Statler Hotels

Statler Hotels
Company type	Private
Industry	Hospitality, Hotel chain
Founded	January 1, 1901; 125 years ago in Buffalo, New York, United States
Founder	Ellsworth Milton (E. M.) Statler
Defunct	1954
Fate	Acquired by Hilton Hotels
Successor	Hilton Hotels
Headquarters	Buffalo, United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Ellsworth Milton (E. M.) Statler (founder)
Products	Hotel accommodations and services

The Statler Hotel enterprise was among the pioneering hotel chains in the United States, catering primarily to business travelers and tourists. It was established by Ellsworth Milton (E. M.) Statler in Buffalo, New York.

Early endeavors

In 1901, Statler erected a provisional hotel on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, called "Statler's Hotel," which featured 2,084 rooms capable of hosting 5,000 visitors. Although the Exposition itself was largely unsuccessful, Statler managed to generate a modest profit.

Following this, he developed the Inside Inn for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri. This temporary wooden establishment was then the largest hotel worldwide with 2,257 rooms and produced a net gain of $361,000. This success laid the groundwork for his initial permanent hotel before the structure was dismantled and sold for scrap.

Company background

Statler’s inaugural permanent hotel, designed by August Esenwein and James A. Johnson, debuted in Buffalo featuring 300 rooms with private baths—later expanded to 450—becoming the first significant chain to provide this convenience. Statler emphasized clean, comfortable accommodations at reasonable prices rather than opulent lodgings and introduced innovations such as the Statler Plumbing Shaft, still utilized today.

Rooms were initially priced as low as $1.50, inspiring the slogan "A Room and a Bath for a Dollar and a Half." Despite doubts from competitors, the hotel remained profitable without tapping into its $500,000 credit line. The St. Louis Statler was among the first to offer air conditioning nationally; meanwhile, the Dallas location introduced elevator music.

Each subsequent Statler property enhanced room layout efficiency and space optimization based on scientific management principles. After Statler’s passing in 1928, the company expanded into cities including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, California, Hartford, Connecticut, and Dallas, Texas, frequently collaborating with architects George Post & Sons.

During the mid-1940s, entertainer Liberace gained widespread recognition through contracts with both Statler and Radisson hotel chains.

In 1954, Hotels Statler Company was acquired by Conrad Hilton's Hilton Hotels for $111 million—a record-setting real estate deal at that time. The Buffalo Statler was demolished in 1968 following this acquisition; meanwhile, the New York Statler was renamed Hotel Pennsylvania.

Hotel portfolio


City	Year Established	Names	Remarks
Buffalo	1901	Statler's Hotel	Constructed as a temporary 2,084-room hotel for the Pan-American Exposition, later demolished after the event concluded.
St. Louis	1904	The Inside Inn	At its time, it was the largest hotel globally with 2,257 rooms; built temporarily for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and dismantled afterwards.
Buffalo	1907	Hotel Statler Hotel Buffalo	Originally Hotel Statler; renamed Hotel Buffalo in 1923; operated until the 1930s; closed in 1967 and demolished in 1968; site now occupied by Sahlen Field.
Cleveland	1912	Hotel Statler Cleveland The Statler Hilton Cleveland The Cleveland Plaza The Statler Tower Statler Arms Apartments The Statler	Transformed from a hotel into an office building in 1980; converted again into a 295-unit apartment complex in 2001; rebranded as The Statler in 2019.
Detroit	1915	Hotel Statler Detroit The Statler Hilton Detroit Detroit Hilton Detroit Heritage Hotel	Hilton ceased management in 1974; closed shortly thereafter; demolished by 2006; site currently hosts City Club Apartments featuring The Statler Bistro French restaurant.
St. Louis	1917	Hotel Statler St. Louis The Statler Hilton St. Louis The St. Louis Gateway Hotel Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel	Sold by Hilton in 1968 and renamed The Gateway Hotel; closed after an arson fire in 1987; renovated and reopened as Renaissance St. Louis Grand between 2000-2002; renamed Marriott St. Louis Grand in 2015.
New York City	1919	Hotel Pennsylvania Hotel Statler New York The Statler Hilton New York The New York Statler New York Penta Hotel Hotel Pennsylvania	Built by Pennsylvania Railroad and initially managed by Ellsworth Statler's company; acquired by Hotels Statler Company in 1948; closed in 2020; demolition finalized by September 2023 under owner Vornado Realty Trust.
Buffalo	1923	Hotel Statler Buffalo The Statler Hilton Buffalo Statler Towers Statler City	Converted to office use starting in 1948 due to surplus capacity; hotel rooms shuttered by 1984; after unsuccessful renovation attempts and bankruptcy, purchased by developer Mark D. Croce in 2011 for refurbishment as Statler City; following Croce's death in 2020, Douglas Jemal acquired it with plans for a $150 million redevelopment including casino and residential apartments; located within the Joseph Ellicott Historic District.
Boston	1927	Hotel Statler Boston Statler Hilton Boston Boston Park Plaza	Continues operation as Hilton Boston Park Plaza hotel.
Pittsburgh	1940	William Penn Hotel Penn-Sheraton Hotel Westin William Penn Omni William Penn Hotel	Managed by Statler from 1940 until 1951 without ownership or use of the brand name.
Washington	1943	Hotel Statler Washington D.C. The Statler Hilton Washington D.C. Capital Hilton	The sole property purchased outright and continuously operated by Hilton is this hotel now known as The Capital Hilton.
Los Angeles	1952	Hotel Statler Los Angeles The Statler Hilton Los Angeles The Los Angeles Hilton Omni Los Angeles Hotel The Wilshire Grand Hotel	Operated under multiple names until Korean Airlines acquired it in 1989; closed in 2011 and demolished in 2013 to allow construction of Wilshire Grand Tower—a mixed-use skyscraper housing an InterContinental hotel and office spaces.
Hartford	1954	Hotel Statler Hartford The Statler Hilton Hartford Hartford Hilton The Parkview Hilton	Closed and razed in 1990; currently serves as a parking lot site.
Dallas	1956	The Statler Hilton Dallas Dallas Hilton Dallas Grand Hotel The Statler Hotel & Residences	Opened during company sale year of 1956; ceased operations in 2001 after functioning as Dallas Grand Hotel; listed among America's Most Endangered Places in 2008; restored and reopened in 2017 under Hilton’s Curio Collection brand.
Ithaca	1986	Cornell School of Hotel Administration	Constructed posthumously according to Ellsworth M. Statler’s will provisions; operated as an educational hotel by Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration.

The Statler Hotel – Buffalo, New York

In 2019, the Travel Channel's documentary series Destination Fear featured this site. The hotel's previous owner, Mark Croce, tragically passed away in a helicopter accident in 2020. By June 2021, new developers had purchased the property with intentions to transform it into a mixed-use development, incorporating retail outlets, event and entertainment venues, along with 600 to 700 residential units.

References

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