Only months after officially reopening following major renovations and the birth of its neighboring namesake Hines high-rise, La Colombe d’Or has earned top honors in Smithsonian Magazine as one of the five most resilient/venerable hotels in the country. The renowned national magazine dubs La Colombe d’Or one of its Invincible Hotels.
Built in 1923 as a private residence, transformed into a five-room hotel by Houstonian Steve Zimmerman in the early 1980s and surviving the subsequent mid-’80s oil bust, La Colombe d’Or has joined the ranks of premiere hotels rising from the ashes literally and figuratively.
“It’s worth remembering that America’s most famous hotels have survived crises other than COVID-19,” Smithsonian writer Tony Perrottet writes. “The hospitality industry has had to adapt to wars, economic spirals, radical fashion changes — and yes, other, even more devastating epidemics — each of which forced somersaults that give new meaning to the contemporary buzzword ‘pivot.'”
The challenge that found the Montrose hostelry in the big leagues of survivors was the crash of oil prices and the resulting dirth of business in the hotel and the accompanying restaurant. In a move to draw customers, Zimmerman offered a three-course prix fix lunch for the price of a barrel of crude. It was a PR sensation, garnering the hotel national attention.
Now La Colombe d’Or is back better than ever thanks to an infusion of cash and the talents of renowned architect/interior designer Lauren Rottet.
“We’re very humbled to be included in Smithsonian Magazine’s Five of Americas Most Invincible Hotels . . .” Zimmerman tells PaperCity. “The 100-year history of the mansion at La Colombe d’Or, originally owned by Walter Fondren Jr. of Humble Oil, has fared many crisis including the crash of oil, multiple hurricanes and floods and a global pandemic and will continue to be an iconic hotel and landmark for the city of Houston for many years to come.”
SHOP DE BEERS
Sharing the Smithsonian Magazine spotlight of iconic hotels with second if not third acts are The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, which survived the fire of 1906; Mohonk Mountain House in New York’s Hudson Valley, which persevered during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918; The Biltmore, Miami, which survived the “Great Miami Hurricane” of 1926; and the Hollywood Roosevelt (where the first Academy awards ceremonies were held), which flourished during the Great Depression thanks to actor Errol Flynn’s bootleg activities in the hotel.
The article is an entertaining read which includes the colorful history of the five properties.
“For years I’ve been known as the man sitting in the library, telling stories while drinking a glass of rosé and looking out on Montrose Boulevard — pretending it’s the Mediterranean,” Steve Zimmerman says. “It’s wonderful to be recognized for something more than that and we are excited for guests to experience La Colombe d’Or.”
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June 16, 2021 at 08:36AM
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Iconic Houston Hotel Wins Prestigious Invincible List Honors — One of the 5 Best in America - PaperCity Magazine
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