Historic inn played host to Churchil
l, Elvis, JFK
CINCINNATI — More prestige could shower the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel Nov. 3 when the Historic Hotels of America Awards of Excellence are announced in Honolulu.
But the 1931 French art deco masterpiece will have to beat out some heavy hitters in the over-400-rooms category: The Palace (1875) and Fairmount (1907) in San Francisco, The Drake (1920) in Chicago, Hotel Monteleone (1886) in New Orleans and Moana Surfrider (1901) in Honolulu.
Since the awards are all about history, we asked Louis for some, found more on the HHA website and put together nine fun facts from the past that range from what kind of hamburger a hungry Elvis Presley ordered to visits from famous political people such as President Kennedy and Winston Churchill.
1. Presley stayed in the hotel often when he came to Cincinnati to perform. You can buy a $40 color photograph online that shows The King walking down a hallway at the Netherland Plaza. During one stay, according to the hotel’s “Walking Tour and Pocket History” pamphlet, he ordered a hamburger cooked well-done and loved it so so much he went to the kitchen, found the cook and announced with a broad grin: “I just wanted to thank the person that made the best burger I ever had.” Presley last performed in Cincinnati on June 25, 1977, three weeks before his death at age 42. Read More