The Belvedere Hotel: A Spot that I adore, With a rich History

March 12, 2024

The Belvedere Hotel: A Spot that I adore, With a rich History

There are many places I adore in my charm city, but one I have gone back to time and time again, adoring the history, atmosphere and history. The Belvedere hotel has been said to be haunted, has played hostess for many wedding, many visitors during prohibition and has been home to many celebrity visitors such as:

President Theo Roosevelt

President Taft

President Wilson

President Hoover

President Franklin D Roosevelt

President Harding

President Truman

President Eisenhower

Al Pacino

John F. Kennedy

Ronald Reagan

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor

Kenny Rodgers

Sarah Jessica Parker

Tim Allen

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Andrew Carnegie

John D. Rockefeller

and the list goes on....

A Rich History

The Belvedere Hotel is a historic and beautiful part of Baltimore history. Founded in 1903 it seemed as though the belvedere would become the heart and soul of the city in some demeanor; however this was just not the case. The hotel has had its ups and downs over many years, and according to the hotel manager of 34 years it was never successful as a hotel. For a brief period of time the after the hotel was sold by the Sheraton Corporation, the hotel decided it was time for a younger crowd and became a dormitory to many of the various colleges in the Baltimore area. While a bold choice this decision resulted in many damages to the hotel and guests. Eventually this decision became too much for the owners and after opening to students in 1968, shortly after in 1972 the city closed the building because of the failure to upkeep the hotel.

When translated in Italian the name Belvedere means "beautiful view" "beautiful to see" and that it truly is. As its architectural style is Beaux - Arts classicism which was increasingly popular and fawned over in the early 1900's or the turn of the century when the hotel was being built. Additionally the hotel was heavily influenced by the Plaza hotel in New York that takes ints inspiration from the same style. However although the hotel is quite beautiful Bill the building manager stated its a challenging building to run because of the age and upkeep it requires.

History of the Owner

As stated by the Baltimore sun the hotel finally found its match once the hotel was up for auction and bought by Victor Frenkil “Hotel Belvedere was built for Baltimore society to impress the rest of the world, Victor Frenkil bought the Belvedere to impress Baltimore society.” He renovated the hotel, opened it as apartments before switching back and forth between a hotel and apartment complex. It then went on to get tossed around once again to new ownership. It now resides as condos and a venue for events and gatherings hosted by Belvedere & Co. But the history of the Belvedere remains intact from the Owl bar and the celebrities that have walked its marble floors the hotel is notorious for its ghost stories and long reputation for being a little bit spooky.

The Owl Bar

During Frenkils many renovations to save the Belvedere he also renamed the bar previously known in 1903 as the bar room and then in the 50’s as the “Falstaff room” to “Owl bar." He than searched long and hard for the original owl fixtures that inhabited the bar in the 20’s. He also used his long search for the owls as a PR stunt to promote the hotel which worked to his benefit in promoting the hotels new renovations.

The owls he so famously returned to the Belvedere hid coded messages during prohibition for those who were aware of the bars secret liquor stash. When the owls that sat on top of the cash register blinked it was safe to order a beverage and they notified guests they had liquor but when the eyes glowed and remained that way it notified guests it was not safe to order, and they did not have liquor to share.

Regardless of Frenkils improvement to the bar, it holds its own history in the many ways it stuck its ground during prohibition. The historic bar gives you a glimpse into history with most of its original features still intact. It is also quite the hot spot in Baltimore and is still open and attracting visitors to the Hotel.