The Statler Hotel

The Statler Hotel is the showcase for Cornell University’s world-renowned Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, and, for many visitors, the gateway to the university. Located at the center of Cornell’s beautiful campus — in the heart of the scenic Finger Lakes region of New York State — it has earned the dual distinction as the Ithaca area’s only AAA Four Diamond Award-winning property and the Ivy League’s only “teaching hotel.”

The Statler Hotel’s reputation for providing the highest level of service and attention to detail is the product of its innovative mission to educate the world’s emerging hospitality leaders. More than 200 students work alongside seasoned professionals, honing their skills across all hotel and restaurant operations. These future leaders, who embody the hospitality lifestyle, will apply what they’ve learned at the Statler to some of the finest hotels, restaurants and resorts in the world.

Of course, the Statler is also an award-winning, full-service luxury hotel. Campus visitors, visiting scholars, alumni, and prospective and current students and their families call the Statler Hotel their home away from home. With its state-of-the-art conference facilities and versatile banquet rooms, the hotel serves as the venue for many important campus events and meetings. The 153-room property includes the J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center, three restaurants, and more than 14,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities.

A rich history in hospitality education

The Statler Hotel launched a new era of hospitality education and industry leadership at Cornell University when it opened its doors in March 1989. Like its predecessor, the Statler Inn — “the jewel box,” as the newly transformed hotel was fondly dubbed by managing director Hans P. Weishaupt ’64 — quickly gained international renown as one of the world’s best “teaching hotels” and a living laboratory for hospitality innovation.

The idea of a “teaching hotel” had always appealed to hospitality leaders, who placed a high value on real-world learning to complement classroom education. In 1923, the American Hotel Association proposed a 200-room hotel be built adjacent to the campus to serve as a “practice hotel” for Cornell’s newly established hotel program.

Due largely to the Great Depression and WWII, in 1950 a scaled-down Statler Inn was completed in conjunction with Statler Hall, which was to serve as the home for Cornell’s newly-named School of Hotel Administration. Located close to the Statler Hall classrooms, the Inn provided students a convenient opportunity to gain practical experience in restaurant management, food preparation, and innkeeping.

Despite its small size, the 36-room Statler Inn did not lack amenities. It featured three restaurants, including the Main Dining Room, Cafe Rhea, and the Ratheskeller, as well as a ballroom, several banquet rooms, and the university’s faculty club.

As the sophistication of the school’s programs and the scale of the industry grew, the Inn had to make way for a larger, more accommodating property with the capacity to keep up with the rapid pace of industry change. With 153 rooms, three restaurants, banquet rooms, and a conference center, the new hotel would not only meet the growing needs of the university and school, it was also be financially sustainable. This focus on financial viability is a testament to the importance of the Statler Hotel to industry leaders, many of whom received valuable training within its walls and have continued to contribute to its success.

At its grand opening, the most prominent feature of the Statler Hotel’s lobby was the “Wall of Honor,” a showcase display of twelve-inch lead crystal plates, each engraved with the names of those who had donated $1 million or more to fund the renovation of the school and construction of the hotel. Perhaps nothing else illustrates more the value hospitality professionals place on the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration’s role in educating and developing the future leaders of the industry.

The Statler Hotel maintains the highest level of service and excellence in the industry, with major renovations in 2010 and 2015.

To learn more about the Statler Hotel or to make a reservation, please visit the hotel’s website.