Photo of the Day: Early Days of Luxury Travel



Railroad pioneer Henry Plant had a vision for his rail line.  A luxury travel destination in a tropical paradise that would rival anything his competition might come up with.  To make this vision come to life, he built a luxurious hotel on Tampa Bay called the Tampa Bay Hotel.  He constructed the crown jewel of his hotels, over a quarter mile long with all the luxury amenities one could want in the late 1800's including the first elevator installed in Florida.  The hotel was in operation from 1890 to 1930 and housed tons of celebrities, athletes, wealthy people and even served as a military base.  Today the building is preserved on the National Register of Historic Places and houses the Henry Plant Museum and administrative offices for the University of Tampa.  (Photo: August 19, 2018) 
Location: 401 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606, USA

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