Chase Park Plaza Hotel
| The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis | |
|---|---|
_-_panoramio.jpg) The original Chase wing | |
  Location in St. Louis  Chase Park Plaza Hotel (the United States) | |
| General information | |
| Location | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Address | 212 North Kingshighway Boulevard |
| Coordinates | 38°38′39″N 90°15′50″W / 38.64417°N 90.26389°W |
| Opening | September 29, 1922 |
| Management | Sonesta Hotels |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 28 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Preston J. Bradshaw |
The Chase Park Royal Sonesta St. Louis is a historic hotel and apartment complex located at 212 N. Kingshighway Boulevard in the Central West End, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. It consists of two buildings - the Chase Hotel, built in 1922 by developer Chase Ullman,[1] and the Art Deco-style Park Plaza tower, built in 1929 and today housing condominiums. The complex also features a cinema and several restaurants and bars.[2]
History
The hotel replaced nearby the Buckingham Hotel as the most luxurious hotel in the city. From 1990 through 2001, The Chase wing was closed. The Park Plaza stayed open. The Chase Park Plaza is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Historic Hotels of America program.
The hotel joined the Sonesta hotels chain on May 18, 2017.[3]
Jackie Robinson and desegregation
Jackie Robinson was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman who became the first African American to play in the major leagues in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947.[4]
In 1953, Robinson openly criticized segregated hotels and restaurants that served the Dodger organization. A number of these establishments integrated as a result, including the five-star Chase Park Hotel in St. Louis.[5][6]
Wrestling at the Chase
The Chase was also famous for hosting a wrestling program called Wrestling at the Chase (1959–1983),[7][8] produced and televised by KPLR-TV channel 11, whose operations were in the hotel and the adjoining Chase Apartments, all owned by Harold Koplar. Many famous wrestlers, including St. Louis native, Lou Thesz, and Buddy Rogers wrestled on the program.
References
- ^ http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/chase-park-plaza/
- ^ O'Connor, Candace (2005). Meet Me in the Lobby: the Story of Harold Koplar and the Chase Park Plaza. St. Louis: Virginia Publishing Co. ISBN 1-891442-32-5.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article94568.html
- ^ Scott Simon, Jackie Robinson and the integration of baseball (2002).
- ^ Wormser, Richard (2002). "Jackie Robinson integrates Baseball". Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved September 14, 2009.
- ^ Erskine, Carl with Burton Rocks (2005). "Wait Till Next Year". What I Learned from Jackie Robinson: A Teammate's Reflections On and Off the Field. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 61–74. ISBN 0-07-145085-8.
- ^ Hornbaker, Tim (2006). National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly That Strangled Pro Wrestling. ECW Press. p. 55. ISBN 1-55022-741-6.
- ^ Matysik, Larry (2005). Wrestling at the Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends of Professional Wrestling. ECW Press. p. 152. ISBN 1-55022-684-3.
Gallery
- The Chase Park Plaza Hotel
-
View of the Park Plaza tower wing from north on Kingshighway Boulevard
External links
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- 1922 establishments in Missouri
- Architecture of St. Louis
- Hotels established in 1922
- Hotels in St. Louis
- Landmarks of St. Louis
- Professional wrestling venues in the United States
- Skyscraper hotels in Missouri
- Skyscrapers in St. Louis
- Central West End, St. Louis
- St. Louis geography stubs
- United States hotel stubs