View source for Hampton Inn - Tutwiler

:''This article is about the current Hampton Inn - Tutwiler. For the 1914 hotel on 20th Street, see [[Tutwiler Hotel]].''
[[Image:Tutwiler Hotel 1986.jpg|right|thumb|375px|The Tutwiler Hotel seen from Park Place in September 2010]]
The '''Hampton Inn and Suites Birmingham-Downtown-Tutwiler''' (often called the '''Tutwiler Hotel''') is a 149-room luxury hotel located at 2021 [[Park Place]] near [[Linn Park]]. The hotel occupies the building that was constructed by [[Robert Jemison Jr]] and [[Edward M. Tutwiler]] in [[1913]] as the [[Ridgely Apartments]].

The hotel is the second in [[Birmingham]] to have that name. The [[Tutwiler Hotel (1914)|first Tutwiler Hotel]], built in [[1914]] and named for [[Edward M. Tutwiler]], its principal financial backer, was on the corner of [[5th Avenue North]] and [[20th Street North|20th Street]]. It was demolished in January [[1974]] to make way for the [[Regions Plaza|First Alabama Bank building]] (now Regions Plaza).

The "new" Tutwiler was developed by [[Porter, White & Yardley Capital]] with [[Milton Harsh]] serving as project manager. The commissioned the design from [[KPS Group|Kidd Plosser Sprague]] architects. The project was assisted with a federal Urban Development Action Grant, along with tax-exempt bonds and a Investment Tax Credit for historic preservation. [[Brasfield & Gorrie]] began construction on the project to convert the apartment building into a luxury hotel began in [[1985]]. Restoration of the building's lost cornice was a key part of the redevelopment. A garden and grape arbor behind the building were preserved during construction. 
The Tutwiler Hotel opened to guests in [[1986]].

Until [[2006]], the Tutwiler was part of the Wyndham Worldwide. That year [[Integral Hospitality Solutions]] partnered with investor Harold Rosbottom of Dallas, Texas to purchase the hotel. The partners, led by Integral's [[Bill Murray]], began a $9 million renovation of the entire hotel, including each guest room, the lobbies and public areas, the restaurant and retail spaces.

[[Icon Restaurant and Bar]], a $1 million full-service restaurant opened by [[Alan Dobbs]] and [[Geoffrey Slate]], formerly of [[Restaurant G]], began serving meals in the hotel in late March, [[2007]]. In April the hotel became part of the Hampton Inn & Suites brand. Slate departed Icon, and Dobbs sold the restaurant to Integral in September [[2008]].

==References==
* "[http://www.mhsl.uab.edu/kscope/1985/39.pdf Ridgely gets new look as city hotel]" (July 1985) ''Magic City News''. Vol. 2, No. 10, p. 4
* Williams, Roy L. (April 17, 2007) "Tutwiler to show off its $9 million image makeover." {{BN}}
* Cooper, Lauren B. (April 17, 2007) "Tutwiler Hotel renovation complete without retail element." {{BBJ}}
* Williams, Roy L. (September 8, 2008) "Icon owner selling restaurant to Tutwiler Hotel." {{BN}}

==External links==
* [http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/alabama/hampton-inn-and-suites-birmingham-downtown-tutwiler-BHMDNHX/about/index.html Hampton Inn - Tutwiler] at hamptoninn3.hilton.com
* [http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=838e7d5d1c7958cc8c59bc53bd5954c 3-D model] of the Tutwiler Hotel by Jordan Herring

[[Category:Downtown hotels]]
[[Category:Ridgely Apartments]]
[[Category:1913 buildings]]
[[Category:1986 establishments]]
[[Category:KPS Group buildings]]