world leading hotel operator, with an international chain of hotels and resorts. The Hilton Hotel, built by Conrad Hilton, was his first hotel to bear the " Hilton" name. It is also located across the street from Main Street Garden Park. The hotel is a contributing property in the Harwood Street Historic District and Main Street District. ![]() Harwood Street in downtown Dallas, Texas ( USA). The Dallas Hilton, constructed as the Hilton Hotel and today operating as the Hotel Indigo Dallas Downtown, is a historic hotel opened in 1925, located at the corner of Main Street and S.
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