When it opened in 1913, the Hotel Pines was widely considered to be one of the finest and most luxurious hotels in Arkansas. The hotel was designed by George R. Mann, the Arkansas architect behind some of the most iconic buildings of the era (like the Arkansas State Capitol, Little Rock Central High School, and several bathhouses along Hot Springsrsquo; Bathhouse Row). br/ br/According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, the ldquo;interior of the Hotel Pines is notable for its first-floor ceilings, which are coffered and supported by a full entablature, mounted on pink marbleized columns. Its lobby is a barrel vault supported by gray marble columns and pilasters. The lobbyrsquo;s ceiling is a curved, multicolored lead stained-glass skylight. Over the main entrance to the lobby is a bowed balcony supported by a large decorative bracket. Walls are furnished in gray marble, and the floors are mosaic ceramic tile.rdquo; The lobby is four thousand square feet, and when it opened it also featured phone booths, newspaper and cigar stands and a haberdashery. br/ br/The hotel cost $350,000 to build, which was a considerable sum of money in the early 1900s. The hotelrsquo;s main clientele were rail travelers, and the hotel even offered porter service that carried guestrsquo;s luggage to the nearby train station. The six-story hotel had 168 rooms when it opened. In 1922, it cost anywhere between $4.00 and $7.50 a night to stay there (the cost depended on how many guests were in the room, and the number of meals they would take). The rooms differed in size throughout the hotel, some were large suites while other were dorm-style rooms with a shared bathroom. In 1922, a typical dinner at the hotel included your choice of mustard chow, cream of shrimp, fried catfish, pineapple fritters, Spanish beef stew or braised spareribs. For sides there was mashed potatoes, garden peas, steamed rice or shredded lettuce with egg. Dessert included fruit jello, hot mince meat pie or hot corn dodgers. To drink, you could wash it down with coffee, tea, milk, buttermilk or a stein of Budweiser for 20 cents. br/ br/Passenger rail service ended in Pine Bluff in 1968, and the hotel would close shortly after in 1970. The hotel sat empty and abandoned for decades, until a group called Pine Bluff Rising purchased the building. Some grand plans were made for its renaissance, but those have recently been put on hold (but not abandoned).br/br/ br/ Taken: 2018