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[[File:Oxmoor Inn.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Americas Best Value Inn & Suites, c. 2006]]
[[File:Tiffany Restaurant at The Admiral Benbow Inn.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Tiffany Restaurant at The Admiral Benbow Inn]]
[[File:Tiffany Restaurant at The Admiral Benbow Inn.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Tiffany Restaurant at The Admiral Benbow Inn]]
[[File:Oxmoor Inn.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Americas Best Value Inn & Suites, c. 2006]]


The '''Admiral Benbow Inn''' was a 4 story hotel and convention center built in 1971 and when it opened it boasted the Tiffany Restaurant, the Copper Top Lounge, banquet facilites for 300 and an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel was located at 260 [[Oxmoor Road]] near [[I-65]] in [[Homewood]]. Originally based in Memphis, Tennessee - the chain of 10 hotels throughout the southeast was bought by Alabama-based cafeteria corporation Morrison Inc. in April 1968. Through the first half of the next decade, Morrison quickly expanded the number of locations in Alabama and Tennessee.  Following the closure of the famous Tutweiler Hotel in April 1973, many of the staff began working at the Admiral Benbow and the Tiffany Restaurant soon became known for serving the Tutweiler's beloved roast beef salad. In May 1975, the hotel was the site of the Corvair Society of America's Convention hosted by the newly formed Vulcan Corvair Enthusiasts club. The building has gone by several names including the Holiday Inn Homewood, Country Hearth Inn and Suites, and most recently it was operated as [[America's Best Value Inn & Suites]].  Due to the high level of crime reported there, the Homewood City Council decided to deny the renewal of the hotel's business licence in March 2014 after lengthy debate. The property will be converted to mixed-use development and storage facilities.
The '''Admiral Benbow Inn''' was a 4-story, 200-room hotel and convention center located at 260 [[Oxmoor Road]] near [[I-65]] in [[Homewood]].
 
Admiral Benbow Inns were founded in Memphis, Tennessee by Robert B. Wood and expanded in partnership with Interstate Inns Inc. of Memphis. The chain had 18 restaurants and 6 motels when the Mobile-based Morrison Cafeterias Consolidated Inc. agreed to purchase it in [[1967]]. The deal closed in April [[1968]].
 
The Homewood hotel project was announced as a $4 million, 5-story, 300-room luxury hotel in September 1970. It was developed by [[Johnson Rast & Hays]] for [[Joseph Sandner Jr]] and a local group of investors. [[Harry D. Hester & Associates]] designed the building. The site, "along the crest of [[Red Mountain]]", was annexed into Homewood. Called the '''Admiral Benbow Inn of Two Cities''', it was to have featured a rooftop restaurant with views of Birmingham and Homewood. The meeting facilities were to have included a 2,500-seat ballroom and display areas for trade shows. The parking area was designed for 500 cars.
 
The final project was reduced in scope to just four floors with 200 rooms and smaller convention facilities. In April [[1972]] the project was listed as having a construction cost of $1.5 million. It opened on [[December 1]], [[1972]]. It boasted the 150-seat restaurant, lounge, meeting facilities for 300, and an outdoor swimming pool. Edmondson Management Services of Memphis operated the hotel which was franchised to Morrison Inc.
 
The "Tiffany Restaurant"
 
The "Copper Top Lounge", named in honor of its copper-covered tables, was managed by [[Jim McGriff]]. Early bookings included the [[Tom & Marie|Tom & Marie Hoschar]] combo during opening week, and the Stan Kenton Orchestra in January 1973.
 
After the [[Tutwiler Hotel]] in [[downtown Birmingham]] closed in April [[1973], many of the staff found employment at the Admiral Benbow, and the Tiffany Restaurant began serving the Tutwiler's famous roast beef salad.
 
In May [[1975]] the [[Vulcan Corvair Enthusiasts]] hosted the national [[1975 Corvair Society of America convention|Corvair Society of America convention]] at the Admiral Benbow.
 
Since the 1970s, the hotel has operated under several other nameplates, including the '''Holiday Inn Homewood''', '''Country Hearth Inn & Suites'''.
 
By [[2011]] it was owned by [[Dennis Patel]], [[Shawn Patel]] and [[Mike Patel]], and operated as '''Rodeway Inn & Suites''' and later as '''America's Best Value Inn & Suites'''
 
In March [[2014]], the [[Homewood City Council]], citing over 150 police calls for various offenses including a [[List of homicides in 2013#Homewood|a homicide]] and prostitution over the 32-month period since June [[2011]], voted to declare the business a public nuisance and revoke its business license.
 
The Patels filed a lawsuit against the city on [[March 21]], and in May the owners and the city agreed to a settlement where the motel could continue to operate until [[July 31]], by which time it would be sold to another party or closed. As the deadline loomed, the owners asked for a year's extension to comply, but on [[July 28]] the [[Homewood City Council]] denied that request.
 
The property will be converted to mixed-use development and storage facilities.


