The Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel and Carew Tower overlooks Fountain Square on the corner of 5th and Vine Streets. Located right in the center of the Central Business District, Fountain Square is among Cincinnati’s most famous landmarks. Even though it was officially founded in 1871, the location was the site where the city’s first inhabitants settled down nearly a century prior. Dozens of local concerts and festivals occur at the square every month, with many congregating around its central landmark, the iconic Tyler Davidson Fountain. Dedicated just months after Fountain Square debuted, this beautiful statue is an homage to Cincinnati’s maritime connection with the Ohio River. Its relief features anecdotes featuring the four primary historical uses of water in the city: steam, waterpower, commerce, and fisheries. The Tyler Davidson Fountain is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Fountain Square is near a number of other amazing cultural landmarks, including the Taft Theatre, the Aronoff Center for the Arts, the Great American Ballpark, and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Many more are just a short drive away, too, such as the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Cincinnati itself is a historic city dating back to the late 18th century. Its earliest residents arrived in the area during the late 1780s, founding a rustic military based called Fort Washington. But the first administrator of the nascent outpost—General Arthur St. Clair—quickly renamed it “Cincinnati” after the Society of Cincinnati. This organization was a social fraternity composed of veteran officers who had served with distinction throughout the American Revolution. But the isolated settlement rapidly emerged as one of the nation’s most integral port cities, for it provided a rare access point through the Allegheny Mountains. Steamboats soon became a regular sight in Cincinnati, ferrying all sorts of passengers and cargo along the Ohio River. A prosperous local pork-packing industry developed around the same time, which led to the city earning the name “Porkopolis.” Yet, Cincinnati’s most enduring nickname came about in the mid-1850s, when Americans from across the nation took to calling it “The Queen City.” Cincinnati continues to be an important center of commerce and culture in the heart of the American Midwest, with millions of people traveling to experience its rich heritage every year.

Carew Tower was a novel idea when John J. Emery first introduced it in the summer of 1929. He called for his structure to offer a wealth of services ranging from upscale restaurants to boutique storefronts. To finance his dream, Emery partnered with William A. Starrett of the Starrett Investment Company. Starrett was a renowned builder of skyscrapers, with his most notable work the Empire State Building. Starrett provided Emery with the main source of labor through his construction company, Starrett Brothers, Inc. They, in turn, hired the architectural firm W.W. Ahlschlager & Associates to create the building’s beautiful new design. But Emery also asked that another design company—Delano & Aldrich—assist W.W. Ahlschlager & Associates in the creation of Carew Tower. Together, they developed an engineering masterpiece that displayed some of the finest Art Deco architecture in the entire country. When construction finally started that September, the work site became one of the largest employers in Cincinnati. Yet, the whole endeavor nearly came to a dramatic halt roughly four weeks into construction with the crash of the stock market. Emery had fortunately liquidated his entire portfolio to help fund the project beforehand though, so he was able to maintain a tight schedule. In the end, he and Starrett has spent more than $33 million to create Carew Tower.

Among the greatest sections of Carew Tower that Emery and Starrett built was a new hotel. The two men had hoped it would rival the Waldorf Astoria in New York with its elegance and luxury. They originally decided on “St. Nicholas Plaza” for its name but were later forced to switch to the more seemingly unconventional “Starrett’s Netherland Plaza” following an injunction by another business. The reason why “Netherland” was used as part of the title was from the belief that the hotel occupied a nether region between the Ohio River and the nearby hills. Eventually, they abbreviated “Starrett’s” to “St.” before dropping it outright. Besides the unique name, the building offered some 800 cutting-edge accommodations that possessed some of the most luxurious bathrooms ever seen inside a hotel. Additional, technologically advanced amenities included high-speed automatic elevators, an internal broadcast system, and an automated parking system in its garage. There were seven magnificent restaurants located onsite, as well: The Frontier Room, Restaurant Continentale, Arcadia Tea Room, Rotisserie Grill, Lunchonette, The Coffee Shop, and the Pavillion Caprice. Located on the 4th floor, Pavillion Caprice also doubled as a nightclub, where celebrities performed under its tiered ceiling. The architects had designed this fantastic room to resemble the SS Leviathan, which was a famous ocean liner active from 1914 to 1934.

The Netherland Plaza Hotel featured other event spaces that made the destination incredibly special. Guests entered The Palm Court by walking through the lobby, where they encountered a blend of French Art Deco design aesthetics mixed with French Renaissance Revival-style architecture. Railings and posts in The Palm Court featured beautiful engravings of the letter “L,” which paid homage to the majesty of King Louis XV of France. Further inside, the room contained a ziggurat-shaped fountain with a ram’s head and two large sea horses, as well as several murals depicting Cincinnati’s history. The fountain itself was designed by Rockwood Pottery, which also created the floral tiles that reside near the eastern and western entrances into the hotel. The Continental Room up on the Mezzanine level debuted with a small ice-rink and four beautiful murals representing the seasons. The famous Hall of Mirrors was even farther up on the 3rd floor. A gorgeous ballroom constructed with French Fleur de Peche marble, renowned theater-set designer George Unger crafted its structural appearance. He specifically crafted the space to resemble a theater meant to evoke a deeply emotional response. Countless gold-plated mirrors line the walls, leading to a staircase that formed the central stage. Beautiful light sconces of bronze and frosted glass offered a source of indirect light throughout the space, which bounced off a large foliated trim.

Much of the hotel’s original architectural features were covered up throughout the 1960s, as its owners attempted to modernize it for a contemporary audience. Craftsmen changed most of the beautiful structural components—such as the interior plaster reliefs and the marble floors—by covering them with paint, plywood, and vinyl. Yet, Belvedere Hotels largely undid this work in partnership with Omni Hotels and Resorts some two decades later. They vigorously restored the building’s outstanding Art Deco architecture, removing the intrusive wood and synthetic paneling. Light fixtures were repaired, and stagnant décor was removed. Even the historic murals inside The Palm Court received a much-needed cleansing. Perhaps the greatest change occurred when Belvedere Hotels decided to convert the 800 accommodations down to 624 more comfortable spaces (there are now 561 rooms at the hotel). Subsequent renovations to the hotel have transpired ever since, happening frequently throughout the 2000s.

Elvis Presley, rock star celebrated as the “King of Rock and Roll.”

Bing Crosby, world-famous singer and actor known for his roles in Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary’s.

Doris Day, renowned actress known for her roles in Pillow Talk, Calamity Jane, and Lover Come Back.

Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady to former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, First Lady of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940 – 1945; 1951 – 1955)

John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (1961 – 1963)

Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States (1969 – 1974)

George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States (1989 – 1993)

The Edge of Night (1956 – 1984)

Carol (2015)

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)