Gulfview Hotel

Gulfview Hotel. . The Gulfview Hotel was built in 1906 and originally served as a hunting and fishing lodge. In the 1920s, it was a gathering spot for local residents and visitors who enjoyed maypole dances in the spring and swimming lessons in the summer. During this time room rates were advertised as $2.00 per day or $10.00 a week. In 1986 the Gulfview Hotel ceased operation as a hotel and fell into disrepair. Even though it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, the hotel was condemned by the City of Fort Walton Beach because it was no longer considered safe for occupation. It was scheduled for demolition when the Junior League of the Emerald Coast stepped up in 1996 and voted to take action to acquire ownership of the hotel and restore it to its 1922 condition. The repairs were completed in 2002, and served as an office building until 2017 when it was deemed too difficult to access the building with parking availability., The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, with the City of Fort Walton Beach, collaborated to move the Gulfview to a more central location. The building was relocated only 0.2 miles from its original site to a site on Highway 98 in downtown Fort Walton Beach in April 2018. The City of Fort Walton Beach now owns the Gulfview as the City's welcome center. The ground floor is open to visitors with displays from the Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival and historic pictures of Fort Walton. The second floor includes office space in the renovated guest rooms., (caption) Gulf View Hotel, Camp Walton, Florida , This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida. Foundation of Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.