The Hotel Lafayette

The Hotel Lafayette: Restoring Louise Bethune’s Masterpiece follows the painstaking process of bringing this historic hotel back to life. Photographer and author, Jackie Albarella, followed the restoration of The Hotel Lafayette from the first day to the Grand Re-opening. The intricate process is captured in images and stories from the many highly skilled craftspeople, artists and contractors who brought Bethune’s opus back to life. With an introduction by Kelly Hayes McAlonie, AIA, LEED AP and noted Bethune expert, the contrast of before and after is breathtakingly displayed in this full color, beautifully designed book. At its height of greatness, the Hotel Lafayette was considered one of the 15 finest hotels in the country. Designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune, the first professional woman architect in the country, was also the first female member of the American Institute of Architects and the first woman to be made a Fellow of the A.I.A.

What people are saying:

“Terrific! Jackie, you did something that will last forever; the story of Louise Blanchard Bethune’s grand opus and its restoration by a man willing to take a risk. Your work will last beyond our time and will continue to tell the story of what happened in 1904 and 2013. Thank you Jackie.”