Highlighting Howard Co. Business History preserved: Hotel Settles
The historic Settles is an incredibly beautiful boutique hotel with an amazing story. The story began in 1929. W.R. Settles was a local cattle rancher and devout Presbyterian who was bombarded with suggestions on how to spend his new found wealth when oil was discovered on his land. At the time Big Spring’s population was tripling from the oil boom, hotel rooms were in great demand. Local leaders convinced him to build not just another hotel but one that would out shine all others. The location was chosen, a prime spot in downtown. David Castle, a famous West Texas architect, was hired and a year of lighting fast construction began. October 1, 1930 The Settles Hotel opened, it was the only full-service hotel between El Paso and Dallas.
“It’s not just a hotel, it’s a way of life. From the beginning they wanted this hotel to represent true Texas hospitality and relaxed elegance” Najam Hasan, the general manager for the Settles Hotel, said.
Najam, who moved from California two years ago to join the Settles has, extensive experience in managing four-star hotels, such as The Omni, Hilton and Marriott. His considerable achievements in business development are an added bonus.
The cost of the hotel including furnishing was $700,000 that equaled all the building permits issued in Big Spring that year.
According to a special section published by the Herald, a spectacular marble staircase rose from the lobby split in two directions that lead to the mezzanine and grand ballroom. The 170 rooms featured “running ice-water” and luxury bathrooms decorated in an Egyptian color scheme of black and white that was popular at that time. The floors were polished maple, the paneling was mahogany and the furnishings were the finest walnut. An eleven - piece orchestra played in the packed ballroom. The Settles Hotel was compared to the New Yorker in New York for class, service and beauty. However, by the time the Settles opened the Depression was hitting everyone hard. The lavish construction left W.R. Settles vulnerable, by June 1932 he lost everything. The hotel survived and under new management became one of the bright spots of the Depression era.
Traveling big band orchestras played the ballroom nightly to packed crowds decked out in ball gowns, tuxedos and top hats. Will Rogers was once reported to say “They just don’t throw parties the way they use to at the Settles”.
The most popular band to play the Settles was led by a young Lawrence Welk. Other famous people who visited the Settles was President Herbert Hoover, President Johnson, Gregory Peck, Buddy Holly and his band The Crickets that included Jerry Allison (a Big Spring native who was the drummer), Dr. William Mayo (Founder of the Mayo Clinic),and Elvis Presley who stayed on the historic 3rd floor in 1955.
In 1942 the Big Spring Army Field (later to be named Webb Air Force base) and Cosden Petroleum Corporation brought Big Spring out of a slump and supported a substantial upper class, whose clubs and societies brought celebrities and dignitaries to the Settles on a regular basis.
The 50s were golden years for the Settles, the wonder years however were short lived. In May 1969 the hotel enjoyed a final fanfare with the release of the Academy Award winning film ‘Midnight Cowboy’, In the movie the bus pulls away and the Settles is seen fading into the background.
By 1975, the hotel was rarely booked and had gained a reputation as a flop house and a brothel. In May of 1980 they cut the power and shut the doors. Soon people came and stripped away the Settles vintage furnishings. The mahogany paneling was pried loose and the marble stairs and wrought iron railing was dismantled. Everything that could be removed – beds, stoves, telephone booths, doorknobs, room keys, toilet paper holders and towel bars even the plumbing inside the walls was carried out and auctioned off. Once a symbol of Big Spring’s soaring ambition, the Settles was now a naked empty shell. After being stripped bare, the hotel changed hands several times. A San Antonio developer promised to turn it into luxury apartments. Five years of tax and legal problems
stopped him. Eventually nature and vandals ravaged the hotels interior. Pigeon's followed, as well as the rain, which flooded the lobby and melted the ornate decorative plaster. By 1995 residents were tired of the eye sore and wanted it torn down. Tommy Churchwell, a local resident was frustrated with that attitude.
“What people did not realize was that when that hotel was gone, our identity as a town would go with it,” he was quoted in an article about the restoration.
The year the Settles closed Brint Ryan was a sophomore at Big Spring High School. He played trombone in the marching band and his first job was as a newspaper carrier for the Big Spring Herald. The only time he had ever been inside the hotel was when he and his Grandfather went in to get a peek at the lobby.
In 2006, Ryan received a phone call from an old classmate, a developer was interested in a number of buildings downtown and needed tax advice. While looking at maps of the area Ryan noticed a glaring omission.
“What about the Settles?” he asked.
The answer was it was an impossible task. Ryan asked for a tour anyway, standing in the lobby amid sheer destruction the sunlight poured through the ceiling. Mounds of debris covered the ground, two to three feet deep. The basement was full of water that bubbled up like a geyser with every storm. Both elevator shafts were filled with nine solid feet of asbestos, which had previously been dumped there, but the worst part was the piles of dead pigeons and dried feces. When the tour ended, they were on the roof, from there they could see the hills of the Caprock tumbling into the Staked Plains. The old Cosden refinery (now DK) sparkled under the West Texas sun. Ryan is quoted as saying “when I saw the community from that angle, I knew I had to do it. I was hooked.” Ryan invested $30 million to bring the old structure back to its halcyon days glory.
