Hunter Arms Hotel

Following World War I, Florida’s population surged as cheap land and improved roads and railways attracted northern tourists and developers. In 1925, Ohio mausoleum builder Grover C. Hunter came to St. Cloud to capitalize on these trends, and by 1926 he had hired Ohio architect Harlan Jones to design a hotel and Ohio contractor W.A. Steffle to build it. Construction required moving the existing Bon Air hotel and demolishing the Peckham Building, known as the “New York Stores.” Initially estimated at $100,000, the cost rose to $250,000 when work began. Jones designed the building in the Mediterranean Revival style, aiming for what was locally called a “Spaniflora” atmosphere that was popular in early St. Cloud and echoed by other businesses on New York Avenue. The exterior originally used brick and steel walls finished with gray stucco, while the interior featured Spanish tile floors, a coquina rock fireplace, and ceiling beams made from pecky cypress. Opening in 1927, the hotel operated only during the winter and charged guests a flat seasonal rate that included a room and two meals a day. The second floor originally contained 44 guest rooms, while the first floor provided space for businesses at the front of the building. Hunter built the hotel intending to sell it, but the 1929 stock market crash and the Great Depression altered those plans. After Hunter’s death in 1953, his wife, Nona, took over operations and managed the hotel for many years. The building later changed ownership several times and gradually declined, until Ann Young and Sandi Pinkert bought it in 1994, began restoring it, and converted it into a bed-and-breakfast. In 2016, ADMC International purchased the building and continued the restoration, updating rooms with modern amenities while retaining its historic character. Occupying three-quarters of a city block, the hotel is considered a key element in the revitalization of downtown St. Cloud.

St. Cloud, Florida · United States