Big Spring ยท Downtown Big Spring
Hotel Settles
Will and Lillian Settles' 1930 oil-money tower, once the tallest building between Fort Worth and El Paso, reopened in 2012 after decades closed.
- Built
- 1930Opened October 1, 1930 as a 15-story, 150-room hotel; closed by the early 1980s; reopened December 2012 with 65 rooms after a roughly $30 million restoration.
- Style
- Art Deco
- Architect
- David S. Castle
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Rooms
- 65
- Area
- Downtown Big Spring
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Inside a National Register historic district; Local landmark; Historic Hotels of America member
The story
Will R. and Lillian Settles built the hotel after oil was discovered on their ranch, and it opened October 1, 1930, at a reported cost of $500,000. David S. Castle’s 15-story reinforced-concrete tower was for years the tallest building between Fort Worth and El Paso, with 150 rooms, a restaurant and a pharmacy. Guests included Elvis Presley, Lawrence Welk and President Herbert Hoover. Closed for nearly three decades, it reopened in December 2012 as a 65-room hotel restored from its original blueprints.
Good to know
- Address: 200 E 3rd St, Big Spring, TX 79720
Sources (4)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.