Hotel Fontenelle
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic upscale hotel in downtown Omaha that operated from 1915 until 1971 and was demolished in 1983.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Hotel Fontenelle was a landmark upscale hotel at 1806 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Conceived during a period of rapid civic and commercial development, the hotel was announced in 1912 as a sixteen-story project and was developed for the Douglas Hotel Company. Architect Thomas Rogers Kimball designed the building in a Late Gothic Revival style, giving it a distinctive vertical profile and prominent spires. Construction began in 1914, and the hotel formally opened on February 26, 1915. Although the original announcement described a sixteen-story building, the completed structure was described as eighteen floors and approximately 175 feet tall, with about 350 guest rooms. The hotel was named for Logan Fontenelle, an interpreter associated with the Omaha Tribe during the period in which Omaha-area land was ceded to the United States. This naming connected a major commercial institution in the city center with a figure from the region’s Indigenous and civic history. During its operating life, the Fontenelle became one of Omaha’s principal social and hospitality venues. It hosted civic functions, weddings, conventions, public gatherings, lectures, and sporting events. Events associated with the hotel included the founding of the Girl Scout movement in Omaha and a national women’s bowling tournament. The building also welcomed nationally known authors, including Willa Cather, and served as lodging for prominent public figures and entertainers. Ownership changed several times. In 1920, H. A. Wolf Co. acquired a majority interest in the Douglas Hotel Company. The following year, control was transferred to Gene Eppley and his Eppley Hotel Company. Under Eppley’s ownership, the Fontenelle was closely associated with the social and political life of Omaha. Notable guests included baseball players Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, President Harry S. Truman, and Senator John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy, who stayed at the hotel during Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign. A major corporate turning point came in 1956, when Sheraton Hotels purchased the Eppley Hotel Company for $30 million, described in contemporary accounts as the second-largest hotel sale in United States history at the time. The property was subsequently rebranded as the Sheraton-Fontenelle Hotel. Sheraton sold it to Gotham Hotels in 1968, after which the property returned to the Hotel Fontenelle name. That year, the hotel also served as the headquarters for Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign in Omaha. The hotel’s later years were marked by financial and operational difficulties. Its owner temporarily closed it in February 1971 as an economic measure, and the hotel officially ceased operations on February 28, 1971. Efforts to preserve or reopen the building followed, but they did not succeed. After foreclosure, the City of Omaha purchased the property in 1982. Demolition began in February 1983 with the removal of the spires and was completed in June 1983. Hotel Fontenelle therefore survives primarily as a subject of Omaha architectural, hospitality, political, and civic history rather than as an operating hotel brand.
History
Hotel Fontenelle was planned as a major downtown Omaha hotel during the city’s early twentieth-century growth. The project was announced in 1912 for the Douglas Hotel Company. Thomas Rogers Kimball designed the building in the Late Gothic Revival style, and construction began in 1914. It opened on February 26, 1915, with approximately 350 guest rooms in a tall structure later described as eighteen floors and 175 feet high. The hotel was named for Logan Fontenelle, an interpreter for the Omaha Tribe associated with the land-cession history of the Omaha area. Its prominent location and scale made it an important part of Omaha’s civic and commercial center. The Fontenelle hosted weddings, conventions, lectures, civic events, and sporting gatherings. Events associated with the building included the founding of the Girl Scout movement in Omaha and a national women’s bowling tournament. It also hosted prominent visitors, including Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Harry S. Truman, and John F. Kennedy with Jacqueline Kennedy. In 1920, H. A. Wolf Co. purchased a majority of the Douglas Hotel Company. Control passed in 1921 to Gene Eppley and his Eppley Hotel Company. Eppley’s ownership lasted until 1956, when Sheraton Hotels bought the Eppley Hotel Company for $30 million. The property then became the Sheraton-Fontenelle Hotel. Sheraton sold it to Gotham Hotels in 1968, and the original Hotel Fontenelle name returned. The same year, the hotel was used as the Omaha headquarters for Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Economic decline eventually ended the hotel’s operations. The owner closed it temporarily in February 1971 and officially ended operations on February 28. Attempts to preserve the building continued after closure, but the property was eventually foreclosed. The City of Omaha acquired it in 1982. Demolition started in February 1983 with removal of the spires and concluded in June. The hotel is now a demolished historic site remembered for its architecture, role in Omaha society, major ownership transitions, and association with national political and cultural figures.
