The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park Renovation & Historic Preservation

El Paso, TX

Built in 1930, the Art Deco-style hotel was the first high-rise in Conrad Hilton’s hotel empire and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Cooper Carry, in association with local architect, In Situ, led the historic hotel renovation of the long-vacant 88-year-old property into an upscale boutique hotel with restaurant, bar, and event spaces. Modern luxury fluidly blends with Southwestern style and connections to El Paso’s cultural traditions.

To receive the historic state tax credits, abatements, and incentives necessary to fund this work, the team worked closely with the Texas State Historic Preservation Office to ensure the original design was preserved to the greatest extent. In addition to restoration and rehabilitation, the design incorporates the necessary elements and layout to accommodate today’s modern amenities and hotel operations.

Despite several decades of renovations that undermined the original design, the team surgically intervened, where required, to honor the original spatial intent and detailing of the historic elements. The work included converting the penthouse suite into a rooftop bar and event space as well as reinstating the original double-height lobby atrium, capped in a mid-century era renovation, and bringing back the grand entrance at the heart of the building. The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park is once again the social hub and heartbeat of downtown El Paso.

This project has garnered heaps of praise, including numerous awards. Town & Country named it one of the 15 Best Boutique Hotels in the United States.