Roenigks Celebrate Decade of Preservation

Marty and Elise Roenigk, owners of the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa and the 1905 Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs, hosted a garden party on May 20 to celebrate their decade of ownership and to toast the future of the properties.
The hotels will only be preserved for all time if they are able to remain economically self-sustainable, Mary Roenigk said.
Part of the properties’ sustainability will come from a 40-condominium project, which sits on 11.06 acres adjacent to the historic Crescent. The 975 to 1,325-SF “cottages” are estimated to be in the price range of $300,000 to $350,000. The majority of the units will feature two bedrooms and two baths.
The couple purchased the hotels in the spring of 1997 for an undisclosed sum and set out on a course of aggressive restorations that eventually landed both properties on the Historic Hotels of America list.
About 150 people attended the party and the Roenigks were surrounded by multiple long-time employees decked in Victorian garb.
May 20 also marked the 121st anniversary of the Crescent Hotel, which cost a staggering $294,000 to build at the time, or about the equivalent of $6.4 million adjusted for inflation.
Built by skilled craftsmen, the hotel couldn’t be erected for the adjusted price today.