“Queen of the Gulf” they call it. The Hotel Galvez Plaque stands proudly before us. It’s a testament to a grand hotel with a rich history.
The Hotel Galvez itself opened in 1911. A million dollars it cost to build back then. That was a fortune. This plaque commemorates its place in Galveston’s past. It celebrates the hotel’s designation as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1980.
The Hotel Galvez wasn’t the first hotel on that very spot. The Beach Hotel stood there before it. Designed by Nicholas J Clayton it was completed in 1883. Sadly a fire destroyed it in 1898. But the location was prime. Overlooking the seawall it was perfect.
The 1900 Galveston hurricane devastated the island. Thousands perished. The city needed to rebuild. The seawall was constructed to protect the island from future storms. It rose seventeen feet. The land was raised too. This paved the way for the Hotel Galvez.
Construction began in earnest after the devastation. Prominent Galveston businessmen invested heavily. They chose the name Galvez to honor Bernardo de Gálvez. He was a Spanish military hero. The city itself bears his name. Ironically he never visited Galveston.
The hotel opened its doors in June 1911. Franklin “Jack” Letton was its first manager. He had managed famous hotels around the world. Rooms cost just $2 a night without a bath. A luxury for its time.
The Hotel Galvez hosted many important figures. US Presidents stayed there. Franklin Roosevelt was one of them. Dwight Eisenhower stayed as well as a general. Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson visited too. Even Frank Sinatra enjoyed its elegance.
During World War II the Coast Guard occupied the hotel. Rooms weren’t available to tourists for two years. Later the hotel became central to the island’s illegal gambling scene. When the Texas Rangers cracked down the local economy suffered.
The Hotel Galvez underwent many renovations. In 1978 Denton Cooley bought it. He oversaw a major restoration. Later it became a Marriott. Eventually George P Mitchell bought it. He returned the hotel to its 1911 glory.
Hurricane Ike in 2008 damaged the hotel badly. Flooding affected the lower floors. But the Hotel Galvez endured. It continues to stand strong. A symbol of Galveston’s resilience. A reminder of its storied past. This plaque a silent witness to it all. A beacon reminding us of its remarkable journey.