"The Metropolitan Hotel" is a name used by multiple notable hotels in various cities around the world. Below is a summary of the most well-documented establishments bearing this name.
Metropolitan Hotel, Sydney (Australia)
A heritage-listed hotel at 244 George Street, Sydney, listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The site has been occupied by a hotel since the 1830s. It was originally known as the Castle Tavern (1851), then La Ville de Bordeaux (1861), before first being recorded as the Metropolitan Hotel in 1879. The current building was constructed in 1909–1910 after the previous structure was purchased by Tooth and Co. and redeveloped as a five-storey building in the Federation Free Style. It features a face brick and sandstone façade, an octagonal corner cupola with a zinc-clad roof, and Art Deco motifs in the public bar. The hotel was twice threatened with demolition in the 1980s but was saved following a state government decision in February 1985 to protect a historic boulevard on Bridge Street.
Metropolitan Hotel, Washington, D.C. (United States)
A major hotel at Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street NW that operated from 1863 to 1933. The site's history dates to 1802, with earlier establishments including Woodward's Centre Tavern and the Indian Queen Tavern (purchased by Jesse Brown in 1821). The building was replaced in 1850–1851 with a marble-veneered structure known as Brown's Marble Hotel, designed by architect John Haviland. In 1862, a new proprietor renamed it the Metropolitan Hotel. It was known as a hotel favored by Southern congressmen and hosted notable figures including President John Tyler (who was sworn in at the Indian Queen), Charles Dickens, and various Native American delegations. The building was razed in 1933, with some bricks repurposed for a home on Massachusetts Avenue. A remaining fragment was demolished in 1984.
Metropolitan Hotel, New York City (United States)
A hotel that opened on September 1, 1852, at Broadway and Prince Street in Manhattan, on the site formerly occupied by Niblo's Garden. Designed by architects Joseph Trench and John Butler Snook, it was a six-story brownstone-clad structure in the Italian Renaissance style, with 300 feet of frontage on Broadway and 200 feet on Prince Street. It could accommodate 600 guests and was operated by the Leland brothers, pioneers of the American hotel chain concept. Notable events included hosting a Japanese diplomatic delegation in 1860, the wedding reception of Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren in 1863, and the premiere of "The Black Crook" (considered the first musical play) at the adjoining Niblo's Theatre in 1866. The hotel was managed for a time by Richard Tweed, son of "Boss" Tweed. It was demolished in 1895.
Metropolitan Hotel, Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Opened on 10 February 1979 on Sheikh Zayed Road, this was the first property of what became the Habtoor Hotels chain. Originally named after the Grand Metropolitan British Hospitality chain, it opened with 187 rooms and five outlets, including the Red Lion Pub (the first English pub in Dubai, opened in 1978). It was originally a five-star property and later reclassified as a four-star property. Notable guests have included Prince Michael of Kent, Princess Anne, President George H. W. Bush, Omar Sharif, and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Hotel Metropolitan, Paducah, Kentucky (United States)
Built in 1908 by Maggie Steed, this hotel was the first African American-owned hotel in Paducah, Kentucky. It provided lodging for African American travelers during the Jim Crow era and was listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book. It was a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit, hosting musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ray Charles. The hotel now operates as the Hotel Metropolitan Museum, focusing on African American history. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 12 April 2002.
Other notable establishments:
- Metropolitan Hotel, Asbury Park, New Jersey — A Victorian hotel built in the early 20th century, offering 150 rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a grand ballroom, and a nightclub. It has been abandoned since the late 1980s.
- Metropolitan Hotel, Fort Worth, Texas — Located at 8th Street and Commerce in downtown Fort Worth; later became the Milner Hotel and was subsequently demolished.
