Hotel Frederick, Booneville
May 2024
Coming full circle, it started as a hotel before being converted to a Greyhound bus depot and then a retirement center. Abandoned and in disrepair, a four-million-dollar restoration brought the property back to life.
Enter current owner hometown girl Holly Bozarth Simpson, who loves all things historic. After she returned to Boonville, she worked as executive director of Friends of Historic Boonville and at Missouri Preservation. She took the job of the hotel’s general manager in 2013 and thrived in hospitality.
“I bought this hotel in 2020 during Covid,” says Simpson, “I actually live on property and often check guests in and enjoy meeting them and catering to their needs.”
Public areas sport original black-and-white tile flooring and are furnished with 19th-century antiques found at estate sales. Guests appreciate the artwork: prints from an antique field notebook, folk art, reproductions of antique maps detailing area trails and early settlements, and black and whites featuring Boonville’s 1940s architecture.
Rooms might be described as artsy and Old World with high ceilings, exposed brick walls, and Carrera marble or mosaic tile in the bathrooms. In some of the 30 rooms, Simpson made the bedframes from repurposed barn wood. Other rooms have floor-to-ceiling glass bathroom walls decorated with artsy etched designs for privacy. Come morning, a hearty continental breakfast and coffee/tea bar are complimentary. The hotel also rents single and tandem bikes.
Adjacent to the lobby, the lounge’s arched doors and cozy leather couches invite guests to order draft beer, craft cocktails and wine along with a full menu. The Fred serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday. The scratch menu changes twice annually incorporating local produce and house-smoked chicken. One floor below, the speakeasy-style Brick Room hosts live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
“During Prohibition, locals would go into a smaller room just off The Brick Room to play cards and drink from their own bottle of liquor which they would store in the rafters for a return visit,” says Simpson.
Given its central location, Hotel Frederick hosts numerous corporate retreats and meetings, offering guests and groups a personal touch as well as in-house catering.
Visit HotelFrederick.com for more information.