The Davenport Hotel

The Davenport Hotel is the grandest building in Spokane — an Italian Renaissance landmark from 1914 that still dominates the corner of Sprague and Post. The lobby is spectacular: a soaring coffered ceiling, ornate ironwork, and marble floors that reflect a century of Spokane ambition. Even if you're not staying here, walk in and look around.

The restaurant and bars inside are a cut above most hotel options in the city, and the terrace makes for a pleasant stop in summer. The hotel anchors the historic core of downtown Spokane and is a good starting point for exploring the adjacent streets of 19th-century commercial architecture that survived the 1889 Great Fire.

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A story
The Davenport opened in 1914 and was considered one of the finest hotels in the American West. Its lobby featured the first air conditioning system west of the Mississippi — a novel system that blew air over ice blocks. Louis Davenport, the founder, reportedly never left Spokane, believing it would become one of the great cities of North America. The hotel fell into decline in the late 20th century and was nearly demolished before a $38 million restoration returned it to its original grandeur in 2002.