Constructed in 1904 and expanded to its present size in 1912, it has continued as a well-known institution for more than a century and is still widely known by that original, historic name.

[2] The outbreak, later traced to bacterial growth in the hotel's air-conditioning system, killed or sickened numerous guests who had attended an American Legion convention.

[2] Despite a subsequent change in ownership, renovations, and a brief rebranding before reopening in September 1979, the Bellevue-Stratford never recovered from the disaster,[2] and the original incarnation of the hotel permanently closed in March 1986.

Prominent members of the Philadelphia Club assisted the couple in setting up their own hotel, the Bellevue, at the northwest corner of Broad and Walnut Streets, in 1881.

Louise Boldt had been instrumental in making their Philadelphia hotel attractive and socially acceptable to wealthy women.

With his success at managing the enormous Waldorf-Astoria, George Boldt decided to build a similarly large and luxurious hotel in his home town.

It had hundreds of guest suites in a variety of styles, the most magnificent ballroom in the United States, delicate lighting fixtures designed by Thomas Edison, stained and leaded glass embellishments in the form of transoms and Venetian windows and sky-lights by Alfred Godwin, and the most celebrated marble and hand-worked iron elliptical staircase in the city.

Fifteen U.S. Presidents, beginning with Theodore Roosevelt and ending with Ronald Reagan, have been guests at the hotel, which is respectfully called the "Grand Dame of Broad Street.

On October 30, 1963, President John F. Kennedy appeared at a campaign dinner for Philadelphia mayor James Tate at the Bellevue-Stratford, weeks before he was assassinated.

The negative publicity associated with what became known as "Legionnaires' disease" caused occupancy at the Bellevue-Stratford to plummet to 4 percent, and the hotel finally closed on November 18, 1976.

It thrives in hot, damp places like the water of the cooling towers for the Bellevue-Stratford's air-conditioning system, which spread the disease throughout the hotel.

Decades before, his father Richard Rubin, a Ukrainian immigrant, got his first job delivering shoes from exclusive local stores to guests at The Bellevue-Stratford.

The guest rooms were completely gutted and their number reduced from 725 to 565, while the public areas were painstakingly restored to their 1904 appearance.

44,000 square yards of carpet were imported from Ireland, 25 tons of marble came from Portugal and crystal chandeliers were sourced from Uruguay.

That same year, the hotel opened a 475-space parking garage on adjacent land, formerly occupied by the Art Club of Philadelphia.

[2] The Rubin Company bought out Westin's stake in the hotel[12] and again undertook extensive work on the building, at a cost of $100 million, designed by architects from RTKL Associates Inc. in Baltimore and the Vitetta Group-Studio Four of Philadelphia.

[22] A huge atrium was cut into the lobby[23] and escalators were installed leading to an underground shopping area and food court.

The parking garage adjacent to the hotel had a 70,000 sq ft fitness club[21] built on top of it to serve the complex.

[24] The middle wing of the E-shaped building[24] was removed from the guest room floors 12 to 18, and the back side was sealed up, creating an atrium.

The historic 19th-floor Rose Ballroom atop this middle wing was retained, however, standing on seven-story stilts which ran through the atrium.

[30] In late 2018, New York-based Nightingale Properties bought a stake in Bellevue Associates, the company under with the Rubin family had owned the building since 1978.

[31] Ronald Rubin died in April 2021,[32] and in November 2021, his estate sold the entire Bellevue structure to Lubert-Adler Partners, for an undisclosed sum.

The historic lobby level public areas, which most recently housed stores, were fully restored to their original function serving hotel guests, with three restaurants.