Hotel Lafayette, hotel in Buffalo, New York
Hotel Lafayette is a seven-story building in Renaissance Revival style in downtown Buffalo, New York, featuring ornate stonework and arched windows on its exterior. Inside, a lobby finished with marble and dark wood sets the tone for the rest of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building was constructed around 1904, when Buffalo was drawing visitors for the Pan-American Exposition, one of the largest fairs of its time. It was designed in part by Louise Bethune, who had become the first woman to join the American Institute of Architects.
The hotel takes its name from the French Marquis de Lafayette, who supported American independence, a choice that reflects how Buffalo's leaders admired figures from beyond its own borders. That outward-looking spirit is still visible in the building's ornate stonework and arched windows, which were meant to signal prestige and ambition.
The hotel stands at the corner of Washington and Clinton Streets, close to downtown Buffalo, so it is easy to reach on foot from many nearby points of interest. Some parts of the building were updated in the mid-20th century, so it is worth taking time to look at both the exterior and the lobby to spot the original details.
The original guest rooms were arranged so that each bathroom was shared between two rooms, which was seen as a sign of comfort at the time rather than a limitation. This detail shows how much ideas about privacy and convenience have shifted over the past century.
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