“It was a crazy project that absolutely nobody thought could succeed. But I grew up in West Texas, I'm the offspring of a family of settlers that came out in 1887. My grandfather was as stubborn as a mule and I'm the same way. When I make up my mind I do it,” Ryan is quoted in an article in Texas Monthly.
At Christmas that year Ryan told his family of his plans to renovate and reopen the Settles. Ryan's brother Kris told him he had lost his mind, at which point Ryan made Kris the general manager of the entire operation. Ryan is quoted as saying “knowing how to build a business is one of the most valuable skills anyone can have. I wanted my brother to have that. By throwing him into a very difficult situation I knew he would either sink or swim”. Kris put his head down and learned fast. On December 28 at the grand reopening the night might have belonged to Ryan, but everyone in there knew which man to congratulate first. Ryan is quoted saying “You outdid yourself on this. I don't always compliment-that's not what we were taught. I'm good at kicking butt, but not always good at complimenting. However, you did a wonderful job, and I thank you for that.” Kris Ryan is still the asset manager and is always on the property to assure the community the owners are always involved in its management.
Using plans based on the original blueprints, they painstakingly began to reconstruct the grand old dame. They wanted to make sure the hotel represented the Texas people. Their goal was to not only recreate the elegant rooms but to provide employment and income to Big Spring again. Most importantly they also wanted to create memories for everyone in the community. The historic Settles became just that, with 15,000 sq. feet of event space, from the Grand Ballroom to a bright and airy pavilion it is a beautiful location for weddings, retreats, corporate meetings and receptions. It is perfect for special family events such as reunions, quinceaneras, anniversaries, birthday parties and holidays (it was listed as one of the best places to celebrate Christmas in the 2019 Southern Living Magazine). All spaces have wireless internet access and audio/visual capabilities.
James Palmer is an engineer from Tennessee, whose family trade is replicating ornamental plaster, he was hired to work on the project. “We have better knowledge of how to craft the molding and better materials to work with than the original craftsmen did,” he said. “We brought in craftsmen from North Carolina, California and Mexico for the Spanish influence. The other craftsmen left when the project was finished, however James remains to continue working on other projects. At present they are working in the Reed building. They plan on putting in a sports bar. Next will be revitalizing a park next to the Settles. Also, on the drawing board is the Ritz Theater. It has already been gutted and ready for remolding to begin. The plane from the lobby was rescued along with other artifacts that will be returned to the finished project.
Two of the three original birch phone booths were recovered and are located by the restaurant. The intricately carved table by the phone booth alcove is an original piece of furniture that was donated back to the hotel, along with a chandelier. The staircase had to be rebuilt and paneling replaced. One floor was kept exactly as it was when the hotel was first built. The lobby terrazzo floors are original as well as the safe door and a small portion of the molding.
Across the lobby, the Pharmacy Bar and Parlor was built in place of the old drugstore. There are black and white pictures displayed in the parlor section. They are open 7 days a week and Happy Hour is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. In addition to poker tables, there is a subterranean cigar den called the Judge's Chamber in tribute to the Earl of Aylesford. Heneage Finch, the Seventh Earl of Aylesford, had fled England to escape a public scandal. Shortly after stepping off the train, Finch was reciting his distinguished lineage. John Birdwell who was a Texas
Ranger and current owner of the Settles stopped him saying “Look here, Earl, all that stuff won't go here. We'll just call you Judge, and that way no one will get hurt.” With that the “Judge” became ingrained in local lore. There are many other legends and stories of the grand old hotel, some say it is haunted.
The Grand ballroom was redone with the intention of making it the dream of every Texas bride. A salon and spa were added along with a swimming pool with an air-conditioned pavilion.
The 130 seat Grill took the place of the old coffee shop. There is an original menu and tablecloth from the early 1950's on display in the entry. Today Chef Jason Stude (who trained with Iron Chef David Wolf) works with two other chefs to provide a fresh and interesting menu. Chef Rosie Gibson who, comes from a family with a long history of cooking has 10 years of pastry expertise. Chef Gabe Gutierrez has 20 years of experience working in upscale restaurants and resorts. Each of them comes from Austin. They will be changing the menu three times a year while keeping some of the guest's favorites.
During the pandemic, they delivered meals to the community daily. The Grill can provide catering services from classic hors d'oeuvres to a Texas barbecue buffet. They are open 7 days a week
Above the landing of the grand staircase, where president, war heroes and Rotarians have stood there is a portrait of Ryan's mother, Virginia Ann Wilson Ryan, who inspired her son to do difficult tasks the right way. The Hotel Settles is living proof of this inspiration, may it stand as a beacon for what is possible.