Renovated elegance: Historic Yorktowne Hotel thriving in modern times

An article dated October 17, 1925 in the York Daily Record reported that a Philadelphia man by the name of C. Goetting, looking for a “place to put his weary head,” was the first guest to register at the Yorktowne Hotel located at 48 E. Market Street in York. The Yorktowne hotel soon after became the place to be and be seen in the region, hosting people like Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Tony Bennett. People flocked to the Yorktowne for elegant balls, political fundraisers and countless celebrations. The stately structure thrived for decades, eventually making it to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.  

However, in recent decades, the Yorktowne slowly lost its luster as a preeminent lodging establishment. In time, business at the Yorktowne hotel declined. By 2010, it was barely hanging on, a situation that was made evident when the York Hotel Group, owing $5.26 million to PNC Bank, defaulted and narrowly avoided a sheriff’s sale.  

The York landmark was later sold to Starwood Property Trust, which struggled to be profitable with the Yorktowne. According to Kim Hogeman, York County Economic Alliance (YCEA) Director of Strategic Development and York County Industrial Authority (YCIDA) Project Manager, “Starwood wanted out and that’s where the YCEA stepped in,” she said. The York County YCIDA then purchased the property in 2015, running it at a loss before making the decision to do an extensive overhaul, which required shutting down operations in 2016.  

The YCIDA considered a number of hotel options before deciding that Hilton’s Tapestry Collection was the best fit and set out to woo the company. After months of work and loads of paperwork, the deal was sealed. 

A timeline 

In 2017, the building was emptied and a public auction was held. A year later, the demolition phase began, which included environmental abatement, plumbing mechanical and electrical improvements and everything bringing an old building up to code entails, along with the demolition of the 1941 annex of the Zion Lutheran Church. During this time, the YCEA decided to take on even more responsibility by categorizing it as a historic rehabilitation project. The decision was made with the input of the public, which chose to save the historic nature of the place. To ensure that every change hewed to strict historical guidelines, the alliance worked with historians each step of the way. That’s not to say they haven’t needed a few waivers for safety’s sake, like ensuring elevators are wide enough to accommodate stretchers, for instance. 

By 2019, the building was ready for repairs to the masonry, along with repointing, terra cotta restoration, window replacement and internal structural repairs—some of which were made with the help of 3-D printers.  

James Parker, Director of Sales and Marketing said, “About one third of the decorative molding in the lobby area, along with other meeting spaces in the hotel, were badly damaged by moisture and were replaced by a company that specializes in 3-D printing.”   

By 2020, construction workers were ready to tackle guest rooms and the historic restoration of all public spaces.  

On January 31, 2023, the Yorktowne Hotel opened its doors to the public.  

Today ,the hotel touts 123 rooms and 27 suites, “a large amount for a hotel of our size,” said Parker. 

Guests will see artwork in all public spaces, commissioned by 12 local artists and funded through a grant from the Cultural Alliance of York County and charitable contributions from the Women’s Giving Circle, C.S. Davidson, Inc., York Traditions Bank and individual sponsors. 

The Graham Rooftop Lounge is the only rooftop bar in York–available for private rental and open to guests from Wednesday to Saturday. 

When the Yorktowne opened, a barbershop and a men’s clothing store were some of the first tenants to rent space at the hotel. According to Parker, renovations are still underway on the first floor, which will later be home to a full-service restaurant and boutique shops. 

The Yorktowne plans on having a prominent place in the community for many years to come. To underscore that, a time capsule ceremony was held in late August, followed by a rooftop celebration. Included in the capsule are newspapers, magazines, an Appel Center playbill, photos and other items, which will be viewed at again when it’s opened in October, 2125. 

Parker said that there was a lot of anticipation right up until the actual opening and business has been brisk ever since the first of the year.  

“We were very conservative with our first-year revenue expectations due to the uncertainty of the post-pandemic world, but I’m happy to say that the hotel is consistently exceeding our forecasts. It just highlights downtown York’s need for a flagship full-service hotel, affiliated with a national brand,” he said. 

Stephanie Kalina-Metzger is a freelance writer