The Town | Hotel Florence

An 1881 Description of the Hotel Florence
Extracted from The Hotel World - October 22, 1881

The Hotel Florence is chiefly remarkable for the elegance and beauty of design and finish, together with its luxury in furniture, fixtures and appliances, all combined making it equal in all respects, save that of size to the most costly hotels in any of the large cities. The building itself cost around $100,000 and the furniture and fixtures $30,000 more. These figures considered in connection with the fact that the hotel only contains about 50 rooms will give an idea of the elegance and luxury of the whole establishment.

The building rises to a height of four stories above the half basement, the upper lines being broken by a fanciful roof of gables and dormer windows, which makes the house resemble a fine large mansion more than it does a hotel. A veranda 16 feet wide and 268 feet long extends along the front and sides of the building which is treated in East Lake and Queen Anne designs, the ceiling being painted a light sky blue, which harmonizes perfectly with the deep red of the brick of which the walls are constructed. A short flight of steps give approach to the central portion of the veranda in front, upon which the office and rotunda opens through wide doors of polished cherry.
Entering the office the counter, of Tennessee marble, surmounted at one end by a handsome cherry desk, is immediately at the left facing towards the dining room and in full view of the entrance to the parlor on the left and the gentlemen's reading room, on the right. Immediately beyond the latter is the billiard room across the hall from which is a lunch room and saloon, designed for the use of visitors and guests of the hotel. Large open fire places welcome you upon entering the office, parlors and dining room. The office floor is laid with pretty designs of Minton tile, and that of the parlor being covered with a heavy Wilton carpet.

The furniture of the parlor is made of solid mahogany and upholstered with heavy Maroon velvet plush. The dining room is immediately across the hall from the parlor and is L shaped. The carving room is immediately beyond the dining room and is fitted with one of Goodwin's carving tables and hot closets made expressly for this hotel. In the rear of the carving room is the kitchen, which is supplied with all the most approved appliances, which include one of Goodwin's Gas Ranges, built also expressly for this hotel.