The
E.M. Statler Era: 1915-1928
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The
new Statler Hotel is warmly received by both Detroit
society and the traveling public. The Statler
raises the standards for Detroit hotels so much
that its chief rival, the Pontchartrain, adds
4 stories of additional rooms in 1916. Still,
despite a shortage of hotel rooms, the obsolete
Pontchartrain is closed by 1920.
E.M.
Statler returns to Buffalo, leaving the day-to-day
operations of the hotel to manager Frederick B.
Bergman. However, Statler will make a number of
return trips for what he called 'indoor golf'.
A practice where he tests his hotels by holding
surprise visits and inspections. The manager rarely
knows of such visits until it is too late. But
Bergman doesn't need to worry much at the moment.
Statler is busy preparing plans for the chain's
forth hotel in St. Louis.
Meanwhile,
Statler's choice of Grand Circus Park is paying
off. The David Whitney and Kresge Buildings open
nearby and work begins on the Adams and Madison
Theatres, the first of the area's movie theatres.
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Business
proves so good that construction begins on a wing
of an additional 200 rooms. This addition is located
between the existing hotel and the Washington
Theatre on Washington Blvd. The Gray Estate Company
is hired to erect it.
The
new wing brings the hotel's total room count to
1000, the first 1000 room hotel in the Midwest.
The upper floors are designed to resemble the
architecture of the original structure. However
the lower floors house retail and the exterior
features storefronts with large windows. The Cleveland
Statler is also expanded to 1000 rooms.
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Following
the example of the new Statler operated Hotel
Pennsylvania in New York, a complete medical department
is installed on the 18th floor. It includes a
clinic for the use of guest. Hotel employees enjoy
an hour of service from 1-2 p.m. There is also
a complete surgery. The department is staffed
by Dr. Milton Richards and nurse Minnie Dust during
the day and by Dr. George J. Korby at night for
on call services.
Apparently
the additional 200 rooms are not enough. E.M.
Statler buys land on the corner of Woodward and
High St. and has George B. Post draft plans for
a second 1000 room hotel. Construction is set
to begin but Statler has a last minute change
of heart and the hotel is never built.
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Escape
artists Harry Houdini collapses on stage at the
Garrick Theater He is carried to his room at the
Statler before being rushed to Grace Memorial Hospital
where he later dies. |
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The
Hotel Statler in Boston opens as the first hotel
in the world to offer radio service in its guest
rooms. This same service is installed in the chain's
other hotels, including Detroit. It is a two channel
system with guest able to select the channel from
a receiver and listen with either 2 headsets or
radio loudspeaker. The cost of this installation
in Boston was $50,000 and it cost another $750,000
to install radios in the chain's six older houses.
The
Boston hotel is the last hotel E.M. will build.
E.M.'s empire includes hotels in Detroit, Cleveland,
St. Louis, New York, Boston, and two in Buffalo.
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E.M.
Statler dies from pneumonia. The news is demoralizing
to the Statler company. The company is now run by
a board of directors with Statler's widow, Alice
Statler, as chairperson. |
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Copyright
2001, David Kohrman |
Last
updated on 11-14-01
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