Hotel Paso del Norte
Encyclopedia
Hotel Paso del Norte is a historic hotel
located in El Paso, Texas
, United States
less than one mile north from the international border with Mexico
. The hotel was designed by Trost & Trost
and opened in 1912. The hotel was extensively remodeled in 2004 and renamed the Camino Real Hotel. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on January 5, 1979.
Zack T. White, a wealthy El Paso businessman, financed construction of the hotel. After witnessing a fire destroy another hotel in El Paso, White and architect Henry Charles Trost traveled to San Francisco, California
to try to understand how some buildings there survived the earthquake and fire in 1906
. The hotel cost $1.5 million to build in order to make it one of the sturdiest structures in El Paso and the most ornate. The large hotel lobby features a stained glass dome over twenty-five feet in diameter designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany
.
During the Mexican Revolution
, it was popular to watch firefight
s between the revolutionaries
and the Mexican Army
from the terrace
on the top of the hotel. Some of the notable people who stayed at the hotel include Gloria Swanson
, General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing
, General Alvaro Obregon
, John Reed (journalist), Will Rogers
, Enrico Caruso, Amelia Earhart
, Eleanor Roosevelt
, the then Vice President Richard Nixon
.
On February 1, 1971, the hotel was sold by the daughter of Zach White to the T. G. K. Investment Company. The Paso del Norte Hotel Corporation acquired the hotel in February 1975 and then transferred ownership to Z. W. Limited. The Paso del Norte Hotel Corporation remains as a general partner of Z. W. Limited. A 17-story addition was constructed in 1986 on the north side of the hotel. The hotel now has 359 rooms and is still in use. The hotel is currently owned by Camino Real Hotels
.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
located in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
less than one mile north from the international border with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The hotel was designed by Trost & Trost
Trost & Trost
Trost & Trost Architects & Engineers was an architecture firm based in El Paso, Texas. The firm's chief designer was Henry Charles Trost, who was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1860. Trost moved from Chicago to Tucson, Arizona in 1899 and then on to El Paso in 1903...
and opened in 1912. The hotel was extensively remodeled in 2004 and renamed the Camino Real Hotel. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 5, 1979.
Zack T. White, a wealthy El Paso businessman, financed construction of the hotel. After witnessing a fire destroy another hotel in El Paso, White and architect Henry Charles Trost traveled to San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to try to understand how some buildings there survived the earthquake and fire in 1906
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. The hotel cost $1.5 million to build in order to make it one of the sturdiest structures in El Paso and the most ornate. The large hotel lobby features a stained glass dome over twenty-five feet in diameter designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
.
During the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
, it was popular to watch firefight
Firefight
Firefight may refer to:* firefight, a large exchange of bullets between two sides * Firefighting, process of extinguishing destructive flames* A game mode in Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach video games...
s between the revolutionaries
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
and the Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
from the terrace
Terrace (building)
A terrace is an outdoor, occupiable extension of a building above ground level. Although its physical characteristics may vary to a great degree, a terrace will generally be larger than a balcony and will have an "open-top" facing the sky...
on the top of the hotel. Some of the notable people who stayed at the hotel include Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson was an American actress, singer and producer. She was one of the most prominent stars during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, made dozens of silents and was nominated for the first Academy Award in the...
, General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
, General Alvaro Obregon
Álvaro Obregón
General Álvaro Obregón Salido was the President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924. He was assassinated in 1928, shortly after winning election to another presidential term....
, John Reed (journalist), Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
, Enrico Caruso, Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
, Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
, the then Vice President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
.
On February 1, 1971, the hotel was sold by the daughter of Zach White to the T. G. K. Investment Company. The Paso del Norte Hotel Corporation acquired the hotel in February 1975 and then transferred ownership to Z. W. Limited. The Paso del Norte Hotel Corporation remains as a general partner of Z. W. Limited. A 17-story addition was constructed in 1986 on the north side of the hotel. The hotel now has 359 rooms and is still in use. The hotel is currently owned by Camino Real Hotels
Camino Real Hotels
Camino Real Hotels is a Mexican-based hotel chain consisting of hotels and resorts.-History:Camino Real was the name given by 16th century Spaniards to the road that led to the capital of New Spain, today known as Mexico....
.