History
Hotel Utica – A History
A Step Back In Time
Take a brief moment to look back on a proud past. The date is March 11, 1912, only five weeks prior to the fateful maiden voyage of the Titanic. On this day in history, the magnificence of Hotel Utica was complete, and its doors were opened to commercial travelers and sophisticates alike.
In that era of prosperity and growth for our nation, a building was erected that paid homage to elegance and to grandeur. It was a time when gentlemen tipped their hats to ladies that passed by, and a time when white-gloved hands held open doors with a welcome gesture. Saluting bellhops jumped eagerly for luggage and for tips, and the smell of roasted nuts wafted up to windows from bustling streets that held a sea of top hats.
It was a time when Judy Garland sang birdlike for guests from the mezzanine of the hotel, and Mickey Mantle signed autographs out front for crowds who were proud to be American. If the walls of this hotel could talk, they would tell the stories of Eleanor Roosevelt’s visits to the kitchen to compliment the chef for his Banana’s Foster; or perhaps of F.D.R.’s trips to the Gentlemen’s Cafe to relax after the Democratic Convention. 
Famous guests staying at the hotel have been President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hopalong Cassidy, Mae West and Bobby Darin. These were the days that gave birth to the glory of Hotel Utica, and now guests are able to celebrate the renaissance of its splendor, in honor of all things that are good, and not forgotten.
Hotel Utica was originally a 10-story building of fireproof construction with 200 rooms, four dining rooms, a ballroom, an assembly hall, a restaurant for ladies and a grill and cafe for gentlemen. The top four floors were added in 1926, which increased the total number of rooms to 250. As business declined, the hotel ceased operating in 1972. It later became two adult care residences, the Hunter House and then Loretto Adult Residence. Time and vandalism took a toll on the landmark until it was saved.
The year 2001 will forever mark the return to greatness for Hotel Utica. In August of 1998 Mr. Joseph R. Carucci and Charles N. Gaetano purchased Hotel Utica, and demonstrated care and commitment in returning the area landmark to its original grandeur. After 2 years and 13 million dollars of extensive renovations, every detail of the hotel has been meticulously restored to take on the luster of its original beauty.
From the careful restoration of its monumental pillars to the crystal chandeliers in the lobby and the ballroom–the structure has been thoroughly revitalized. Today the fourteen-story, Renaissance Revival-style structure boasts rich mahogany interiors and ornate public spaces lit by crystal chandeliers.
The renovated guest rooms are larger than in the original layout, and many have striking views of the Mohawk Valley. The rooms, while maintaining their nostalgic charm with mahogany wood, are modernized to include amenities and features above and beyond guest expectations.
In 2002, Hotel Utica proudly joined the prestigious National Trust Historic Hotels of America as an affiliate hotel. The Renaissance Revival-style hotel is now one of 180 hotels and resorts throughout the nation recognized for its historic integrity, architecture and ambiance.