Casa Monica Hotel
A historic Moorish Revival hotel in St. Augustine, Florida, operated as part of The Kessler Collection and Marriott's Autograph Collection.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Casa Monica Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown St. Augustine, Florida, one of the oldest surviving hotel properties in the United States. The building opened in 1888 as Casa Monica, a project of Franklin W. Smith, a Victorian architecture enthusiast, social reformer, and early advocate of poured-concrete construction. Its design combines Moorish Revival and Spanish Baroque Revival influences, reflecting the architectural experimentation associated with St. Augustine's late-nineteenth-century development. Smith's use of poured concrete was unusual for the period, and the original exterior reportedly retained visible horizontal marks from the construction process. Smith soon encountered financial difficulties and sold the property, including its furnishings and other hotel contents, to Henry Flagler for $325,000. Flagler, a Standard Oil founder and a major investor in Florida's transportation and tourism infrastructure, already controlled the Ponce de Leon Hotel and the Hotel Alcazar in St. Augustine. After the acquisition, he renamed Casa Monica the Cordova Hotel. Under Flagler's ownership, the hotel became part of the city's grand resort complex and hosted parties, balls, fairs, and charitable events during the period from 1888 to 1902. The travel agency Ask Mr. Foster also established its headquarters in the hotel and later grew into a national business. The property's identity changed again in the early twentieth century. In 1902, a bridge was built across Cordova Street to connect the second floors of the Cordova Hotel and the Hotel Alcazar. The Cordova was subsequently renamed the Alcazar Annex, and in 1903 the connected properties were promoted as an enlarged and redecorated hotel. The complex closed in 1932 during the Great Depression, and the connecting bridge was removed in 1945. The building then spent much of the second half of the twentieth century outside the hotel business. In 1962, St. Johns County purchased the former hotel for use as a courthouse. It was renovated over several years and dedicated as a courthouse in 1968, eventually accommodating courtrooms, government offices, and archives. During the 1964 St. Augustine civil-rights campaign, the vacant building's lobby was used to house police dogs deployed against demonstrators. That association places the property within the wider history of the St. Augustine Movement and the national civil-rights struggle. Courthouse-era features, including murals by Hugo Ohlms and stained-glass imagery, were later removed during conversion back to hotel use. Richard Kessler purchased the building from St. Johns County in February 1997 for $1.2 million while developing The Kessler Collection. Working with architect Howard Davis, Kessler restored and adapted the property for hospitality use while retaining its Moorish Revival character. The renovation was completed in under two years, and the hotel reopened in December 1999 under its original name, Casa Monica Hotel. The name refers to Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo, for whom the city is named. The restoration preserved and incorporated elements of the building's layered history, including covering rather than removing an earlier courthouse sign. Casa Monica currently operates as part of The Kessler Collection, headquartered in Orlando, Florida. In 2010 it joined Marriott's Autograph Collection, a portfolio of independently distinctive hotels. The property is positioned around historic architecture, a strong sense of place, and an upscale boutique-hotel experience in St. Augustine's historic core. Its significance comes from the combination of hotel heritage, Flagler-era tourism history, adaptive reuse, architectural preservation, and its connection to the civil-rights history of the city.
History
Casa Monica Hotel opened in 1888 in St. Augustine, Florida, during the city's transformation into a major winter resort and tourism destination. Its founder, Franklin W. Smith, promoted Victorian architectural ideas, social reform, and the use of poured concrete. The building's Moorish Revival and Spanish Baroque Revival character made it part of St. Augustine's distinctive late-nineteenth-century architectural landscape. Smith's own Villa Zorayda, located nearby, was an earlier expression of his interest in Moorish Revival design. Financial problems soon led Smith to sell the hotel and its contents to Henry Flagler for $325,000. Flagler renamed it the Cordova Hotel and operated it alongside his Ponce de Leon Hotel and Hotel Alcazar. The property participated in the highly social resort culture of the period, hosting entertainments, fairs, charity events, and other gatherings. The travel agency Ask Mr. Foster also had its headquarters there before becoming a national business. In 1902, a pedestrian bridge connected the second floors of the Cordova Hotel and the Hotel Alcazar across Cordova Street. The Cordova was then renamed the Alcazar Annex, and the two connected buildings were advertised in 1903 as an enlarged and redecorated hotel. The combined operation ultimately closed in 1932 during the Great Depression. The bridge was removed in 1945, leaving the structures physically separate. The former hotel entered public use in the 1960s. St. Johns County purchased it in February 1962 for $250,000 and converted it into a courthouse. Renovation lasted more than six years, with the courthouse formally dedicated in May 1968. The building housed courtrooms, county offices, and archives for decades. Its courthouse period also intersected with the civil-rights history of St. Augustine: in 1964, the lobby of the then-vacant property was used to shelter police dogs deployed against civil-rights demonstrators associated with the campaign led by Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Hayling. The property was sold by the county to Richard Kessler in February 1997 for $1.2 million. Kessler was developing The Kessler Collection, and the building was selected for restoration and conversion back into a hotel. The work, undertaken with architect Howard Davis, sought to preserve the historic Moorish Revival atmosphere rather than replace it with a contemporary design. Tina Guarano Davis painted Moorish-style woodwork in the lobby. The hotel reopened in December 1999 as Casa Monica Hotel, restoring the original name. Some courthouse features were removed during the conversion, while other traces of the building's public history were retained or covered in place. The hotel later became affiliated with Marriott's Autograph Collection in 2010. It is now operated as part of The Kessler Collection and functions as an upscale historic hotel in central St. Augustine. Its identity is based on architectural character, local history, adaptive reuse, and the experience of staying in a landmark property rather than on a standardized national hotel format.