==References==
==References==
* Time Magazine (Apr. 05, 1968) ''Restaurants: Success at 4''
* "Morrison Plans To Buy Motels" (October 13, 1967) {{BPH}}, p. 15
* ''[https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,900092-1,00.html Restaurants: Success at 4]'' (April 5, 1968) ''TIME'' magazine
* "Homewood to get new luxury motel." (September 24, 1970) {{BPH}}, p. 29
* Gibson, Ron (April 13, 1972) "Homewood looks like boom town." {{BPH}}, p. 9
* "[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119674174/inn-to-open-friday-admiral-benbow-inn/ Inn to open Friday]" (December 1, 1972) {{BPH}}, p. 22
* Weaver, Emmett (December 15, 1972) "Attractive new lounge opens in city." {{BPH}}, p. 10
* The Oil Drop (1974) Vulcan Corvair Enthusiasts, September Newsletter ''Vol 1, No 4''
* The Oil Drop (1974) Vulcan Corvair Enthusiasts, September Newsletter ''Vol 1, No 4''
* Jim McGriff Jr. (2021) The First Line Manager: Leadership at the Bottom of a Corporation
* Thompson, Jeff (March 13, 2014) "[https://thehomewoodstar.com/news/council-denies-business-license-renewal-for-oxmoor-hotel/ Council denies business license renewal for Oxmoor hotel]" {{HS}}
 
* Rodriguez, Ana (March 13, 2014) "Homewood hotel license pulled after 148 police calls, including murder, prostitution, over 32 months." {{BN}}
==External links==
* Rodriguez, Ana (March 21, 2014) "Was Homewood justified in shutting down budget hotel? 500 pages of police records suggest yes." {{BN}}
* [https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,900092-2,00.html] at Time Magazine
* Rodriguez, Ana (May 12, 2014) "City of Homewood asks budget hotel owners to sell or voluntarily close in proposed settlement." {{BN}}
* [https://thehomewoodstar.com/news/council-denies-business-license-renewal-for-oxmoor-hotel/] at the Homewood Star
* Rodriguez, Ana (July 28, 2014) "Homewood budget hotel owners ask to extend business operations for one year." {{BN}}
* [https://www.al.com/spotnews/2014/03/homewood_city_council_votes_to_1.html] at the Birmingham News
* Reed, Jon (July 28, 2014) "Homewood City Council denies request by budget hotel owners to keep business open another year." {{BN}}
* [https://thehomewoodstar.com/news/former-hotel-to-be-demolished-replaced-with-storage-unit-fac/] at the Homewood Star
* McGriff, Jim Jr (2021) ''The First Line Manager: Leadership at the Bottom of a Corporation'' self-published ISBN 9798744208080


[[Category:Former hotels]]
[[Category:Former hotels]]
[[Category:Oxmoor Road]]
[[Category:Oxmoor Road]]
[[Category:1971 buildings]]
[[Category:Harry Hester buildings]]
[[Category:1971 establishments]]
[[Category:2014 disestablishments]]

Revision as of 12:48, 25 February 2023

Americas Best Value Inn & Suites, c. 2006
Tiffany Restaurant at The Admiral Benbow Inn

The Admiral Benbow Inn was a 4-story, 200-room hotel and convention center located at 260 Oxmoor Road near I-65 in Homewood.

Admiral Benbow Inns were founded in Memphis, Tennessee by Robert B. Wood and expanded in partnership with Interstate Inns Inc. of Memphis. The chain had 18 restaurants and 6 motels when the Mobile-based Morrison Cafeterias Consolidated Inc. agreed to purchase it in 1967. The deal closed in April 1968.

The Homewood hotel project was announced as a $4 million, 5-story, 300-room luxury hotel in September 1970. It was developed by Johnson Rast & Hays for Joseph Sandner Jr and a local group of investors. Harry D. Hester & Associates designed the building. The site, "along the crest of Red Mountain", was annexed into Homewood. Called the Admiral Benbow Inn of Two Cities, it was to have featured a rooftop restaurant with views of Birmingham and Homewood. The meeting facilities were to have included a 2,500-seat ballroom and display areas for trade shows. The parking area was designed for 500 cars.

The final project was reduced in scope to just four floors with 200 rooms and smaller convention facilities. In April 1972 the project was listed as having a construction cost of $1.5 million. It opened on December 1, 1972. It boasted the 150-seat restaurant, lounge, meeting facilities for 300, and an outdoor swimming pool. Edmondson Management Services of Memphis operated the hotel which was franchised to Morrison Inc.

The "Tiffany Restaurant"

The "Copper Top Lounge", named in honor of its copper-covered tables, was managed by Jim McGriff. Early bookings included the Tom & Marie Hoschar combo during opening week, and the Stan Kenton Orchestra in January 1973.

After the Tutwiler Hotel in downtown Birmingham closed in April [[1973], many of the staff found employment at the Admiral Benbow, and the Tiffany Restaurant began serving the Tutwiler's famous roast beef salad.

In May 1975 the Vulcan Corvair Enthusiasts hosted the national Corvair Society of America convention at the Admiral Benbow.

Since the 1970s, the hotel has operated under several other nameplates, including the Holiday Inn Homewood, Country Hearth Inn & Suites.

By 2011 it was owned by Dennis Patel, Shawn Patel and Mike Patel, and operated as Rodeway Inn & Suites and later as America's Best Value Inn & Suites

In March 2014, the Homewood City Council, citing over 150 police calls for various offenses including a a homicide and prostitution over the 32-month period since June 2011, voted to declare the business a public nuisance and revoke its business license.

The Patels filed a lawsuit against the city on March 21, and in May the owners and the city agreed to a settlement where the motel could continue to operate until July 31, by which time it would be sold to another party or closed. As the deadline loomed, the owners asked for a year's extension to comply, but on July 28 the Homewood City Council denied that request.

The property will be converted to mixed-use development and storage facilities.

References

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