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The Hotel Bentley, built in 1908, was the namesake of Joseph A. Bentley. Bentley was a local lumber mogul who had moved from Pennsylvania, by way of Texas, to Rapides Parish in 1892. James F. Litton was the first hotel manager.
The Hotel Bentley was built by the F. B. Hull Construction Company of Jackson, Mississippi on Third Street one block north of the Alexandria City Hall.
As the “flagship” hotel of Central Louisiana (CenLA), the Hotel Bentley was to experience visits during World War II and the Louisiana Maneuvers by several military notables. These included Major General George Patton, Lieutenant Colonel Omar Bradley, and then not-so-well-known Colonel Dwight David Eisenhower. Generals George C. Marshall and Matthew Ridgeway are said to have visited the Bentley also, as well as then-little-known Second Lieutenant Henry Kissinger.
Entertainers also stayed at the Bentley, many of whom performed for the troops. Cowboy legend Roy Rogers stayed at the Bentley during the 1950s during a trip down the Red River.
 Today, the hotel is closed although efforts are underway by the City of Alexandria to partner with an outiside firm to renovate and reopen the hotel.
For more information on the Bentley, visit the Historic Bentley web site. |
