Closed for 31 Years, The Battle House Is Alive and Well

The Battle House Hotel is a gem that was closed for 31 years. Two years ago the retirement systems of Alabama, (in other words the pension funds of state workers), invested heavily into many tourism facilities such as cruise ship terminals and hotels in the region. That makes sense I’m sure to people who live here, keeping their money in the state doing good.

This hotel’s lobby has a round glass ceiling and up at the top you can walk around and look down from wraparound balconies. Debutantes make their debuts strolling down the wide staircases of the Chrystal room, and the balconies that face North Royal Street are cherished especially during the Mardi Gras parade. We toured the Presidential Suite, with its own outdoor firepit and hottub, with views of the river and the vast downtown. We were told that when the CEO of the retirement system first saw this elegant suite, he said no, no, no, it’s not good enough. So he made them redo it to be even more dramatic and Presidential.

At an elegant dinner, we were served a sumptous meal including Kobe beef, diver scallops, and fish flown in from Europe. We got to know each other and talked about our business and laughed about press trips we have been on.

This city is looking at the future with shades on…they’re pumped up about the new steel mill and excited about these hotels that now provide more than 6200 rooms in the city. Perfect to house people who are coming to their new convention center, right on the Mobile River.