Plaza Hotel
Why it's listed
Rising fifteen stories at Oregon and Mills Streets in El Paso, this 1930 hotel was designed by the firm Trost and Trost in the Art Deco style. A two-story trapezoidal base supports a rectangular red brick tower, topped by a smaller three-story block and a green terra cotta tile roof. Light cast concrete bands, fluted vertical elements, geometric spandrels and polychromatic roundels provide contrast and decoration. Exterior changes have been minimal and mostly at street level. The building was constructed for Conrad Hilton as the El Paso Hilton, the eighth hotel he opened. Hilton, born in New Mexico in 1887, went on to found a worldwide hotel chain. City directories show he lived in the hotel during the 1930s, and his mother stayed there until 1947. He visited often until the hotel was sold and renamed in 1963. Its status as an early El Paso high-rise and its link to Hilton underlie its significance.
Significance in brief: It is significant as one of El Paso's early high-rise structures from the office of Trost and Trost, in an Art Deco style that remains largely unaltered. It was built for Conrad Hilton as the El Paso Hilton, the eighth hotel he opened. Hilton lived there in the 1930s and kept ties to the city.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80004110, listed September 24, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Oregon and Mills Sts., El Paso |
|---|---|
| County | El Paso County |
| Listed | September 24, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80004110 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Trost and Trost |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is stated as the same as the original use, hotel/commercial. Exterior alterations are minimal and mostly at street level. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.75858, -106.48869 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80004110.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7203610
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.