Fire Destroys 115-year-old Former Luxury Hotel in Dallas

DALLAS (AP) — Authorities say an early-morning fire has destroyed a vacant 115-year-old former luxury hotel just south of downtown Dallas.

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans says nobody was hurt in Tuesday’s blaze at what used to be the Ambassador Hotel. Evans says the caretaker was in a nearby trailer and not in the six-story building, which was undergoing renovation for redevelopment.

Evans says the cause of the fire has not been determined. The structure was engulfed in flames before being extinguished around 5 a.m. Tuesday. Firefighters remained on the scene to monitor for hot spots.

A city website describes the former Ambassador Hotel as a Dallas landmark and Texas Historic Landmark. Authorities say the structure had been vacant for years.

The Ambassador Hotel was considered the oldest remaining luxury hotel in Dallas which opened in 1904. In 1965; it was designated a Texas Historical Landmark and a Dallas landmark in 1982. The city designation placed specific restrictions on changes to historical or architectural features of the vacant building.

During the years, the hotel had many famous guests, including United States Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, and Woodrow Wilson. During prohibition in the 1920s, there was a speakeasy in the basement.

The hotel had been vacant until recently when developer Jim Lake decided to renovate the building and turn it into apartments.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.