- 2010
Joins Marriott's Autograph Collection
[1]Casa Monica became the first hotel in Marriott's Autograph Collection.
- 1999
Hotel reopens under its original name
[1]The restored property reopened as Casa Monica Hotel in December.
- 1997
Richard Kessler purchases the building
[1]Richard Kessler bought the property from St. Johns County as part of the development of The Kessler Collection.
- 1968
Courthouse is dedicated
[1]After a multiyear renovation, the building formally opened as the St. Johns County Courthouse.
- 1962
County purchases the property
[1]St. Johns County acquired the former hotel for use as a courthouse.
- 1945
Connecting bridge is removed
[1]The bridge between the former annex and the Hotel Alcazar was dismantled.
- 1932
Hotel complex closes during the Great Depression
[1]The connected hotel operation closed amid the economic conditions of the Great Depression.
- 1903
Property operates as Alcazar Annex
[1]The renamed Alcazar Annex and Hotel Alcazar were promoted as an enlarged and redecorated hotel.
- 1902
Bridge links the Cordova Hotel and Hotel Alcazar
[1]A second-floor bridge across Cordova Street connected the two Flagler-era hotel properties.
- 1888
Hotel opens as Casa Monica
[1]Franklin W. Smith opened the Moorish Revival and Spanish Baroque Revival hotel in St. Augustine.
Products and positioning
An upscale historic boutique hotel offering architecture-led lodging and destination hospitality in St. Augustine's historic district, with the individuality of The Kessler Collection and the distribution and loyalty platform of Marriott's Autograph Collection.
Hotel accommodation · 1888
Casa Monica Hotel guest rooms and suites
The property's core offering is upscale lodging within a restored historic building in downtown St. Augustine. Accommodation is differentiated by the hotel's Moorish Revival architecture, period-inspired interiors, and location in the city's historic center rather than by a standardized chain format.
Hospitality and events · 1999
Historic events and meetings
The hotel provides a setting for private functions, meetings, celebrations, and destination events. Its historic rooms and architectural detailing form part of the offering, extending the property beyond overnight accommodation into heritage-oriented hospitality.
Brand decisions
2010
Affiliation with Marriott's Autograph CollectionM&ABackground
The independently operated historic property sought the reach and distribution associated with a major hotel platform while retaining its individual identity.
Action taken
Casa Monica joined Marriott's Autograph Collection as its first property.
Aftermath
The hotel continued operating under The Kessler Collection while benefiting from association with Marriott's independent-hotel portfolio.
1997
Adaptive reuse as a historic hotelStrategyBackground
Richard Kessler acquired the former courthouse while building The Kessler Collection of distinctive lodging properties.
Action taken
Kessler and architect Howard Davis restored the building's historic character and converted it back to hotel use.
Aftermath
The property reopened in 1999 as Casa Monica Hotel and later entered Marriott's Autograph Collection.
Purchase price. $1.2 million (1997)
1962
Conversion from hotel to county courthouseStrategyBackground
After decades of changing hotel identities and closure during the Great Depression, the property was acquired by St. Johns County for public use.
Action taken
The county purchased and renovated the building for courthouse functions, including courtrooms, offices, and archives.
Aftermath
The building remained a courthouse until its later conversion back into a hotel.
Purchase price. $250,000 (1962)
Sources3 sources
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