Historic Pawhuska Hotel Offers Alternative To Chain Hotels

Next time you're Pawhuska, in Osage County, check out a 90-year-old building that is well worth a visit.

It's been turned into a downtown hotel.

As one visitor wrote in the guest book, it's a refreshing change to soulless chain hotels.

Downtown Pawhuska has a lot of history and character. A 1920s building called the historic Whiting Bed and Bath adds to the charm.

"We definitely wanted to make sure that it wasn't your normal stay," said Stephenie Easley, of Whiting Bed and Bath.

It's definitely not a chain hotel. What it is, is something special near the entrance to the gateway to the Tallgrass Prarie.

The bed and bath is a second-floor hotel in the heart of Pawhuska's historic downtown.

"We really just enjoy people, and so we like to offer them something a step up than anything they can get," Easley said.

Built by early day developer Vernon Whiting, over the years, as Pawhuska grew, the building was used as apartments.

"Studio apartments for the oil field," Easley said.

When the Easley family bought the building they slowly started transitioning the units into hotel rooms.

"Pawhuska is a booming town, a lot of people don't know it, but we have a lot of stuff going on here," said Easley.

There are now ten hotel rooms with two more being renovated. Each has its own theme, which reflects part of the town's, Osage County's, and the family's culture and history.

There's a Barn Room, an Indian Room, a Cowboy Room, Racehorse Room and an All-American room.

All have modern amenities like Internet access, but the furnishings are what you would expect to have seen when the building opened in the ‘20s.

"Cafe furniture, anything we could find to fit the 1920s," Easley said.

Most of the original historic floor plan has been maintained, just as it was 90 years ago.

"It's an historic place and we've tried keeping it historic," Easley said.

With shops underneath and a balcony view of downtown, it's a unique way to experience a small town stay.

Rates start at $70 a night for a single room and go to $125 for a suite.