Battle House Hotel & Spa

Known as “Mobile’s Living Room,” the Battle House Hotel & Spa in downtown Mobile, Alabama, has welcomed international guests since opening in 1852. The Battle House Hotel stands on the site of an old military headquarters set up by Andrew Jackson during the war of 1812. Fresh from his victory at Horseshoe Bend, Jackson had arrived in Mobile to ward off invasion. When British forces headed toward New Orleans, Old Hickory marched to meet them from this hallowed spot.

Over its history, the Battle House was visited by such notables as Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt, Jefferson Davis, Admiral Raphael Semmes, and Generals Bragg, Beauregard and Taylor. Singer Jimmy Buffet grew up watching Mardi Gras parades on his father’s shoulders in front of the Battle House. Revelers continue this tradition each year since Mobile is home to America’s original Mardi Gras. It’s no wonder the Battle House has been named the most famous hotel in Alabama by Insider. com.

With an active film office in Mobile, the hotel has been the backdrop in several films. Nicholas Cage, Robert DeNiro, Bruce Willis, Danny Glover, John Cusack, Jordon

Peele, Babyface and 50 Cent have all stayed at the Battle House while filming. Travel expert Peter Greenberg did his radio show from the Battle House balcony.

Executives from Airbus have stayed at the Battle House while making their site location and while building its aircraft assembly plant. Airbus has events at the Battle House regularly. Australia’s Austal ship manufacturer builds warships for the Navy nearby and frequents the Battle House, as well. From international business to local law firms to upscale weddings, the Battle House is an ideal setting for the city’s most important events. The readers of ConventionSouth magazine named the Battle House one of the top hotels for meetings.

It’s an architectural gem. One of the greatest architectural features of the Battle House is the “whispering arch” that lends an air of romance and glamour. If you stand at the base of the one end of the arch and someone on the other end whispers, you can hear every word they say clearly at the other end, thirty-five feet away. Other buildings that feature this type of arch are the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. and St. Paul’s in London.

The Battle House celebrates Mobile’s culture and native sons/ daughters. For casual dining, Joe Cain Café honors one of Mardi Gras’s most colorful characters. Royal Street Tavern offers nightly piano entertainment, exceptional crafted cocktails, and plays a nod to Mobile’ five MLB Hall of Famers: Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Satchel Paige, Ozzie Smith and Billy Williams. Sportsmen and women from the area are featured in the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame, located adjacent to the hotel in the RSA Battle House Tower Lobby.

The paintings in the four corners of the lobby are depictions of four great rulers of the countries which have flown their flags over Mobile. Louis XIV of France, which governed from 1702-1763; George III of England from 1763-1780; Ferdinand V of Spain who flew her flag from 1780-1813; and George Washington the father of our nation who had two turns at flying the U.S. flag from 1813-1861 and again from 1864 to present. The Lobby is done in a Beaux Art style, which blends classical elements of design with grandeur. This style was popular in the 1890’s.

The original Battle House opened in 1852 and dominated the social scene in Mobile for over a century. The hotel took its name from James and Samuel Battle. Stephen A. Douglas stayed at the Battle House the night he lost the presidency to Abraham Lincoln. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson was honored at a breakfast given by the Chamber of Commerce at the Battle House.

At different times in the life of the hotel the Crystal Ballroom has served many purposes. Many of Mobile’s daughters have made their debut in this room, have been married or had their receptions, or simply danced the night away at their Senior Prom. The room has been restored to vintage colors as it may have been in 1908. The ornate work around the crown molding was a common architectural feature in hotels and buildings that catered to those making their living in agriculture. The Battle House was a favorite place for southern planters to get away once their crops were planted.

In 2009, the Battle House was named “One of the Top 500 Hotels in the World” by Travel + Leisure magazine; and, in 2019, named hotel of the year and spa of the year by Lagniappe newspaper, while Southern Living named it one of the South’s Best Hotels.

Owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the hotel is part of the Resort Collection on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and has one of the best spas on Alabama’s Spa Trail. The Four Diamond Battle House Hotel & Spa has survived hurricanes, fires and floods. A major soft goods renovation started in 2019 and was completed in early 2020. Upgrades to the guest rooms and public spaces feature blue hues as a nod to nearby Mobile Bay. A new, massive rug and upscale furniture in the iconic lobby have been captured in countless photos and social media posts. New carpets, bedding, wall coverings and art in the room refresh them while still being true to the hotel’s history.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. You will, too.

Jeff S. Barganier is a novelist, travel writer and manager of Cindy Barganier Interiors LLC (www.cindybarganier.com). He travels far and wide upon the slightest excuse for something interesting to write about. Contact: Jeffbarganier@knology.net. Instagram: @jeffbarganier. You may print out Jeff’s features at www.jeffbarganier.com and take them with you when you travel!