Construction of a new Artesian Hotel in downtown Sulphur is slated to begin soon.
This new hotel will bear a striking resemblance to the historic landmark which drew many famous visitors to downtown Sulphur for more than five decades.
“Situated near the Chickasaw Recreation Area and the new Chickasaw Cultural Center, the Artesian Hotel will be an important part of our overall effort to promote tourism in southern Oklahoma," said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. "Construction of this hotel could well mark the beginning of a new era in tourism in southern Oklahoma.”
Completed in 1906, the original Artesian’s distinctive architecture and ornate lobby made it a natural draw for movie stars such as John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and others who filmed movies on location in Oklahoma in the early 1900s.
In addition to serving as summer capitol for Oklahoma’s first governor, C.N. Haskell, the hotel also hosted prominent national politician William Jennings Bryan during the height of his popularity.
Design of the new building will retain the distinctive turret-like towers on the front corners of the building which gave the original hotel a look unique in southern Oklahoma.
Special guest suites will extend into the towers to afford guests a panoramic view of the city and portions of the Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
Architects have also worked to create a lobby reminiscent of the famous original, which included items from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
With completion of the Artesian scheduled to coincide with the opening of the new Chickasaw Cultural Center, the new hotel will provide accommodations for many cultural center guests.
Aggressive marketing of the cultural center could draw up to 200,000 or more guests annually to the facility, which will offer multi-media exhibits, theater, educational programs, conferences, special events, traveling exhibits and much more.
"This new hotel will be a natural complement to the cultural center," said Gov. Anoatubby. “We expect that many of the guests who visit the cultural center will want to extend their cultural and historic experience by staying in a hotel which evokes memories of the glory days the area enjoyed during early statehood."
