Hotel Emma
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Hotel Emma, once a 19th century brewhouse,.[1] is a 146-room boutique hotel with a library, bar, club room, restaurant and high-end grocer. Hotel Emma is named after Emma Koehler, wife of Pearl President Otto Koehler, and located in downtown San Antonio’s historic Pearl District.[2]
The structure was originally built in 1894 on 23-acres as the City Brewery (later becoming Pearl Brewery) and for a time, was the tallest building in San Antonio. Designed by Chicago architect August Maritzen[3] in Second Empire style, Maritzen specialized in breweries, designing more than 80 across the United States, Canada and South Africa.
During planning and construction, Hotel Emma architects and designers utilized existing material and machinery to maintain the historical architectural features while carefully modernizing the space, resulting in a fusion of several different architectural styles.
History
Prior to becoming a boutique hotel, Hotel Emma was an American brewery established in 1881 as the J.B. Behloradsky Brewery[4]. In 1883, the San Antonio Brewing Association acquired the company [5]. By 1916, Pearl was the largest brewery in Texas and the only brewery to survive the Prohibition [6]. In 2001, the brewery officially closed. In 2002, Silver Ventures, Inc. acquired the property.
Hotel Emma is named after Emma Koehler, wife of Pearl President Otto Koehler. Following the death of her husband in 1914, Emma took reign of Pearl operations as CEO [7]. Under her leadership, Emma kept the brewery doors open during Prohibition by expanding business lines to encompass auto repair, soft drinks, ice cream and dry cleaning. Her vision and determination prevented the brewery from closing, saving hundreds of people from losing their jobs. Although she retired in 1933, Emma remained active behind the scenes in Pearl operations until her death in 1947[8].
Construction and Design
Construction for Hotel Emma began on December 10, 2012 with three architects and design firms secured: Three Living Architecture, Roman and Williams, and Powell & Carson Architects & Planners[9]. Keeping much of the original architectural integrity and design, existing machinery and pieces were salvaged, as well as the original 134-foot brewery tower, resulting in a variety of different architectural styles. The Hotel Emma opened November 12, 2015 [10]
The hotel has more than 160,000-square-feet of floor space with 6,000-square-feet of meeting and venue space. With 146 rooms, the Hotel Emma has 11 two-story suites, a 3,000-square-foot lobby, a library, bar, club room, pool, restaurant and high-end grocer. The building also features several cellar spaces for events, receptions and gatherings.
A focal point of the hotel is its two towers. The original tower stands at 134 feet with eight floors, and the newly constructed tower stands 78 feet with six floors.
Throughout planning, design and construction, architects and designers concentrated on preserving as much of the original structure and machinery as possible, integrating these components in the overall design[11]. While this caused delays in its original opening date, much of the original integrity of the building was conserved.
Features
With a concentration on preserving the existing structure, architects and designers utilized existing materials and machinery to maintain the historical architectural features while carefully modernizing the space [12], resulting in a fusion of older and contemporary architectural styles. The Hotel Emma boasts a food- and service-centric culture, and its culinary establishments are known employing locally sourced ingredients[13].
Supper, a restaurant located on the bank of the San Antonio River, is housed in the Hotel Emma and specializes in local farm-to-table entrees.
In addition to Supper, the hotel also is the home to Larder, a high-end grocer, sundries, coffee, desert, local beer and wine, and sandwich shop.
Hotel Emma also has a bar on its premises. Sternewirth was named for the Sternewirth Privilege, entitling 19th century brewery employees to free beer during the workday. Prohibition ended the tradition, but the Pearl Brewery continued the tradition, with workers frequenting the taproom until the 1990s.
References
- ^ "Hotel Emma opens inside a 19th-century brewery in San Antonio". The Spaces. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
- ^ http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2015-10-14/pearl-district-the-san-antonio-neighborhood-you-need-to-visit
- ^ "Maritzen, August - Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada".
- ^ Elizarraras, Jessica. "History Buffs Will Love San Antonio Beer". San Antonio Current. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
- ^ "History - Pearl Brewery". atpearl.com. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
- ^ C., HENNECH, MICHAEL (2010-06-15). "PEARL BREWING COMPANY". tshaonline.org. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Brammer, Mikki. "An Erstwhile Brewery, Hotel Emma Balances Grit and Glamour". www.metropolismag.com. Metropolis Magazine. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
- ^ "A sense of history at The Pearl's Hotel Emma". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
- ^ "Hotel Emma: Pearl's Crown Jewel | Home Design & Decor". homedesigndecormag.com. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
- ^ Bechtol, Ron. "At Long Last, Pearl's Grand Hotel Emma Has Arrived". San Antonio Current. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
- ^ "Hotel Emma: Pearl's Crown Jewel | Home Design & Decor". homedesigndecormag.com. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
- ^ Franzen, Julie Coe,Nicole. "Go Inside a New San Antonio Hotel Designed by Roman and Williams | Architectural Digest". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Hotel Emma: The New Jewel of San Antonio". 10Best. Retrieved 2017-02-16.