Casa Monica- St. Augustine, FL

Saint Augustine is a wonderland for anyone who adores history, architecture and old buildings. And while the city’s old buildings are far too numerous to count, where three grand hotels once stood downtown, only one remains in operation. It is the Casa Monica, and you should stay there. Not only does it have a storied and interesting past, it has been nicely updated and is perfectly situated to serve as your base while exploring America’s oldest European city.

The Gilded Age in Saint Augustine was all about Henry Flagler. Flagler was an early industrialist, and as one of the founders and early executives of Standard Oil, he was an obscenely wealthy man. Filthy, stinking rich. As such, he could do whatever he wanted, and after traveling to St. Augustine in 1883, he decided he wanted to build a grand winter hotel. And he did just that.

Hotel Ponce de Leon — Ponce de Leon Hotel

Flagler’s first foray into the Florida hotel business was the Ponce de Leon. Designed in the Spanish Renaissance style by New York Architects John Carrere and Thomas Hastings, and completed in 1887, the 540 room hotel was an immediate success. No expense was spared during construction. Edison himself electrified the hotel, which so scared the guests, an attendant was employed just to turn on switches. In the end, all the high end fixtures, murals and Tiffany lamps more than doubled the original construction estimate.

That same year, Flagler sold the property across from the Ponce de Leon to Franklin W. Smith, an architectural enthusiast and pioneer in poured concrete construction. Smith in turn wasted no time, and immediately constructed an impressive five story Moorish Revival hotel of his own, complete with turrets, balconies, parapets, ornate railings, and battlements. It was constructed of poured concrete, naturally. Consisting of 138 guest rooms and 14 suites, the Casa Monica, named after St. Augustine’s mother, opened its doors in January of 1888.

Things did not go smoothly for Smith. A plumbers’ strike delayed construction, while a fire at the furniture company outfitting the hotel delayed the grand opening. It ultimately opened one week after the Ponce de Leon debuted, and just could not compete. Rumor has it that Flagler may have had a hand in that, including delaying hotel supplies delivered via his railroad. Plagued with low occupancy and financial problems, Smith sold Casa Monica to Flagler just four months after its opening, for a reported $325,000. Defeated, Smith left St. Augustine, and ultimately died destitute. Flagler amassed more money.

Flagler rechristed the property the Cordova Hotel, and ran it successfully for several years. In 1902, a bridge was constructed to connect the Cordova to Flagler’s entertainment venue, Hotel Alcazar, which contained a casino as well as an 120 foot long pool. Ultimately, the two hotels merged under the Alcazar name, and operated as the less elite siblings to the Ponce de Leon.

Business boomed until the stock market crash of 1929. Flagler abandoned the properties, which officially closed in 1932. The bridge to the Alcazar was torn down in 1945, and the Cordova/Casa Monica sat vacant until purchased by the county in 1962 for use as a courthouse. The building functioned in this capacity for over a decade, before being shuttered once again in the late 1970s. But this was not to be the end for the once grand hotel.

Purchased for $1.2 million in the mid 1990s by Richard Kessler, the old hotel was painstakingly renovated and restored. In less than two years, the Casa Monica was reborn. Many original architectural details remain, while new touches like a pool have been added. The comfortable rooms vary widely depending on location. Our room was comfortable, but relatively simple. We did however opt for the standard room, happily procured with Marriott points. The Casa Monica is many things, but reasonably priced is not one of them. Or I suppose it is for a tourist destination, but it is by no means cheap. But it is worth it.

Central to almost everything in town, you can valet your car at the hotel, and explore on foot. No better place to start than across the street with the two other Flagler properties, now serving as a college and museum. All three properties offer a window into St. Augustine’s gilded past, and should not be missed.