Benson Hotel
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| Benson Hotel | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 The Benson Hotel complex: the original 1912 building is on the right, 1959 annex to the left.
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| Location: | Portland, Oregon |
| Coordinates: | 45°31′18.4″N 122°40′43.4″W / 45.521778°N 122.678722°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1912 |
| Architect: | Doyle, Patterson & Beach |
| Added to NRHP: | November 20, 1986 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 86003175 |
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This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2007) |
The Benson Hotel is a 287 room historic hotel building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States.[1]
It is owned and operated by Coast Hotels & Resorts. It was originally known as the New Oregon Hotel,[2] and is commonly known as "The Benson". It has a reputation as one of Portland's finest hotels. The hotel is named after notable businessman and philanthropist Simon Benson.
[edit] History
Benson had wished to build a world-class hotel in Portland. During the population boom that occurred between the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition and the Great Depression, Benson fulfilled his wish.
The firm of Doyle, Patterson, and Beach designed the main hotel building in French Second Empire style. The hotel opened 1912 and Chicago's Blackstone Hotel served as the inspiration of the building's overall design.[2] The building was originally an annex to the Oregon Hotel, and was known as the New Oregon Hotel.
In 1959, the old Oregon Hotel next door was demolished to, ironically, make way for a 175 room annex to the 1912 building.
It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
A number of international celebrities have stayed at the Benson, including Luciano Pavarotti, Queen Noor of Jordan, David Bowie, and James Brown. In November 2005, Paul McCartney stayed at the hotel while visiting Portland on his U.S. Tour. Every U.S. President since Harry Truman has stayed at the Benson Hotel.[citation needed] Richard M. Nixon is reputed to have composed the "Checkers speech" while staying at the Benson.[citation needed]
[edit] References
- ^ "Portland — Benson Hotel". Quikbook.com. http://www.quikbook.com/getprofile.asp?code=2188&market=2022. Retrieved on 2008-12-22.
- ^ a b Benson Hotel in the Oregon Encyclopedia
[edit] External links
- Benson Hotel (official website)
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