Casa de Palmas

Twenty-thousand troops from New York State were sent to Camp McAllen in 1916 due to border disturbances with Mexico. This caused a building boom in town, and the Rio Grande Hotel Corporation was formed to create luxury accommodations for visitors to the rapidly-growing town. The main partners in the corporation were Oliver P. Archer (a future Mayor of McAllen) and Rowland Horn. A San Antonio architect, M.L. Waller, designed the luxury hotel. The Casa de Palmas was one of the fanciest hotels in Texas south of San Antonio. It was a popular place to hold luncheons, club meetings, and dinner dances. In the aftermath of a major hurricane in 1919, the hotel was a refuge for many locals and visitors.

The Casa de Palmas Hotel was renovated in 1974 after a devastating fire the previous year; lightning struck the south tower. The hotel was rebuilt as it was before the fire for the most part. Before becoming a Trademark by Wyndham hotel, the Casa de Palmas was known as the Renaissance Casa de Palmas, operated by Marriott, with 165 guest rooms. Another major fire damaged the hotel in 1987, forcing it to close. After three million dollars in renovations, the hotel reopened. The Casa de Palmas also spent time as the Doubletree Club in the 1990s.

The brick exterior of the Casa de Palmas has been covered with white stucco, and tall palms dot the landscape. The hotel is directly west of a park square -- Archer Park -- with a central pavilion/ bandstand on the opposite side of 17th Street; the land for the park was donated to the city in 1910 by Oliver P. Archer, a partner in the hotel. The freight depot of the railroad was on a siding just steps south of the building. The coming of the railroad to town in 1905 spurred on the development of McAllen.

Ghostly sightings have been reported in the hotel. An elderly female spirit is said to wander the basement. A veiled woman dressed in Black has been spotted in the hallways at night. This hasn't scared away others who have stayed at the hotel, including actor Marlon Brando, comedian Bob Hope, and President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

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Wyndham. Casa de Palmas, Modern Comforts in McAllen, Trademark Collection by Wyndham. September 1st 2020. Accessed September 27th 2020. https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/trademark/mcallen-texas/casa-de-palmas-trademark-collection-by-wyndham/overview#.