page_title: The St. Anthony Hotel
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: The St. Anthony Hotel / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Grand Lobby and Peacock Alley, St. Anthony Hotel, San Antonio, Texas
context_page_description: The St. Anthony Hotel is a historic 10-story hotel in downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. Built in 1909, it was considered one of the most luxurious hotels in the United States and hosted a wide range of film stars, royalty, and other famous guests. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
context_section_description: The St. Anthony Hotel was constructed by cattlemen B. L. Naylor, F. M. Swearingen, and A. H. Jones. The men believed that San Antonio was destined to become an important tourist destination and that a luxury hotel would bring an influx of wealthy people coming to the city.
  The St. Anthony was the first luxury hotel in the city. All the rooms had mahogany moldings and furnishings and telephones, Half of the rooms had private baths. It also featured doors which opened automatically, and electric lights that turned off when the patron locked their hotel room door. It was so technologically advanced that it was considered among the world's most modern hotels. The hotel also featured a richly appointed bar and lounge named "Peacock Alley", added in the 1930s. The hotel's St. Anthony Club restaurant also became well known for its excellent food. In 1915, the owners doubled the capacity of the hotel to 430 rooms.
  In the depths of the Great Depression, however, the hotel fell on difficult times. It began to deteriorate, and the banks foreclosed on the owners. Ralph W. Morrison, civic leader and rancher, purchased the hotel in 1935 for $475,000. That year, the hotel added air conditioning and a drive-up registration desk. Morrison purchased an extensive art collection to hang in the public spaces, and oriental carpets and French Empire furnishings for the public lounges.
  In 1982 the hotel was bought by Inter-Continental Hotels. It was renovated and reopened in 1983 as the St. Anthony Inter-Continental San Antonio. It completed renovations and joined The Luxury Collection division of Starwood Hotels on November 19, 2015.
caption: St. Anthony Hotel lobby in 1913.
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