Historic Lafayette Hotel

09/04/2026

POSTPONED
We hope to announce a new date very soon!

09/04/2026

DID YOU KNOW? 🛎️

Long before Wi-Fi and laptops at the bar, The Lafayette welcomed road-tripping guests with matchbooks. These pocket-sized keepsakes advertised the hotel as an "Air Conditioned Motor Hotel" — a badge of honor in an era when highway travelers were choosing where to stop based on comfort and convenience. One even points guests toward The Gun Room and the Captain's Lounge, proof that great food and a good drink have been part of the Lafayette experience for generations.

Much of that promotional spirit traces back to S. Durward Hoag, the hotel's longtime owner-manager and Marietta's self-appointed "one-man chamber of commerce." Hoag didn't just run the hotel — he championed it, even lobbying to bring Interstate 77 closer to Marietta so travelers would keep finding their way to the Lafayette's front (or famously, back) door. While early travelers arrived via riverboat and walked up the landing directly to the hotel's front door, the rise of the automobile industry changed everything. The rear entrance was deliberately positioned so that guests arriving by car could pull right up to the back door, have their luggage immediately unloaded by staff, and check in without having to haul bags around to the main street entrance.

Every matchbook was a small piece of that larger mission: making sure the world knew about Marietta, Ohio.

✨ Have you spotted vintage swag? Do you have a favorite memory from The Gun Room? Share it with us in the comments!

09/03/2026

Steering Into September

We have adjusted our course for the changing season. Join us on the 3rd Floor Rooftop Patio this September and enjoy gorgeous late-summer sunsets.
📅 September Hours: Fridays and Saturdays from 5PM to 10PM

Make sure to stop by The Lafayette Hotel and soak in the best riverfront views in Marietta.🥂🌅

📍 3rd Floor Rooftop Patio | The Lafayette Hotel

📷: Victor Sizemore Photography

08/28/2026

POPUP SATURDAY 8/29
Join us on the 3rd Floor Rooftop Patio as we welcome Luke Colombo!

Bar opens at 5PM
Music starts at 7PM
Open seating
See you there!

08/28/2026

History has a way of turning up in unexpected places.

On display at the Marietta-Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau is this remarkable piece of Lafayette history: a handwritten letter from Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor best known for creating Mount Rushmore, to E. M. Hawes — written on Hotel Lafayette stationery, updating him on the progress of his sculpture that would become the Start Westward Memorial at Muskingum Park.

The letter offers a small, wonderfully tangible connection between one of America’s most recognizable artists and our historic riverfront hotel. More than a century of travelers, dignitaries, artists and characters have passed through Marietta, and every so often, a piece of their story survives.

We love finding reminders that The Lafayette’s history extends well beyond the walls of the hotel — sometimes just a few blocks away.

Next time you're in downtown Marietta, stop by the Marietta-Washington County CVB and take a closer look at this fascinating piece of local history.

Every piece of paper has a story. This one just happens to say “Hotel Lafayette” at the top.



📷: The Start Westward Memorial Society

08/27/2026

Deadline for entry is tomorrow August 28th!

📢Just 3 days left to submit!!! 👑

Application link below⚓️

The 2026 Little Miss and Mr. Sternwheel Pageant will be held Friday, September 11, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lafayette Hotel Ballroom!

Contestants must be between the ages of 5 and 8. Girls will model party dresses and boys will model Sunday best or suits. Each contestant will be required to state their name on stage and answer some basic questions during a personal interview with the judges.

All contestants will receive appreciation awards. The winners will receive banners, trophies, along with a phenomenal prize package! One of the duties of the winners of the Little Mr. and Miss Sternwheel Pageant will be to attend the Queen Genevieve Coronation on Saturday, September 12 at 6:30 p.m. on the Sternwheel Festival Levee as the train bearer and crown bearer!

Contestants must submit the $25 entry fee with their mailed-in application, or can remit payment online.
*The deadline for entry is August 28, 2026.*
Please make checks payable to Ohio River Sternwheel Festival and mail to: Sandy Wiseman Attn: Little Miss and Mr. Pageant P.O. Box 3 Fleming, OH 45729. (Online payments are subject to $5 service charge)

Application Link:
https://sternwheel.org/events/little-miss-and-mr-contest/

Questions? Contact Butch or Sandy Wiseman at 740-678-2108, Gabbie Gramkow at 740-516-8903 or email, [email protected]

08/26/2026

Join us Friday 8/28 — we're delighted to welcome Adam Smith LIVE on the 3rd Floor Rooftop Patio!

Bar opens at 5PM
Music starts at 7PM
Open seating
Be there!

08/19/2026

A little extra time to enjoy Sunday at your own pace — Brunch is now served until 1PM (last seating 30 minutes prior to close). Join us at The Gun Room for your favorite dishes from Chef Dave and the team.

Missed it? Our all-day menu is available at Riverfront Bar & Grill beginning at 1PM.







📷:

08/18/2026

On Friday, August 21st, we're excited to welcome Muskie Bucket String Band with special guests Moon Mullen & Westyn Bennington!
Bar opens at 5PM
Music starts at 7PM
Open seating
Hope to see you there!