The Alcazar Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio

This Spanish Renaissance inn in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, shares both its name and its architectural styling with the original Alcazar Hotel erected in 1887 by Florida development pioneer Henry M. Flagler in what would become downtown St. Augustine.

That original hotel was designed by the architects Carrére and Hastings, and included then the world’s largest indoor swimming pool, sulfur baths, steam room, massage parlor and gymnasium. The facility became a winter resort serving the affluent traveler for decades, through to its closing in 1932. More than a decade later, it was acquired by Otto C. Lightner, a Chicago publisher, and soon housed his extensive and well-regarded collection of Victoriana. He eventually donated the renamed Lightner Museum to the city of St. Augustine.

The Cleveland Heights Alcazar Hotel was designed and constructed by the team of Harry T. Jeffrey, Kent Smith and George Hale, in a Spanish/Moorish style. Opening in 1923, the Hotel, a five-story pentagonal ‘fortress’ surrounding a lush interior courtyard replete with large central fountain, extensive tilework and bounteous landscaping, quickly became a chic Cleveland address. Early residents of the Hotel included Cole Porter, Johnny Weissmuller and Bob Hope.

For much of the post-World War II era, the hotel’s unparalleled dining and dancing attracted monied Clevelanders and travelers alike. As the 1960s arrived, however, increased suburbanization and the growth of the nearby Case Western Reserve University campus and area hospitals undercut the Alcazar’s appeal to its former high-end customers. Facing decline, the hotel was purchased in 1963 by a group of Christian Scientists aiming to provide elegant senior living to the faithful.

For the next four decades, The Alcazar Hotel also served as a Senior Independent Living Residence. By 2004, the facilities hotel function was relinquished. Today, The Alcazar operates primarily as a senior facility, while also offering limited bed & breakfast accommodations and some corporate housing. The Alcazar Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and still hosts many weddings, parties, concerts and other special events.