The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-04
BuffnlO's New Hosiery, Hotel Lafay-
cite.


The Hotel Lafayette, which is one of
the most perfectly appointed and mag
niticeAt hotels either in this country or
Europe, was formally opened to the
public on Wednesday. June 1, the af-
fair proving a red letter event in the
progressive and queenly city by the
lake.
In the opening of this handsome and
substantial addition to the many beau
tiful attractions of Buffalo, her citizens
and the travelling public are indebted
to the enterprise of Mr. Walter B.
Duffy, one of the leading capitalists of
Rochester, n. Y, who built and
equipped the hotel at a cost of over
$1000,000.
The hotel has been leased by Mr..
Duffy to the Lafayette Hotel Company
for a term of twenty-one years, and
it will be operated under the supervi-
sion of Mr.. George w. Sweeney, the
president of the company, who is also
the proprietor of the Hotel Victoria,
New York city.
For over a year seventy contractors
and hundreds of artisans and firms
have labored in the construction of the
Hotel Lafayette and completing it's in.
result of their combined efforts stand
ing forth as one of the most palatial.
imposing and perfectly appointed no.
tel structures to be found anywhere.
In the first place, the Hotel Lafay-
cite is absolutely -fireproof, and the
plans of the architects, who visited
the leading hotels of the country, in
clude every desirable feature of mod
ern hotel construction and many ideas
that are new.
The hotel will be conducted on the
European plan. Messrs. Spaulding and
Oaks, the managers, intend that it
shall be first class in every particular.
No labor or expense has been spared in
constructing and equipping the hotel
the appointments combining every
comfort, luxury and convenience that
experience refined taste and enligbten-
en- methods in the art of catering could
suggest-and none will be spared in its
operation
The Hotel Lafayette is located at
Washington and Clinton streets, over
looking Lafayette Square, in the heart
of Buffalos business and theater dis
trict.
1t is seven stories in hight. French
Renaissance in style, with an exterior
of dark red vitreous brick and semi
glazed ivory white, terra Gotta trim
mings, the marquise carriage porch
and window balconies being of orna-
mental wrought iron. The hotel con-
tains 2S3 rooms, of which los are pro-
vided with tub and shower baths, and
every room in the house has hot and
cold running water and long distance
telephones. Special provision has been
made for commercial travellers by the
equipment of eighteen large, we'll
lighted sample rooms.
The magnificent lobby, 72xS4 feet in
dimensions, is finished in red Numidian
marble, scagliola and Fronterra ma
hogany 1t contains the hotel offices,
news, cigars, telephone booths, writing
rooms, etc. The carriage entrance
opens on the main lobby and the wom-
ems reception, cloak and toilet rooms
and it leads to three restaurants
which will be located in the brown
and green rooms, the red and gold
room and the palm room.
What is regarded as the climax of
! exquisite hotel decorating is to be
found in the beautiful suites of rooms
on each corner of each floor of the no.
tel These are fitted in the Louis
XIV, Louis XVI, the Marie Antoinette
and the Empire style. There are also
golden and beautiful bridal suites. The
Transportation Club of Buffalo has
retained the entire seventh floor of the
hotel, which has been fitted up in
splendid manner and constitutes one
of the finest club homes in the city of
Buffalo.
A special car bearing prominent New
York newspaper and hotel men went
to Buffalo over the New York Central
and Hudson River Railroad to attend
the opening.