West Chester is home to one of the Top 25 Historic Hotels of America in Film and Television History, according to a 2023 report from Hotel News Resource.

The list is published by Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that aims to recognize, celebrate, and promote the finest historic hotels in the country.

Hotel Warner has been one of the most celebrated historic landmarks in West Chester since it first opened in 1930 as a movie theater. Today, it’s one of just a few historic movie theaters listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building originally served as the magnificent Warner Theater. It was designed by Rapp & Rapp of Chicago. The theater debuted with a showing of an all-talking Technicolor comedy, The Life of the Party.

In the 1970s, developers turned the building into a live entertainment venue, which closed by 1984. However, the façade and lobby were preserved, and in the early 21st century, the former theater was transformed into a majestic hotel.

Read more about Hotel Warner at Hotel News Resource.

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Check out this review of Hotel Warner.

Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on VISTA Today in March 2023.