Hotel Hastings
The Hotel Hastings was located at 32 North 12th Street, in Minneapolis.
It was built in 1911 for $140,000, and given its name by the owner to impress a girl he was dating who was from Hastings, so the story goes. It rose six stories high and was made of brown brick.
1948 photo courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
Inside view, 1930 – Minnesota Historical Society
Some of the venues within the hotel were:
BLOSSOM ROOM
Ads for the Blossom Room start to appear in 1950. It does not appear to be a music venue, but merely a restaurant.
Photo courtesy Alan Freed
Jack Dow bought the hotel with partners Wheelock Whitney and Cedric Adams in 1959.
Jack Dow
MAR-KEY CLUB
The Mar-Key Club was a “Key Club,” i.e. a private club that required patrons to pay an annual membership. It opened in May 1961, at the height of the Key Club fad. It was advertised as “Minneapolis’s most exclusive club.”
In 1962 the club featured palmist Nonette; columnist Vic Burton of the Minnesota Daily Herald recommended washing your hands before you go for an accurate reading.
Minneapolis Tribune, January 22, 1965
Minneapolis Star, July 19, 1967
Minneapolis Star, September 15, 1967
Minneapolis Star, October 2, 1968
In 1968 the Hotel started selling paintings.
In January 1969, Danny’s Reasons began to perform at the Hotel, alternating with the Nite Caps, until April 1969.
Minneapolis Tribune, January 5, 1969
Minneapolis Star, January 8, 1969
CLOUD 9
This was a members-only discotheque in the hotel, mentioned in an article about fashion in the Minneapolis Star on July 7, 1964.
THE CORAL REEF LOUNGE
The Coral Reef Lounge was a public bar in the basement of the hotel. In its final years, the Coral Reef had two fires – one was started by a cigarette, and one was determined to be arson.
Minneapolis Star, August 23, 1967
In April 1969, the Coral Room was renamed Alley 12. In 1969 it featured Phillip LaMont. It was the liquor license of the Coral Reef that was transferred to the Depot in 1970.
HIGHWAY CONDEMNATION
In July 1969 the hotel started advertising the sale of its belongings because it had been condemned by the highway department, which took possession on September 11, 1969. Owner Jack Dow was paid $495,000 for the property. The building was demolished in November 1969 to make way for the westbound lanes of Highway 12 into downtown.
Dow offered the Coral Room’s liquor license to Danny Stevens, which he used to open the Depot. Dow planned to move the Mar-Key Club.