FAQs

Question

What makes The U.S. Grant hotel so special?

Answer

Originally ‘The Horton Hotel’, the hotel was part of Alonzo Horton’s waterfront real estate purchase in the 1860s. Horton sought out a buyer for the property when he was hit with financial troubles in the late 1870s. William Hadley bought the hotel in 1881, but Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. (son of President Grant) repurchased it on August 12, 1895. When Grant fell $700,000 short of the $1.5 million needed for the renovation, San Diegans voted to help finance the construction – a demonstration of the intrinsic value the hotel held as a part of the community. The U.S. Grant Hotel finally opened its doors on October 15, 1910 The U.S. Grant hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places – and for good reason. The hotel has witnessed many historical periods and hosted several illustrious guests since its construction. During the prohibition era, the ballroom hosted speakeasies. In the 1950s, the Grant Grill saw a female sit-in that successfully nullified the restaurant’s men-only policy. From 1910 to 1974, the U.S. Grant hosted an annual dinner for the ‘Great White Fleet Association’, a group of sailors who served on battleships in the early 1900s. The hotel even held the first Comic-Con in 1970. A portrait of President Grant hangs in the U.S. Grant; the only other painting of him is held in the Washington D.C. Smithsonian Museum. The hotel is also equipped with three presidential suites that are secret service ready – a reasonable preparation, considering that it has hosted 14 presidents since its opening. Other famous guests include Albert Einstein, Charles Lindbergh, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, and many more.