Benson Hotel

Infobox nrhp
name = Benson Hotel
nrhp_type =


caption = The Benson Hotel complex: the original 1912 building is on the right, 1959 annex to the left.
location = Portland, Oregon
nearest_city =
lat_degrees = 45
lat_minutes = 31
lat_seconds = 18.4
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 122
long_minutes = 40
long_seconds = 43.4
long_direction = W
area =
built = 1913
architect = Doyle, Patterson & Beach
architecture =
added = November 20, 1986
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum = 86003175
mpsub =
governing_body =

The Benson Hotel is a 375 room historic hotel building in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States.

It is currently owned and operated by Coast Hotels & Resorts. Also known just simply 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.

History

Simon Benson had wished to build a world-class hotel in Portland. During the population boom that occurred between the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Fair 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. 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, with the exception of George W. Bush, has stayed at the Benson Hotel. Richard M. Nixon is reputed to have composed the "Checkers speech" while staying at the Benson.

ee also

*

External links

* [http://www.bensonhotel.com/index.html Benson Hotel] (official website)