The Blennerhassett Hotel

West Virginia’s oldest operating boutique hotel, The Blennerhassett, has been welcoming guests since 1889. The five-floor landmark features Queen Anne, Victorian and Romanesque Revival styles and stands prominently in downtown Parkersburg. It’s just a short walk from Point Park, where sternwheel boats depart for Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park.

The Blennerhassett Hotel took six years to build and has undergone three major renovations. In 2019, two local businessmen purchased the property and have continued updates while maintaining its classic elegance. 

The hotel library, a guest favorite, was given a facelift in 2020, during which the room’s original Terrazzo floors were uncovered, and faux tin ceilings were added. In 2023, hotel owner, makeup artist and licensed esthetician Lee Eric Rector opened The Medi Spa, where guests can receive rejuvenating beauty treatments.  

When it’s time to eat, The Blennerhassett’s fine dining restaurant serves a la carte breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, while the adjacent lounge bar is open from 3 p.m. through dinner service. A newer addition, the 1889 Club, offers a Prohibition-style speakeasy complete with passcode entry. 

Several of the hotel rooms have been made into signature suites and rooms, such as the opulent JFK Room (our 35th president stayed at the hotel during a campaign visit to West Virginia), the French-inspired Marie Antoinette Suite and the William Chancellor Suite, named for the hotel’s founder. For paranormal enthusiasts, the two-story Kaltenecker Family Suite is said to be haunted by a man in a bowler hat. The Blennerhassett also offers packages to upgrade a stay, including a Night of Romance, which comes with fresh sweets, flowers and champagne. 320 Market St., Parkersburg, West Virginia 26101, 304/422-3131, booktheb.com