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FEELING OVERLOOKED The Batle House
Needless to say, Mobile has sufered from Renaissance Mobile
something of an inferiority complex over Hotel & Spa on North
the years, keeping its traditons alive but at Royal St. was originally
the same tme feeling somewhat overlooked built by James Batle
as a Gulf Coast destnaton and a place of in 1852 on the site
historical signifcance. of Andrew Jackson’s
military headquarters
That all began to change in the last two during the War of 1812.
decades, as the city undertook an efort to Following a 1905 fre,
preserve and promote its historic downtown New York City architect
First Exploreum Science Center and the recently- structure built out of
and waterfront, which now boasts a state-
Frank M. Andrews was
of-the-art Conventon Center, numerous top-
hired to design a new
fight hotels, restaurants, parks, the Gulf Coast
steel and concrete. The
opened GulfQuest – the Natonal Maritme
new hotel reopened in
Museum of the Gulf of Mexico.
1908, hostng numerous
dignitaries, including
The 317,000-square-foot Arthur R.
President Woodrow
Outlaw Conventon Center is the anchor of
Wilson, and becoming
Mobile’s waterfront, ofering limitless meetng
a downtown Mobile
The Center is connected by skybridge to the
early 1970s the Batle
363-room Renaissance Riverview Plaza hotel
House had fallen into
Among Firsts and event possibilites for any size group. landmark. But by the
and sits right next door to the Exploreum and
disrepair, fnally closing
GulfQuest, a prime locaton overlooking the
its doors in 1974 – it
Tensaw River and the upper bay. And unlike
would remain closed for
a lot of other cites with similar geography,
Mobile’s waterfront is just leisurely a 2-block
stroll from the downtown “hot zone” of
Enter the RSA, headed by CEO and
the Civil War the hotel returned to business
restaurants, clubs, shops and boutques of the next 30 years. and are buried in the on-site cemetery. Afer
local hero David Bronner, with plans for a
Dauphin and Royal Streets. metculous restoraton of the hotel, along as normal untl World War II, when it was
turned over to the Army Air Force for use as its
Elsewhere downtown, the Mobile with constructon of an adjoining skyscraper Maritme Training School.
eography and traditon loom large in Mobile, Carnival Museum has for nearly a decade – the RSA Batle House Tower. When both
Alabama, infusing everything with a sense of place projects were completed in 2007, Mobile had Today the artully restored Grand
G unique among U.S. destnatons. This is a city welcomed visitors to its 14 gallery rooms, at last shed its inferiority complex, replaced Hotel Marriot Resort ofers guests the
founded primarily as a haven from foreign invaders and pictorial hallway, theater, den (social with a newfound sense of pride and purpose. authentc Southern Hospitality of its 405
gathering area) and gif shop to tell the
pirates roaming the Gulf of Mexico. Its positon on an easily fascinatng story of Mardi Gras in Mobile. The guestrooms, nine restaurants, spa and a
defended, shallow bay with access to the interior via the city’s frst Carnival society was established The hotel itself is a wonder – its ornate, separate Conference Center that can handle
Tensaw River and its vast delta kept Mobile out of harm’s way in 1711 with the Boeuf Gras Society (Fated circular dome a ftng cap to the gilded, groups up to 1,000 people in its numerous
Mobile for nearly 100 years afer its founding in 1702. Ox Society), and in 1830 Mobile’s Cowbellion two-story lobby beneath. To the right as you ballrooms and meetng spaces, or in outdoor
enter is the Trellis Room, Mobile’s only Four
But long before that, Spanish explorers were aware of
Alabama’s rich its strategic signifcance, sailing the area of Mobile Bay as de Rakin Society was the frst formally Diamond Restaurant, topped by its beautful venues spread throughout the hotel’s 600
private acres.
organized and masked mystc society in the
painted glass roof. The magnifcent Crystal
and colorful early as 1500 – Spanish maps label it Bahía del Espíritu Santo United States to celebrate with a parade. The Ballroom, which features whispering arches GET OUTSIDE!
(Bay of the Holy Spirit). Hernando de Soto explored the area
Striker’s Independent Society, formed in 1843,
history is one in 1540, fnding it inhabited by the Muscogee people. During is stll around today, making it the oldest and columns topped by hand-painted pilaster Of course, you can’t spend all of your tme
capitals depictng fruit, fowers and gourds,
eatng and meetng, and that’s where Mobile
surviving mystc society in the United States.
this expediton, his forces captured the fortfed town of
of the best Mauvila, also spelled Maubila, from which the name Mobile MEETING HISTORY HEAD ON is part of the hotel’s 26,000 square feet of excels as an outdoor destnaton. Hiking,
biking and especially water-based actvites are
meetng space, along with 21 meetng rooms,
kept secrets in was derived. One of the driving forces behind Mobile’s great halls, terraces and other unique locales. what set Mobile Bay apart – all intertwined
with history in one way or another. And the
The Batle House surely earns its place as a
FIRST AMONG FIRSTS
recent renaissance is the Retrement
the U.S. – and Like its neighbor 150 miles to the west, Mobile and New Systems of Alabama (RSA), which has made member of the Historic Hotels of America. area’s year-round temperate climate makes it
possible to get outside any tme.
Orleans share a number of similarites, although it’s largely
As does the other property the RSA
Mobilians are forgoten that Mobile was frst in virtually every area – strategic investments in local initatves like helped restore, the Grand Hotel Marriot Let’s start with something that’s a
the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail that now
working hard to explored frst, mapped frst, setled frst, frst to experience crisscrosses the state, new downtown ofce Resort in nearby Point Clear, just across Mobile natural for this geographic area – water
sports. Situated as it is at the botom of
waves of European rulers; French, Britsh, and Spanish. In
Bay. The Grand Hotel has a long and storied
buildings, restoraton of historic propertes,
change that fact, Mobile was the frst capital of the French colony of the purchase of numerous upscale hotels military history in additon to its reputaton as a huge untamed delta, Mobile Bay ofers
Louisiana, a ttle later bestowed upon New Orleans afer the
and holdings in TV statons and newspapers
kayakers, canoers and small boat afcionados
a frst-rate resort. Originally built in 1847, the
brothers d’Iberville and Bienville (prominent names in the that have provided more than $600 million hotel had only two foors and 40 guestrooms, a dream landscape of lazy waterways, tall
Big Easy to this day) established a setlement there in 1718. in advertsing benefts and coverage, helping and guests arrived by steamboat. seagrass, wildlife and natve fora.
And Mobile was frst in another very important area, as grow the state’s tourism industry from $1.8 During the Civil War the hotel began its One of the best places to launch a
all Mobilians are proud to point out: The city held the frst billion to more than $9.5 billion. military tes when it was turned into a base water-based tour is 5 Rivers Delta Resource
Mardi Gras celebraton way back in 1703 – a good 25 years Two of the hotels RSA invested in hospital for Confederate soldiers – in fact, 300 Center, about fve miles from downtown
before New Orleans – and contnues that traditon today. are steeped in local history and traditon. Confederate soldiers died while at the hospital Mobile. You might opt for a leisurely cruise on
20 SHORT ESCAPES SHORT ESCAPES 21