[1] The three original promoters of the hotel were Des Moines businessmen Richard R. Rollins, Frederick C. Hubbell, Clyde Herring, and Norman M.

[2] The prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson designed the building, which opened in 1919.

Twelve United States presidents, including Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and George H. W. Bush were guests in the hotel.

[3] Other notable guests have included actress Mae West, aviator Charles Lindbergh and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev.

The exterior of the building can be divided into three sections visually using the principle of the classical column: a solid base, a basically unadorned shaft, and a decorative capital.