Omni William Penn- Pittsburgh, PA

While I generally avoid chain hotels, I appreciate that large budgets are necessary to properly maintain large historic hotels. So chain ownership at times is a necessary evil. For the most part, Omni takes very good care of their historic properties; they certainly have some iconic beauties in their portfolio that no doubt are high maintenance. The Omni William Penn is absolutely one of their urban gems. Refined and regal, its lobby looks ready to host a grand ball. And that look certainly doesn’t come cheap.

Designed by renowned Pittsburgh architects Benno Janssen and Franklin Abbott, the Renaissance Revival William Penn was built to impress. When it finally opened on March 11, 1916, a bit behind schedule and over budget, the hotel was hailed as the grandest in the United States. On its very first night the hotel threw the largest gala Pittsburgh had ever seen, with the Secretary of State hosting the event.

The last building venture of wealthy industrialist Henry Clay Frick, who was meant to be on the Titanic, the $6 million William Penn was built to rival the great hotels of Europe. And it did. Standing 23 floors, the hotel boasted 1000 rooms, all with electricity and en suite bathrooms. Fancy. Additionally, the hotel had its own baker, butcher, silversmith and print shop. Amenities included a grand ballroom, a billiards room, a barber shop, a nail salon, a drug store, and four restaurants.

With 7 different types of marble, plaster caste ceiling, and 1000 pound chandeliers, the lobby was grand indeed. Studded with Art Deco accents, the hotel was every bit as luxurious as its European counterparts. As such, the hotel attracted a well-heeled crowd, including President Theodore Roosevelt, who visited in 1917; he was in town for a Loyal Order of the Moose Convention, which is downright quaint. He apparently held court in the grand lobby, telling the crowd to “buck up for America.”

Over the years, the hotel has housed a wide variety of presidents, diplomats, socialites and stars. It is rumored that Bob Hope proposed to his wife at the hotel; and while Bob was certainly a guest, the proposal timing seems suspicious. Nevertheless, they do have a ballroom named in their honor. In the 1930s, Count Basie and his Orchestra played the hotel; later it was Laurence Welk, and his bubble machine, which is still displayed on the lower level.

Indeed, their guest roster is quiet impressive. It includes early Hollywood stars like Mary Pickford, who slept on satin sheets. Later, Liberace, who requested a birthday cake in the middle of the night; he got it, in under an hour. Lucille Ball, Jimmy Stewart, and Jackie Gleason were all frequent guests. Presidents Taft, Truman, Kennedy, and Obama all stayed at the hotel. The expansive list even includes the Dalai Lama and Michael Jackson, so in short, everyone.

Over the years, the hotel has undergone several renovations. In 1929 a 600 room annex was added, also designed by Janssen. Restaurants and bars came and went. One of the original basement bars was boarded up during prohibition, and remained that way until 2012. It has reopened as a speakeasy, with amazingly good handcrafted cocktails, many with homemade bitters.

The hotel underwent a $6 million restoration in the 1970s, followed by an additional $20 million by the Omni group after their acquisition. One million was spent on the lobby alone. Over the years, they decreased the number of rooms to 596, while increasing the size of the rooms. We did not get one of those expanded rooms apparently, because our room was tiny. The room also lacked any significant historic details, but it was comfortable.

The hotel has done a wonderful job of presenting the William Penn’s past through memorabilia located on the lower level. There are several cases displaying old pictures and menus, which are priceless. It is incredibly interesting to see how changing tastes altered the offerings at the hotel, which at one point even included a Western themed saloon on the 17th floor.

The hotel has certainly earned its nickname of “Grand Dame.” She is a timeless classic, just as beautiful today as when she was built. Convenient to just about everything, it is the perfect place to stay in Pittsburgh.

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