| Genetti Hotel | |
| Former Names: | Lycoming Hotel |
| Status: | Operational |
| Address: | 200 W 4th St, Williamsport, PA 17701 |
| Coordinates: | 41.241°N -77.0056°W |
| Location Town: | Williamsport, Pennsylvania |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Start Date: | 1921 |
| Opened Date: | 1922 |
| Architect: | William Lee Stoddart |
| Owner: | Genetti Hotels |
| Cost: | $900,000 |
| Floor Count: | 11 |
| Website: | http://www.genettihotel.com/ |
| Height: | 192 feet |
| Elevator Count: | 3 |
Genetti Hotel, based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was built in 1921. It was originally named Lycoming Hotel.
The hotel was built in 1921, in the midst of Williamsport's logging boom. The hotel opened on June 21, 1922, as Lycoming Hotel.[1] [2] It quickly became a destination site for convention planners representing business, civic, military, and professional associates across Pennsylvania.[3] [4] [5]
The hotel's architect was New Jersey-born William Lee Stoddart. The hotel's first manager was John F. Letton.[6] [7] One of the grand opening ceremonies for the hotel included a formal presentation by a Pittsburgh chapter of The Gideons International, during the afternoon of June 21, 1922, at which time representatives of the organization presented a gift of Bibles to be placed in each hotel room. The Rev. Dr. C. Everest Granger delivered a formal address during that program.[8]
A hotel amenity in 1922 and 1923 was a soda and candy fountain that was managed by Christian Kirias.[9]
On September 30, 1922, Republican gubernatorial candidate Gifford Pinchot, delivered an address to the Women's Christian Temperance Union at its annual convention that was held at the Lycoming Hotel, which adhered strictly to the federal Prohibition laws that outlawed the sale of alcohol.[10] During that speech, Pinchot expressed his support for prohibition as he advocated for the repeal of the Brook's license law to "put the law in Pennsylvania suqarely in accord with the Volstead Act and the Eighteenth Amendment."[11]
In 1975, hotelier Gus Genetti purchased the Lycoming Hotel, announcing that he planned to renovate the facility at an estimated cost of $250,000. Improvements were subsequently made to the hotel lobby, kitchen, restaurant, and ballroom. The name of the hotel was also changed at that time to reflect Genetti's ownership.[12]
Designed by architect William Lee Stoddart, the Lycoming Hotel (now known as the Genetti Hotel) took a little over a year to build, with construction starting in 1921 and the project being completed in 1922. It is the second tallest building in Williamsport as the Trinity Episcopal Church stands 210 feet tall.
The hotel has been through many renovations, such as a new modern ballroom, new elevators, and a restoration of the hotel's exterior.