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Capital Hotel in Little Rock Reopens

AP photo by MIKE WINTROATH

The inside of the 130 year old Capital Hotel in Little Rock, Ark., after a $24 million renovation.

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By JILL ZEMAN Associated Press Writer

Published: December 16, 2007

LITTLE ROCK - Built using a cast-iron facade shipped in pieces from New York, the Capital Hotel opened to great fanfare in 1877, with rooms going for up to $4 a day.

Today, guests can pay up to $500 to stay at the hotel, which reopened Nov. 19 after two years of renovations that added several modern electronic touches to the luxury that was already its hallmark.

The building at Markham and Louisiana in downtown Little Rock was erected as an office and retail building in 1872 and converted into a hotel five years later. An unidentified Little Rock woman christened it, saying: "I can think of no name more appropriate than The Capital Hotel, as it is a capital enterprise located in a capital building, which will do honor to the capital of the state."

The retooled Capital Hotel reopened Monday after two years - and at least $24 million worth of renovations. The Victorian charm remains, but the historic hotel has added modern touches, like wireless Internet and flat-screen TVs. The hotel's owners, investment banker Warren Stephens and his wife, Harriet, oversaw the renovations.

Michael Chaffin, the hotel's chief operating officer, said early bookings were "quite busy for us, coming out of the gates."

Room rates are now $199-$259, with suites going for $500 a night.

The 130-year-old hotel was a popular spot for the national press during the Clinton years as president. A local legend says the hotel's huge elevator carried former President Ulysses S. Grant - and the horse he rode in on - to the floor where he stayed during an 1880 visit.

Work on the hotel included replacing 236 windows, outfitting five kitchens with the latest technology, and installing custom fabrics. Restoration experts worked on the columns, and the carpets and furniture are new.

There's a ballroom and business center, and access to the gym in the Stephens Building across Louisiana Street.

The hotel also reduced its number of rooms during the renovations - from about 120 to 94 - by making some guest rooms larger and converting some smaller rooms into meeting rooms and other public space, Chaffin said.

Pre-renovation, the Capital had a three-star rating from the Mobil Travel Guide, as do the Peabody Hotel across Markham Street from the Capital Hotel, and the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs, among other hotels in the state. Chaffin is hoping that the hotel might get even higher ratings now that the work is complete.

"The idea wasn't to build the hotel for ratings," Chaffin said. "The idea was to build the hotel and be the best we can possibly be. But I think we certainly have as good of chance as any of getting the five-star."

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If You Go...

CAPITAL HOTEL: At the intersection of Markham and Louisiana, Little Rock; www.capitalhotel.com or 501-374-7474. Rates: $199-$259, suites $500 a night.

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