Point Clear ยท The Eastern Shore
Grand Hotel
A resort since 1847 and a Historic Hotels of America member; book a 'Historic' room in the 1942 Main Building, as no 1847 building survives.
- Built
- 1942The resort dates to 1847, but no 1847 building survives. Edward A. Roberts bought it in 1939, cleared the old buildings and opened a new 90-room main building, 1942 per the Encyclopedia of Alabama. The Alabama Register dates The Grand Hotel to c. 1945.
- Type
- Resort
- Rooms
- 405
- Area
- The Eastern Shore
- Credentials
- Historic Hotels of America member; Local landmark
The story
F. H. Chamberlain built the first Grand Hotel in 1847 as a two-story, 40-room building, and Captain H. C. Baldwin later rebuilt it at three times the size. In 1863 part of the hotel became a Confederate hospital for soldiers wounded at Vicksburg; about 300 who died are buried at Confederate Rest near the golf course, and the resort fires a cannon each day in tribute. After hurricane damage in 1906 and 1916 and the Depression, Edward A. Roberts of Waterman Steamship bought it in 1939, cleared the old buildings and built a new main hotel. In 1944 the Army used it to train servicemen for Operation Ivory Soap. Marriott bought the resort in 1981 and added the North Bay House and Marina Building, and the Retirement Systems of Alabama added the Spa Building after 1999.
Good to know
- Address: 17855 Scenic Highway 98, Fairhope, AL 36532
Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.