Travel Blog

The Hotel: The Renaissance Battle House Hotel, 26 North Royal Street Mobile, AL

The Skinny: The historic Battle House, built in 1852, has been re-opened in downtown Mobile, and is one of the cornerstones of the city’s downtown revitalization efforts. Close to the riverfront , the 238 rooms (including 31 suites) are oversized and almost lavish, with dark wood furnishings, elegant draperies framing huge windows (on some floors), high ceilings, and marble bathrooms. A club level features daily food presentations and an honor bar.

The sweeping, two-story lobby has been magnificently restored. There’s the Trellis Room for fine dining, the Royal Street Lounge for more casual dining, featuring live music some nights, and the recently-opened Joe Cain Café, a coffee shop which also serves sandwiches and light fare. Valet parking is $16/day, Internet access is $9.99 daily. The hotel’s spa is scheduled to open in September 2008, and the hotel is one of the partner hotels for the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, a within driving distance of a few of the courses.

The Raves: This is a super-elegant hotel from top to bottom, from the beautiful lobby to the ultra-cool ‘whispering arches’ on the second floor – hours of fun for kids and adults alike. The rooms are spacious and elegant, the furnishings high-quality, the beds comfy. The oversized bathrooms are furnished in marble and a table-like vanity, plenty of storage space for toiletries and the like, plus a deep soaking tub. Service in the Trellis Room is very attentive and the food is very well done; the lounge is truly a place to hang out in casual comfort.

The Rants: I’m not a big fan of the honor bar on the club level; I figure most folks will have a glass or two of something and be on their way, as opposed to spend the entire night drinking, so if I were the GM, I’d offer the first two glasses free. Not really a rant, just an opinion!

The Rating: 4 suitcases. A beautiful hotel in an elegant city, and a perfect spot to lay your head after a day spent exploring Mobile or conducting business.

Our rating system:

1 Suitcase – Don’t bother

2 suitcases – Paging the general manager! You’ve got some serious work to do!

3 suitcases – Some minor issues, but overall acceptable experience

4 suitcases – Worthy of your dollars

5 suitcases – Book it at any cost