Historic Hotel Bentley in Louisiana Damaged by Fire

ALEXANDRIA, La. (AP) — Central Louisiana’s historic Hotel Bentley was damaged Friday by a fire in which one person was believed to be injured.

The fire, which damaged the building’s exterior on the north side, was concentrated in the lower roof area, said Scott Laliberte, the hotel’s president.

“It was on a lower level exterior roof elevation that was being replaced,” Laliberte said in a statement. “All guests and HB team were evacuated.”

Laliberte confirmed that a roof worker was burned and is being treated. Updates about the worker’s condition was not immediately available.

“There is damage to the property, mostly exterior, but our Hotel Bentley has been through a lot over the years and this will be another notch to add to the rich history of the Hotel Bentley,” Laliberte said.

The Hotel Bentley was built in 1907 and is the historic anchor of downtown Alexandria, The Town Talk reported. The grand Renaissance-style hotel was built by Joseph Bentley, who earned his wealth in the lumber industry, after he had been refused service at another Alexandria hotel because he didn’t meet its dress code.

The Bentley opened in 1908 with 172 rooms, a ballroom and the grand lobby. Bentley spent about $750,000 on its construction.

Bentley died in 1939 and never got to see the important role that the property played during World War II. Military leaders like generals George Patton and Omar Bradley, along with future President Dwight Eisenhower, all stayed at the hotel during the Louisiana Maneuvers, which trained troops for the battlefield, according to the hotel’s website.

The hotel went bankrupt in the late 1960s and sat closed for decades before investors led by Buddy Tudor reopened the business. In the 1990s, the hotel was sold and closed again. Former Alexandria resident Bob Dean bought the Bentley in 1998. He considered housing low-income older adults in the hotel, but that idea was rejected by the city. After renovations, he reopened it but closed it in 2004.

The property remained closed until current owner and preservationist Mike Jenkins bought it in 2012. The hotel has undergone a multimillion-dollar restoration, which included converting the seven-story tower portion of the property into private residential units. The original portion of the property has remained a hotel with 93 guest rooms.