- 1983
Demolition completed
[1]Demolition began in February and was completed in June.
- 1982
City of Omaha purchases property
[1]The City of Omaha acquired the foreclosed former hotel after preservation efforts failed.
- 1971
Operations end
[1]The hotel officially closed on February 28 after an economically motivated temporary closure.
- 1968
Gotham Hotels acquisition and political campaign use
[1]Gotham Hotels bought the property from Sheraton; the hotel returned to its original name and served as Robert F. Kennedy’s Omaha campaign headquarters.
- 1956
Sheraton acquisition and rebranding
[1]Sheraton Hotels acquired the Eppley Hotel Company and renamed the property Sheraton-Fontenelle Hotel.
- 1921
Eppley Hotel Company takes control
[1]Ownership transferred to Gene Eppley and his Eppley Hotel Company.
- 1920
H. A. Wolf Co. acquires majority ownership
[1]H. A. Wolf Co. purchased a majority interest in the Douglas Hotel Company.
- 1915
Hotel opens
[1]Hotel Fontenelle officially opened on February 26.
- 1914
Construction begins
[1]Construction began on Thomas Rogers Kimball’s Late Gothic Revival hotel design.
- 1913
Property receives the Fontenelle name
[1]The project was named for Logan Fontenelle, an interpreter for the Omaha Tribe.
Products and positioning
A prominent early twentieth-century Omaha hotel positioned as an upscale downtown lodging and social venue, later operating under the Sheraton-Fontenelle name before its closure.
Hotel lodging · 1915
Hotel Fontenelle guest accommodation
The hotel’s principal offering was upscale guest accommodation in downtown Omaha. The completed building was described as having approximately 350 rooms and served travelers, visiting public figures, business guests, and people attending civic or social events. The lodging operation ended when the property closed in 1971.
Events and hospitality · 1915
Banquet and convention services
Hotel Fontenelle functioned as a major Omaha venue for weddings, conventions, lectures, civic gatherings, and other large social events. Its role extended beyond room accommodation, making it a central meeting place for Omaha society during much of the twentieth century.
Marketing campaigns
- 1968Robert F. Kennedy presidential campaign headquarters
United States · Omaha, Nebraska
Following its sale to Gotham Hotels and return to the Hotel Fontenelle name, the building served as the headquarters for Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign in Omaha.
Brand decisions
1971
Owner closes the hotelStrategyBackground
The property faced economic difficulties during its later operating years.
Action taken
The owner temporarily closed the hotel in February and formally ended operations on February 28.
Aftermath
Preservation and reopening efforts followed, but the building ultimately went through foreclosure and was later demolished.
1968
Gotham Hotels acquires the propertyM&ABackground
Sheraton sold the hotel after operating it under the Sheraton-Fontenelle identity.
Action taken
Gotham Hotels purchased the property and restored the Hotel Fontenelle name.
Aftermath
The hotel continued operating independently under its original name and was also used as a presidential campaign headquarters that year.
1956
Sheraton purchases Eppley Hotel CompanyM&ABackground
The Eppley Hotel Company controlled Hotel Fontenelle and other hotel interests before the transaction.
Action taken
Sheraton Hotels acquired the Eppley Hotel Company and incorporated the property into its hotel portfolio.
Aftermath
The Omaha property was rebranded as the Sheraton-Fontenelle Hotel.
Reported acquisition price. $30 million (1956)
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/hotel-fontenelle · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled