Eight Hotels with Surprising Past Lives

Hotels in historic structures or areas often attract visitors with a yearning for cultural and architectural appreciation. Whether the building was an old warehouse, a former YMCA or a wedding venue turned hotel, travelers are moving beyond cookie-cutter experiences in search of something local — spots that reflect the history of their locations.

More companies in the United States are involved in the re-use project, renovating buildings with a variety of past lives into hotels and other businesses. Many of the properties have a lot to offer in public spaces, drawing guests to trendy restaurants and lobby bars.

We’ve compiled a list of eight hotels across the United States that offer guests surprising past lives.

In 2006, the first 21c Museum Hotel opened in Louisville, Ky., mixing contemporary art, fine dining and lodging in renovated tobacco and bourbon warehouses. Five of six 21c properties are housed in old buildings from warehouses to a former Ford Model T assembly plant in Oklahoma City — the company is about preserving farmland.

In June, 21c Oklahoma City opened in a Ford Motor Company assembly plant. The loft-like guestrooms reflect the building’s expansive scale and feature sleek furnishings and art. New American cuisine and craft cocktails are served at the hotel lounge. The artwork includes a misting steel tree, inspired by the industrial heritage of the building, and special contemporary art exhibits that rotate through the museum and event space.

Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa., opened last year in the city’s East Liberty neighborhood in a century-old former YMCA building. The 4,550-square-foot gym with its wooden floor, vintage benches and portable bar provides an excellent throwback event space. The original light fixtures, doors and architectural details add character from the building’s past.

The Pittsburgh Ace Hotel property isn’t the brand’s only recent historic transformation. Ace Hotel New Orleans opened in March in an Art Deco building that previously housed a furniture showroom. In 2014, Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles opened in a former United Artist office building next to a 1927 theater.

Hotel Emma in San Antonio, Texas, is housed in an 1894 brew house. The hotel puts a new twist on serving up food and drink. A clubby bar and gourmet food shop join Supper, the hotel restaurant, to combine creativity with comfort. The 146-room hotel incorporates elements of the building’s brewing history. The hotel, opened in November, incorporated its industrial equipment into light fixtures and chandeliers, while exposing concrete vaulted ceilings, cast-iron staircases and brick walls.