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United Hotels Company of America

United Hotels Company of America, also known as United Hotels Company, was a chain of upscale hotels in the United States. The company was headquartered in Niagara Falls, New York, with administrative offices in New York City. The company was founded in 1910 by Frank A. Dudley and by the 1930s, the company was "the largest hotel group in the world under one control."

History

The "United Hotels Company" was founded in 1910 and incorporated in the state of New York by Frank A. Dudley and F. W. Rockwell. On February 16, 1917, the company reorganized as "United Hotels Company of America" and was incorporated in the state of Delaware.

The company built and operated "first class fire proof hotels" in the more important cities of the United States and Canada. The strategy of the United Hotels Co. was to control 51% or more of the stock of all of its subsidiary operating companies (with certain exceptions, such as "The Onondaga Co.", where 90% of the stock was controlled by the officers of the United Hotels Co.). All of the companies operated the hotels under leases (except King Edward Hotel Co. Ltd., Clifton Co. Ltd., and Mount Royal Hotel Co. Ltd.). The United Hotels Co. owned substantial interests in the company stocks of the real estate companies whose hotels are leased to the operating companies.

Under the direction of hotelier and president Frank A. Dudley, the company eventually grew to become one of North America’s premier hotel companies, operating some of the finest hotels across the United States and Canada. By 1922, the company was operating eighteen hotels, and twenty-five by 1928. In 1924, Gen. J. Leslie Kincaid became president of the company.[1]

By the 1930s, and with the onset of the Great Depression, the company was forced into receivership in November 1933, but it managed to reorganize in May 1934. The earnings of the individual hotels had shrunk by such a percent in the preceding four years that 80% of mortgages were in default, and in some cases, taxes and interest on first mortgages were unpaid. Continuing under Dudley, the newly organized "United Hotels Co. of America" was once again incorporated in New York with headquarters in the United Office Building[2] in Niagara Falls. At that time, the company was also affiliated with the "American Hotels Corporation" chain, making it "the largest hotel group in the world under one control."

When Dudley, who was president of "United Hotels Company of America", vice-president of "American Hotels Corporation", and president or vice-president of 24 subsidiary hotel companies, died on September 21, 1945, at the age of 81, the hotel chain was managing 60 hotels. After his death, many of the company's hotels were acquired by other hotel chains, such as the Hilton Hotel.[3]

Company timeline

  • 1910 - The "United Hotels Company" was founded and in incorporated in the state of New York.
  • 1917 - The "United Hotels Company" was reorganized as the "United Hotels Company of America" in the state of Delaware
  • 1922 - Operating 18 hotels[4]
  • 1928 - Operating 25 hotels
  • 1933 - The company was forced into receivership in November[5]
  • 1934 - The company was reorganized as the "United Hotels Co. of America", once again incorporated in New York with headquarters in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
  • 1945 - Operating 60 hotels.[6] Frank A. Dudley died on September 21, at the age of 81.[6] After Dudley's death, many of the company's hotels were acquired by other hotel chains, including Hilton Hotels.[3]

Gallery of former properties

Properties

Domestic

While in operation, the company operated several upscale and famous hotels in the United States, including:

  • The Roosevelt in New York City[5][7][8]
  • The Ten Eyck in Albany, N.Y. (demolished 1971)[5][6][7]
  • The Utica in Utica, N.Y.[7]
  • The Onondaga in Syracuse, N.Y. (demolished 1970)[5][7]
  • The Seneca in Rochester, N.Y. (demolished 1969)[5][6][7]
  • The Rochester in Rochester, N.Y.[5][6] (demolished 1999)[9]
  • The Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia[5][7]
  • The Lawrence in Erie, Pa. (demolished 1968)[6][7]
  • The Penn-Harris in Harrisburg, Pa. (demolished 1973)[6][7]
  • The Olympic in Seattle, Wash.
  • The Bancroft in Worcester, Mass.[7]
  • The Portage in Akron, Ohio (demolished 1991)[7][10]
  • Fort Steuben Hotel Steubenville, Ohio[7]
  • The Durant in Flint, Mich.[7]
  • The Robert Treat in Newark, N.J.[5][6][7]
  • The Alexander Hamilton in Paterson, N.J.[5][6][11][12]
  • The Stacy-Trent in Trenton, New Jersey (demolished 1967)[11][13]
  • The Tutwiler, in Birmingham, Alabama (demolished 1974)[7][14]
  • The Roosevelt in New Orleans[5]
  • The Bienville in New Orleans[5]
  • The Washington-Youree Hotel in Shreveport, Louisiana (demolished 1979)[5]
  • Hotel Niagara in Niagara Falls, N.Y.[5]
  • President in Kansas City, Missouri[5]
  • El Conquistador Hotel in Tucson, Arizona (demolished 1968)[5][6][15]

International

In Canada, the company operated:

Outside the United States and Canada, the company operated:

  • Constant Spring Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica[5]

International affiliates

The "United Hotels Company" was affiliated international with Important Hotels of U.N.I.T.I. "Unione Nazionale Industrie Turistiche Italiane" in Italy; the "Japan Hotel Association",[19] Tokyo, Japan; "United Travel and Hotel Bureau", headquarters in Paris.

See also

References

  1. Dinner to Manager of New Hotel. The New York Times, 28 September 1924, retrieved 25 August 2022^
  2. United Hotels Company of America stocklobster.com, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  3. Patrick Carie. United Hotels Co. restaurantwarecollectors.com, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  4. Hotel Chain Reorganizes The New York Times, May 3, 1934, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  5. Receivers Named for Hotel Firm The New York Times, November 18, 1933, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  6. Frank A. Dudley of United Hotels The New York Times, September 22, 1945, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  7. Moodys Manual of Railroads and Corporation Securities, Volumes 1-2 Poor's Publishing Company, 1921, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  8. Court Approves Plan for Roosevelt Hotel; Receivers Directed to Aid Reorganization The New York Times, January 26, 1934, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  9. Volunteers of America Building - Controlled Demolition, Inc YouTube^
  10. Jeri Holland. Portage Hotel akronhistory.org, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  11. New York Hotel Record, Volumes 19-20 July 26, 1921, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  12. David W. Chen. Paterson Hopes Hotel's Rebirth Will Lead the City's Way The New York Times, June 25, 1995, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  13. The Stacy-Trent Hotel, Trenton, New Jersey tripod.com, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  14. Erin Z. Bass. 100 Years of History at Birmingham's Tutwiler Hotel December 3, 2014, retrieved 13 October 2022^
  15. Gene Magee. Historic El Conquistador Hotel Arizona Daily Star, August 22, 2011, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  16. Prince Edward Hotel, Windsor, Ont., Canada uwindsor.ca, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  17. History of Gagnon Demolition^
  18. Admiral Beatty Hotel historicplaces.ca, retrieved 17 October 2015^
  19. Japan Hotel Association j-hotel.or.jp, retrieved 17 October 2015^