The clatter of suitcase wheels, the resonant chime of a front desk bell, the echoes of excitement under a shimmering crystal chandelier are all acoustic cues of Spokane’s hospitality that whisper “you’ve arrived” to distant travelers. And while travel itself has transformed from stagecoach to jet planes, the Lilac City’s historic hotels have been a constant backdrop for journeys both grand and straightforward, offering sanctuary to every type of explorer. Ready to check into history? Then book a stay at any of Spokane’s many historic hotels!
Montvale Hotel
1005 W 1st Avenue
509.624.1518
Since its construction in 1899 by Judge John W. Binkley, the Montvale Hotel has worn many hats: a Single Room Occupancy (SRO) hotel, an apartment house, a brothel, and an Expo ’74 youth hostel. Rising three stories above West Sprague, its red-brick façade and pressed-metal cornice announced Spokane’s ambitions at the turn of the century, offering working-class tenants private rooms, coal-fired steam heat, and communal washrooms on each residential floor. Judge Binkley christened it “Montvale” after his country estate on the Little Spokane River, and street-level bays quickly filled with shops eager to serve guests.
One such commercial tenant was Kilmer and Sons Hardware, which occupied the building from 1913 to 1966. After the death of Judge Binkley in 1931, Binkley’s daughter would sell the hotel to William Kilmer, the owner of the hardware store, who had been a longtime friend of her father. Eventually, Kilmer would sell the Montvale to the owner of Postell Enterprises and the Towne Center Motel, Sam A. Postell. Postell would go on to operate the Montvale as a youth hostel during the 1970s before selling it in 1980 to Spokane attorney Werner Rosenquist.
Under Rosenquist’s ownership, the building fell into severe neglect and abandonment before being purchased by a developer in 1996 and finally listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. Its fortunes reversed dramatically with a meticulous renovation, reopening in 2005 as an elegant 36-room boutique hotel and holding the prestigious title of Spokane’s oldest standing hotel.
Davenport Hotel
10 S Post Street
509.455.8888
When it opened on September 1, 1914, Spokane’s Davenport Hotel was the culmination of restaurateur Lewellyn “Louis” Davenport’s vision and architect Kirtland Cutter’s Renaissance/Spanish-Revival design. Commissioned by local businessmen and built for $2 million, it would forever transform Spokane hospitality, with the opulent Beaux-Arts masterpiece boasting revolutionary features that were the first of their kind in an American hotel, including air conditioning, a central vacuum system, ice-water faucets in every room, a pipe organ in the lobby and accordion doors in its grand ballroom, the Hall of Doges.
Following Louis Davenport’s death in 1951, the hotel gradually declined. Sold in 1974, it suffered from neglect and changing travel trends, finally closing its doors in 1985. Facing demolition, the iconic building was saved through a passionate community effort and a massive $38 million restoration led by local developers Walt and Karen Worthy. Reopening in 2002, the meticulously restored Historic Davenport Hotel reclaimed its crown as Spokane’s premier luxury destination, anchoring downtown revitalization and earning a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ruby River Hotel
700 N Division Street
509.326.5577
The story of the Ruby River Hotel begins not with bricks, but with coal. Originally an industrial storage site, the riverside property was transformed, opening in 1976 as the TraveLodge River Inn. This modern motel quickly became a fixture, later rebranding under the Cavanaugh’s and then the Red Lion flags, maintaining its role as a reliable lodging option near Spokane’s core for over 30 years.
Acquired by Ruby Hospitality in 2008, the property underwent a significant rebranding, emerging as the Ruby River Hotel. Under its new ownership, the hotel shifted focus beyond basic accommodation, embracing Ruby Hospitality’s mission to infuse stays with quality service, art, culture, and distinctive style. Today, the Ruby River Hotel stands as a testament to adaptive reuse and evolving hospitality, offering comfortable riverside lodging with a contemporary artistic flair.
Steam Plant Hotel
123 S Post Street
509.290.5209
Though it hasn’t traditionally welcomed guests, the Steam Plant Hotel stakes its claim among Spokane’s storied lodgings as its steam once coursed through the boilers of other downtown hotels. Erected in 1916 to heat more than 300 buildings, the Central Steam Heat Plant stood as a monument to early-20th-century innovation. After the last boiler shut off in December 1986, the hulking brick structure sat vacant for a decade, a ghost of the city’s industrial past.
Rather than demolition, the plant found new life through an ambitious mid-1990s renovation. The complex was reborn as Steam Plant Square, blending office and retail with its star attraction: The Steam Plant Grill restaurant, where diners sit amidst preserved turbines and boilers. The addition of boutique hotel rooms completed its evolution, creating the Steam Plant Hotel – a one-of-a-kind lodging experience where guests immerse themselves in Spokane’s industrial history.
While the journeys that bring travelers to Spokane have undergone significant changes, the city’s historic hotels have remained a continuous sanctuary. Having weathered booms, busts, and transformations, they still prevail, standing as monuments to the city’s past, showcasing the enduring spirit of hospitality, and offering a unique sanctuary where the whispers of history mingle with the sounds of new arrivals.
