The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-23
THE NEW HOTEL,

Surely every one in Topeka realizes
the fact that one of the real needs of
this city, if it is to take advantage of
all its opportunities, is a new hotel
Every one should also be pleased that
the agitation for the construction of
one has taken on a renewed vfgor Of
late. But it would appear that n1osl
serious mistake will be made if n
structure is put up which will cost no
more than s25O.O00 as has been sug-
gested by some of the gentlemen who
are interested in the project
For that sum of money, it will not be
possible to erect a hotel which will be
much lar-er or better in most Of its
essential details than two hotels which
already exist in Topeka. 1t would as
suredly seem to be wasting energies TO
devote them to the building of hotel
structure which will merely be COM
petitor with the hotels now on the
ground. OF course, hotel of this char
acter would help out the hotel situa-
ton to a certain extent because it Is
confessed on all sides that the present
hotel facilities here are wholly made
quate.
But what Topeka requires, if she is to
get any material benefit in this way, is
a hotel of distinctive and magnificent
proportions which will be in a class by
itself, a hotel that will be superior III
all ways to any of the present hotels il
the city. That kind of a hotel, and that
kind only, is the one which will fill the
bill. Nor will such a hotel have any
demoralizing effect on the hotels all
ready in existence. Such has not been
the experience in other cities where
similar structures have been put up
and there is no reason why such con-
dition of affairs should develop here.
AS matter of fact really fine hotel
here, one that would attract the atten-
ton of the world outside, would event.
ually mean the making of more bust
ness for the hotels now being operated
in the city. Such hotel would soon
advertise Topeka to the rest of the
country as a place which was fitted in
every way for the holding of the largest
conventions, and constant search is
going on all the time by various organ
izations for just such cities. 1t is not
contended that a 100000 or even a ST.
600, 900 hotel could provide anything like
ample accommodations for a conven-
ton whose delegates run up into the
serve to draw such conventions to the
city because it would have all the ia
cilities needed for convention head
quarters, the holding of large banquets
and numerous other convention needs
which cannot now be met by the hotels
here. These conventions would mako
all kinds of additional business for the
existing hotels and add in many ma
terial ways to the prosperity of the
whole people of the city.
There should be new hotel in To-
peka, by all means, but it should be
more than a $25000O one. 1t should
cost probably about 100000, and a good
portion of this money should be pro-
vided by.those Topekans who have it to
spare for investment purposes. 1t has
been the experience that such a sized
hotel retruns better dividends than al
most any other business venture. But
the same could not be argued in behalf
of s250,0 hotel because it would be
nothing more than a competitor WITH
the hotels already in existence.