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102 York firm Roman and Williams, were key points of inspiration. "We definitely share [Roman and Williams'] philosophy of celebrating historic buildings and making them relevant for our current time," says Taylor. "Their look — and our look — is layered, and that's what we wanted for the Adolphus." An edited selection of the Adolphus' original elements was retained, such as century-old walnut paneling throughout; marble herringbone floors discovered under 1980s carpeting in the French Room; a massive chandelier over the escalator with brass eagles custom-made for Adolphus Busch; a 1912 grand piano that Busch had shipped from Europe (the first went down with the Titanic); valuable artwork, including an 18th- century portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte draped in an ermine cape, created by the emperor's court painter; and dozens of old brass room keys artfully displayed behind the registration desk downstairs. "There's not another old hotel like it in the city," says Reitmayer Sano. "So it was important that we paid it the proper respect and did the proper research to get it right." There are blue velvet George Smith- style sofas; low Paul McCobb brass and travertine mid-century coffee tables; antique goatskin and rams'-head armchairs; cane-and-bentwood lounge chairs handmade by Soane Britain; hipster tufted leather sofas from SchoolHouse Electric & Supply Co.; vintage Persian and Turkish rugs from Nomads Loom; lighting sourced from Austria, based on original 1910 designs; large, moody artworks by Richard Serra; French carved gilt mirrors; vintage taxidermy under glass; and hundreds of books including biographies on famous Texans, French literature, and local museums, which Taylor and Reitmayer Sano selected. "It was a lot of digging, a lot of uncovering of information," says Taylor. "The more you knew what to look for, the more the story unfolded." A longtime valet told them about ghost sightings he'd heard about from guests over the years — such as sounds of an old-time jazz band wafting through the halls at night and the specter of a jilted bride who died at the hotel in 1912. These and other hauntings were given their own section in the hotel's history book. Adolphus Busch, who died a year after the hotel opened, couldn't have foreseen its enduring legacy. Now more stylish than ever, the newly refreshed Adolphus will continue to be history in the making. From $239 for a Deluxe room to $2,500 for the Presidential suite. The Adolphus Hotel, 1321 Commerce St., Dallas, 214.742.8200, adolphus.com. Seafair, Betty Blake's home in Newport, Rhode Island, circa 1950s. Clockwise from top: The hotel lobby, circa 1912. In the Atrium lobby, an antique fireplace from France. John Dickinson plaster side table from David Sutherland showroom. Richard Serra's Transversal #3 limited-edition color etching, 2004. Original brass room keys artfully arranged behind the reception desk. In the Atrium lobby, Kelly Wearstler lamp. Randall Morgan teak orb table. City Hall Bistro at the Adolphus. (continued from page 100)