Hotel Bentley: A landmark resurrects

Step into a time gone by and have the time of your life at the historic Hotel Bentley. The Alexandria hotel has been a historic landmark of downtown Alexandria since opening in 1908. The hotel is the namesake of Alexandria lumber mogul Joseph A. Bentley who came to Rapides Parish from Pennsylvania by way of Texas in 1892.

Alexandria businessman Michael Jenkins bought the hotel from the Raddison company and has begun a total reformation project including the opening this year of 62 guest rooms and the Mirror lounge has reopened.

The hotel restaurant is planned for reopening and the tower section that was added in the 1930s will be converted to condominiums. The hotel plans for 93 guest rooms to reopen in the future. The reopening marks the second time. The hotel closed in 1968 only to reopen in 1972.

The Hotel Bentley was a four-star hotel from 1908 to the 1980s and was the only four-star hotel in the state of Louisiana outside of New Orleans.

The previous heyday of the hotel was during WWII when prominent military personnel checked-in to the hotel including Gen. George Patton, Lt. Col. Omar Bradley, future U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower,and Lt. Henry Kissinger. The Bentley was also a destination for celebrities at one time. Among those to check-in were John Wayne and Roy Rogers.