#38 - The Arlington, in Hot Springs

Hot Springs, Arkansas
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​Don and I started our 22-day road trip with a stay in this fabulous historic hotel!

Cheers to our stay at the Arlington, a decade before its 100th birthday!

A Grand Place, in 1924!
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This hotel is enormous. When it was built in 1924, (replacing 2 others from 1875 and 1892!) it had 560 rooms.  ​

Now there are about 500 rooms and suites. It's the largest hotel in Arkansas.

Lobby 
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We climbed the front steps, walked across the veranda and came through the front doors, into this gracious space. 

It was fun to imagine socialites and celebrities of the past, coming through these doors. Even though Barbara Streisand and Tony Bennett possibly have good memories of the Arlington, I'm afraid the dated furniture and carpets might not lure them back today.

​Lobby Bar
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At night, it all looked a little more pleasant from the second floor mezzanine. You could still smell the popcorn from the lobby/bar, near the colorful mural. 

We took advantage of the complimentary popcorn in the early evening and enjoyed it with drinks, on the veranda. So did the weary looking woman who sat on a nearby bench. I had a feeling that she was a daily visitor, as she enjoyed the free popcorn. Hot Springs has some interesting characters.
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Fun Things
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Hotels always get big points from me when they have curious things to entertain me. The mineral water fountain was pretty fun, even if the drinking water was warm!  

The mailbox and elevators were mighty impressive. I imagined Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Clinton and Bush, riding up in these when they stayed. But I read later that the current elevators were installed in 1969. The originals required an elevator operator.
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Dining Room

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We didn't dine in Arlington's Venetian Restaurant, but it looked like it must have been quite the place, with the grand piano and chandeliers.  ​​

I'm afraid I didn't see a single diner, when we passed by on that Sunday night.

My Kind of Staircase!
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We definitely tried out the staircase, which took us down to the basement.  ​I wonder how many different feet over the years, wore down those marble stairs? I always I think of a little drama when I see stairs like these. Like falling drama!

Maybe they should install a nice, cushioned pit at the bottom, for all the people who admire the lovely railing but don't use it.  I have a feeling that a ride down the banister would have been slow, compared to sailing over those smooth, rounded steps.   

7th Floor

​We almost got to know our 7th floor neighbors very well. We messed with their door for about 5 minutes, before realizing our key went to a different room. ​

Our room wasn't even close to Al Capone's favorite room, 442.  He used to book the entire floor, for his bodyguards and other VIPs.

Room 727

Our room was actually pretty darn good, for $89.00! We wanted one of the historic rooms, and they happened to be cheaper.

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Although, maybe we could have afforded the top dollar room, at this hotel. The bathroom was pretty small and cramped with only a shower. Too bad, since I could have soaked in mineral water, if we'd had a tub!
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Room With a View

Our window looked down on the very lush hill and park below. 

In the morning there was glowing sunshine, on the old Army/Navy Hospital, which is now a Rehabilitation Center.

Cascading Pools
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I'm sure this pool area was quite the thing, when it was first built. The entrance to the pool is from the 7th floor... which is odd.  

There were 2 levels of pools. One had a slight water feature that spilled into the other. There was also a hot tub and lots of Astroturf. Don thought about doing some laps, but decided against it.

​Nearby

​From the hotel you could go lots of directions. From the pool you could hike up some stone steps to a sitting area, or continue up on some amazing trails.  ​

Across the street, (as seen from the raised pool area) we found some very good food. We tried the Pancake Shop and Rolanda's, with a  great chef from Ecuador. 

​Near Bathhouse Row

​Best of all, we could just stroll down Bathhouse Row, from the hotel. You can see Arlington's twin towers, in the photo. ​

There's so much history behind the old Bathhouse buildings. So many stories! I wonder if any of my old Missouri relatives ever made the trip to Hot Springs, to soak in the healing mineral waters? I should have asked my grandmother years ago.
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What's Notable?

​I wish we'd had time to try out some of the mineral baths during our visit. That might have been the notable part of our stay, if we had. ​But even without a visit to the spa or a soak in a mineral bath, we still felt this incredible vibe, of what Hot Springs once was. Maybe that had to do with the moist air that seemed to surround us.  

The Arlington Hotel and the nearby parks, baths and buildings, were all a part of our stay. ​There is no separating the hotel from the curious town that surrounds it. What a interesting place!
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