Spokane Washington - what a gem.It was on my radar because it was in the line from Seattle to Idaho, which I needed to step foot in as my 47th State. I had heard of Spokane during my first cross country Amtrak trip C. 1995, when I visited a friend in Montana from my starting point of New York City. However, this Summer, nearly 30 years later and based in San Francisco, was the first time I made it to the Pacific Northwest, and I brought along my daughter. My surprising favorite was Spokane. (I’ll discuss her least-favorite later. But thankfully, her Dad was there for that one.) |
|
It's a repository of wonderful architecture. I booked the Historic Davenport because it was the Marriott that was most appealing to me. Fancy! Looks like the Algonquin in NYC.Fun fact: It was built in 1914, the same year as the Smith Tower in Seattle (that building featuring a near-replica of the pyramid atop the Met Life Tower in New York, by Napoleon LeBrun in Year 1909). |
The Historic Davenport is an architectural lesson in itself, suitable for any school of architecture to visit. The hotel features details as ornate as any in Paris or Rome, and appears to emulate the Old World. The names of the ballrooms accurately identify their style: “Marie Antoinette,” “Doges Hall,”….. Unfortunately, when I poked into these rooms, the hotel had furnished them with unsightly banquet tables and chairs that lent an air of nursing home style; quite a contrast to the furniture in the historic photos. However, the wall décor, flooring, columns, frescoes, etc were gorgeous – a real time capsule. Of course, it is inappropriate to the American West, but can be considered an homage to the European travels the owner and architect in the early 1900’s must have done, and a neo-European piece of American antiquity at a time of searching for authentic style. The lobby is a sight to behold, with gilded details for days. |
I imagine back then, the founders of the American West were finding their identity and elements of style. For instance, San Francisco abounds with Victorian-style buildings; while the banks in San Francisco are neoclassical and beaux-arts. I’ve read about Dutch craftsmen who installed some of the lovely stained-glass windows visible from the streets – what other influences have lent themselves to the American West’s architectural styles?
 |
Victorian elements are part of the style of the Historic Davenport. Upon arrival, a marquis with Victorian ironwork covers visitors upon their arrival. It reminded me of the Algonquin in New York (1902). ....And how about that – Dorothy Parker’s spot, the Algonquin Hotel, has also become a Marriott...They are doing good work at that company.... |