Take a step back in time. Houston's historic Rice Hotel, which opened to the public in 1913, is considered one of the finest hotels Houston has built in the last century. Securely nestled in the heart of downtown, the hotel was once a social mecca for the rich, famous and powerful.

Here is a bit about the history of the Rice Hotel. It was built on the original site of the first Capitol of the Republic of Texas, and home of the first Texas Congress from 1837 to 1839. The original Capitol building was torn down in 1881 by a Colonel Groesbeck, to make way for the new Capitol Hotel on Texas Street.

William Marsh Rice, the legendary founder of Houston's Rice University, purchased the building in 1883 and added a five-story annex. He then named it the Rice Hotel. In 1911, Rice University sold the hotel to Jesse Jones, an early publisher of The Houston Chronicle newspaper and a noted politician and entrepreneur. Jones wasted no time in razing the building and erecting a 17-story structure on the site. The new hotel opened on May 17, 1913 at a cost of over $2 million. Quite a lot in 1913 dollars!

Early on, the Rice had the distinction of hosting the first air-conditioned commercial establishment in Houston - the Rice Hotel Cafeteria, which opened in 1922. Several US presidents stayed there during their travels. Many powerful political figures and entrepreneurial movers and shakers met there to map strategies and shape the destiny of our nation and open new channels of commerce.

The private and exclusive Capital Club was the prime meeting place for these politicians and power brokers. The birth and decline of many companies and enterprises was negotiated inside those walls. This was the place you could stop and find the most prominent members of the Houston business and financial community.

For a number of years, the Rice Hotel enjoyed its reputation as one of finest hotels Houston ever knew, as well as a historic landmark. Known for its famous "Rice Pudding", the Flag Room was a favorite stop for fine cuisine and luxury service. The hotel was home to a popular coffee shop as well as several retail stores.

As often happens, though, many years of history and tradition had to come to an end. With the Rice Hotel, the end came in 1975 when a decision was made to shut the hotel down. As many held their breath in hope and anticipation, the hotel reopened for a short time in 1976. However, it wasn't meant to be, and the Rice Hotel was permanently closed by court order and sold at foreclosure in 1977.

After a few years of laying dormant, the old hotel was renovated and reopened as the Post Rice Lofts, a luxury apartment complex. Historically the same in many respects, one of the finest hotels Houston ever had enjoys new life serving a modern generation.