Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
Overview
With a blend of classic elegance and modern sophistication, the renowned Omni William Penn Hotel has served as Pittsburgh’s premier hotel since 1916. This historic hotel features 597 beautifully appointed guestrooms including 38 suites, 52,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, and five dining options. The hotel boasts two self-contained conference centers, beauty salon, gift shop and a jewelry store.
The hotel was designed by renowned Architects Benno Janssen, and Franklin Abbott. It was the last building venture of Henry Clay Frick, one of Pittsburgh’s wealthiest industrialists, and completed at a cost of six million dollars. Frick envisioned the William Penn as Pittsburgh’s showplace, designed to rival the great hotels of Europe in Old World style, and with the sophisticated technology offered by the twentieth century. The initial phase of the hotel included 1,000 guestrooms, and an elegant two-tier Grand Ballroom located on the 17th floor. In 1928, construction of the Grant Street Annex addition commenced. Completed in 1929 it added an additional 600 guestrooms as well as the crowning jewel, the Urban Room, designed by Joseph Urban. With this addition, the William Penn became the largest hotel between Pittsburgh and Chicago, and a major convention facility for Pittsburgh.
From the early days to present time, the Omni William Penn Hotel continues to hold the stature of Pittsburgh’s “Grande Dame”, and the hotel’s roots in the city remain well grounded. The hotel continues to be a favorite among Pittsburgh’s social scene, and remains a favorite of many dignitaries, movie stars, and important leaders in business and government.
Every seated president since Theodore Roosevelt has visited the hotel, including President Barak Obama.
Original Property Opened: 1916
Contact Information
530 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Historic Hotels of America toll-free reservations number (800) 678-8946
WWI: The Great War, 1914 ~ 1918
With a blend of classic elegance and modern sophistication, the renowned Omni William Penn Hotel has served as Pittsburgh’s premier hotel since 1916. This historic hotel features 597 beautifully appointed guestrooms including 38 suites, 52,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, and five dining options.
