The Adolphus, Autograph Collection, Dallas

TRIED AND TESTED HOTEL

- Tom Otley

BACKGROUND One of the most historic and famous hotels in Dallas, the Adolphus was built by and named after Adolphus Busch, of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company, and opened in 1912. Designed in a Beaux-Arts style by architects Barnett, Haynes and Barnett of St. Louis, its original 19 floors of brick and red and grey granite are decorated with gargoyles, Greek gods, French Renaissance floral designs and mythical animals. It is even topped off with a beer bottle turret. It has undergone several extensions over the years, with a room count at one point reaching 1,200 rooms. After the last renovation, costing US$95 million dollars, it has 407 rooms and 56 suites. It is a member of Marriott's Autograph Collection and is operated by Makeready.

WHERE IS IT? The property takes up a whole city block on Commerce Street, right in the centre of Dallas Downtown, opposite the new AT&T Discovery District.