Hotel Andaluz Explained

Hotel Andaluz
Location:125 2nd St. NW
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Coordinates:35.085°N -106.6489°W
Map Type:New Mexico#USA
Completion Date:1939
Building Type:Hotel
Roof:41.1m (134.8feet)
Floor Count:10
Architect:Anton F. Korn
Owner:Goodman Realty Group
Embedded:
Old Hilton Hotel
Embed:yes
Designated Other1:N.M. State Register of Cultural Properties
Designated Other1 Date:December 16, 1983[1]
Designated Other1 Number:992
Designated Other1 Num Position:bottom
Designated Other2:Albuquerque Historic Landmark
Added:March 2, 1984
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:84002868

Hotel Andaluz is a historic high-rise hotel in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It opened in 1939 as the Hilton Hotel, part of the Hilton Hotels chain. After operating under various names since the 1970s, the hotel was renovated and reopened under its current name in 2009. In 2019 it joined the Curio Collection by Hilton brand.

The property was listed (as Old Hilton Hotel) on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties in 1983[1] and the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It has also been designated an Albuquerque historic landmark.[2]

History

Opened on June 9, 1939,[3] the Hilton was the first modern high-rise hotel in New Mexico.[2] It was one of the first hotels in Conrad Hilton's Hilton Hotels chain and the first Hilton-branded hotel outside the state of Texas.[4] Architect Anton F. Korn designed the 160-room ten-story building in the New Mexico Territorial Revival style, with earthtone stucco, brick coping along the roofline, and southwest-style woodwork and furnishings. After a new Hilton opened near the Big I freeway interchange in 1971,[5] the older hotel was sold in 1974 and rebranded as the Hotel Plaza.[6] It was sold again in 1981 and closed. The new owners planned to restore it as the Hotel Bradford, but the hotel sat vacant and never opened under that name.[7] The hotel was finally renovated in 1984, with the number of rooms reduced to 114, and reopened on August 3, 1984 as La Posada de Albuquerque.

In 2005, the hotel was purchased by Gary Goodman,[8] whose company Goodman Realty Group is also behind the upcoming Winrock Town Center. In March 2008, the hotel underwent an extensive $30 million renovation[9] and restoration, reopening as Hotel Andaluz on October 1, 2009.[10] The hotel was honored with LEED Gold certification for its sustainability, and has been recognized many times over the years by Conde Nast as one of the top hotels in the U.S. southwest. The property features Más Tapas y Vino, a Spanish-influenced "dining experience" under the helm of Executive Chef Marc Quinones. It also offers the Ibiza Urban Rooftop Lounge and an extensive live entertainment program on weekends. 6000square feet of conference facilities.

During 2019, the hotel was used as a location for scenes in the fifth series of the television drama Better Call Saul.[11]

In its National Register listing it was deemed "exceptionally significant in the city as the last of Albuquerque's three great 'southwestern' hotels. Like the Alvarado Hotel (built 1903, demolished 1969) and the Franciscan Hotel (built 1923, demolished 1972), the Hilton reflects the building techniques of its time while displaying the traditional New Mexican decor which denotes the city's importance as a regional tourist center. In the old Hilton the generous use of local crafts and materials was combined with the most advanced building techniques available just before World War II. In its heyday it served the city as a social and political center before giving way to newer hotels built farther east near the new freeways."[12]

In 2019, the hotel became part of the Curio Collection by Hilton chain, returning it to Hilton branding.[13]

References

  1. Web site: New Mexico State and National Registers. New Mexico Historic Preservation Commission. 2013-03-13.
  2. Web site: Historic Landmarks . City of Albuquerque . May 8, 2021.
  3. News: New Hilton Hotel Makes Formal Bow to the Public Today . May 8, 2021 . Albuquerque Journal . June 9, 1939 . Newspapers.com.
  4. News: 10-Story, $600,000 Hotel to Be Built Here . May 8, 2021 . Albuquerque Journal . March 3, 1938 . Newspapers.com.
  5. News: Bouffard . Art . Hilton Bought By Springer . May 10, 2021 . Albuquerque Journal . June 1, 1973 . Newspapers.com.
  6. News: Hotel Sale Finalized . May 10, 2021 . Albuquerque Journal . May 2, 1974 . Newspapers.com.
  7. https://www.abqjournal.com/tricent/405424metro11-05-05.htm ABQjournal: In 1939, Conrad Hilton Opened a Showplace Downtown That Survived Changes
  8. Web site: About us Hotel Andaluz. Hotel Andaluz. en-US. 2018-03-08.
  9. Web site: One on One. Writer. Jessica Dyer Journal Staff. www.abqjournal.com. en-US. 2018-03-08.
  10. Web site: Archived copy . 2018-05-21 . 2017-09-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170915112525/http://www.hotelandaluz.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/391/2016/12/Hotel_Andaluz_fact_sheet_2014.pdf . dead .
  11. 'Better Call Saul' Season 5 Finale Recap: Survival Skills. Sepinwall. Alan. 2020-04-21. Rolling Stone. en-US. 2020-04-27.
  12. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=84002868}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Old Hilton Hotel / Plaza Hotel / La Posada de Albuquerque ]. National Park Service. Mary P. Davis . November 29, 1983 . April 22, 2021. With
  13. News: Nathanson . Rick . Hotel Andaluz returns to its roots . May 7, 2021 . Albuquerque Journal . April 19, 2019.

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