Hotel Cortez
El Paso, El Paso County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Hotel Cortez Alzina DeGroff bought the Vendome Hotel at this site in 1899, renaming it hotel Orndorff after her first husband. Noted architect Henry C. Trost designed a new building for her, which opened in 1926. Renamed Hotel Cortez in 1935, this brick structure reflects a Spanish eclectic style, featuring prominent cast-relief, terra cotta detailing with busts of conquistadors. Guests included President John F. Kennedy, who stayed here in 1963. The hotel closed in 1970. It was converted into offices in 1984, and the first and 10th floors were historically restored. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Businesswoman Alzina DeGroff bought the hotel on this site in 1899, and by 1926 had commissioned a striking new building from the Southwest's premier architect, Henry C. Trost. Renamed the Hotel Cortez in 1935, its Spanish eclectic brick facade bristles with terra cotta busts of conquistadors. Among its guests was President John F. Kennedy, who stayed here in 1963, the year of his death. The hotel closed in 1970 and was later restored and converted to offices.
Why it matters
The Cortez captures the confident boom-era architecture of the early-20th-century Southwest and the entrepreneurial vision of a woman who shaped El Paso's skyline.
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Related people
- · Alzina DeGroff
- · Henry C. Trost
- · John F. Kennedy
Themes & tags
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