Mobile, Alabama’s Historic Castle Fit for A Traveling Queen

If I could have squealed, I would have. That simply wouldn’t have been dignified, though. The lobby of the Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa is nothing if not dignified.  It is classy in a way that only a historic landmark from 1852 can be.   In my defense, the desk clerk had just said to my husband, “We were able to upgrade your room for the duration of your stay, Sir.”

For nearly 20 years, I was a meeting and event coordinator and for 12 of those years, I managed a historic facility with a glass atrium. Therefore, there are few people who can appreciate the Battle House quite like I can. However, it is my goal to have all my readers planning a trip to Mobile by the time they have finished reading this.

The “wedding cake architecture” of curlicue stone arches rise two stories overhead to meet at the biggest circle of stained glass I’ve ever seen. On the second floor, one of the arches is the famous “Whispering Arch.”  There are only a handful of these anywhere in the world.  Stand at one end with your sweetheart on the other end (35-feet away) and whisper sweet nothings to each other.  You’ll hear them as if the two of you are standing inches apart.

Through various eras, the property has hosted notable people and, today, offers the quality of the Marriott and Renaissance names. Guests may be assigned a room in the original building or in the new 40-story RSA Tower, which opened in 2007. Fun Fact: This tower is the tallest building in Alabama.

Our one-bedroom suite was on the seventh floor of the tower and felt historic. Designers recreated an old-world feel with meticulous accuracy.  The steel blue-gray and white color palette with cherry wood furniture defies current convention (i.e., chrome and glass overload) and gave this visitor exactly what she expected to see in a unique and historic property.

The Trellis Room restaurant served breakfasts that really should be savored. By everyone. Immediately. Hotels of this caliber usually overprice their restaurant food to an undignified degree.  As I said, the Battle House is dignified.  My avocado toast with fresh crabmeat and cherry tomatoes was a respectable $12 and my husband’s smoked brisket and vegetable skillet topped with two eggs was also $12.  We both ordered these items multiple times because they were as good as they sound.

Each morning, hostesses Olga and Valerie, and servers, Jennifer and Ashley, smiled, chatted, joked and welcomed us so warmly, we couldn’t wait to “have breakfast with them.” 

The hotel lobby also connects directly to the restaurant next door, Joe Cain Café.  This casual restaurant named for the eccentric man who revived Mardi Gras in Mobile after the Civil War, specializes in light fare.  While we didn’t have an opportunity to sample their menu on this trip, the sandwiches, salads and pizzas sounded delicious and the convenience can’t be beat.

There is a large gym with ample equipment next to the spa entrance.  I did not have the opportunity to visit the spa on this trip, but I have every confidence that it will live up to the Battle House name.  There is a large outdoor pool several floors up.  It is quite a hike from the main building or tower to the spa, gym and pool.  I crossed a skybridge at one point.  I think it is actually located in another building that connected to the hotel, but I am not quite sure where I was. This did seem inconvenient, but my husband was quick to point out the irony of someone (me) wanting to work out but not wanting to walk to get there. Touché, sir!

For My Event Planner Colleagues:

The property also houses 16 event spaces, including two stunning ballrooms and numerous smaller event options.  There is a total of nearly 29,000 square feet of space here.  This property can host as many as 1,000 in their largest space.  There is the amazing added benefit that the Battle House is within a five-minute walk from the Mobile Convention Center.

If there is a challenge for this property, it is the parking.  Due to its downtown location, only valet parking is available for $21.66 per night.  Visitors who prefer not to valet can obtain parking in a public garage one block away for $16 per night. As I said, one just needs to be willing to walk with their luggage.  Since we travel so extensively, parking charges could add up if we aren’t careful, so we opted to remove our vehicle from the garage from Friday night (after 5:00 p.m.) until Monday morning (before 8:00 a.m.) in order to take advantage of the city’s free street parking.

While parking in the center of downtown may be inconvenient and expensive, the proximity to activities is wonderful. I walked to the Mobile Carnival Museum in 15 minutes, including photo stops.  (Note: There will be a complete discussion of this attraction in a follow-up post soon).

One challenge for older properties can often be upgrading to modern technological needs.  This can be logistically difficult due to differences in construction practices. It can be aesthetically difficult (i.e. most tech gadgets are big, black, ugly things).  Somehow, The Battle House has made it all work.  I never saw the wi-fi access point in my room or in the hallway and, yet, I was able to work online every day without issue.  Getting a strong enough connection to be live on camera can be a challenge at some hotels.  Here, it was smooth sailing.

As if this hotel needed another plus point, there is art.  Yes, I admit to a bias here since I’ve been an art-lover since childhood (and worked for a Cultural Affairs Dept. for many years), but I was impressed with the range and quality of pieces.  In particular, there was a quilt display.  It is rare to see a gallery recognize textiles (especially quilting) as art.  The Battle House did, and they were wise to do so.  I sent pictures to a quilt-mad friend of mine. These were stunning examples.

I truly did feel like “queen for a day.”  In an age when consideration for others and behaving in a dignified manner (i.e., not showing up in public in your pajama pants) seem to be old-fashioned and uncommon, a stay at The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel and Spa evokes feelings of a bygone era that I, personally, was happy to see return for just a few days.

Have you been somewhere that made you feel like king/queen for a day? Please share it with the rest of us in the comments.