Allentown
Historic Americus Hotel
Ritter & Shay's Mediterranean-styled 1927 hotel, named for Amerigo Vespucci, closed by the early 2000s and restored by the Abdouche family.
- Built
- 1927Built 1926–27 (NPS significant years 1926/1927); opened September 1927. HHA's summary says 'Built in 1926.'
- Style
- Mediterranean-inspired (NPS: Other)
- Architect
- Ritter & Shay (builders Roberts & Roller)
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Credentials
- Historic Hotels of America member; Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The story
Chamber of Commerce president Albert D. Gomery and partners formed the American Hotel Realty Co., cleared the old American Hotel and hired Philadelphia’s Ritter & Shay to design a Mediterranean-styled hotel named for explorer Amerigo Vespucci. It opened in September 1927 with a party for about 700 people and was the center of downtown social life for four decades. Under a series of owners it declined and closed by the early 2000s, and the Abdouche family bought it from the city in 2009 and restored it.
Good to know
- Address: 541 Hamilton St, Allentown, PA 18101
Sources (2)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.