When visiting Omaha, it’s a particular treat to know that you home away from home is also the home of the Reuben Sandwich! What a tasty claim to fame. But that’s not the only reason to stay at the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel, as Ron Stern, Real Food Traveler’s Hospitality Editor, tells us.

Save this article to Pinterest to help you plan your stay at the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel in Omaha. All images by Ron Stern. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

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The Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel: A Century of Historical Elegance

Welcoming guests for more than 100 years, Omaha’s Blackstone Hotel has been transformed into the newly renovated Kimpton Cottonwood. Honoring the past while staying true to its storied roots, this property offers small hotel elegance to discerning travelers along the Historic Lincoln Highway.

Originally opened in 1916 as a residential hotel, the Blackstone was in grand company in Omaha’s Blackstone District. Its majestic neighbors included beautiful brick and stone homes designed by some of the country’s top architects. The property was subsequently acquired by Charles Schimmel in 1920 who desired a more traditional hotel that epitomized “style and grace”.

The exterior of the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel in Omaha.

The hotel currently sits on what was formerly known as the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway in the United States stretching from New York to San Francisco. The Blackstone became known as the premier place to stay along this route for visiting dignitaries. A fleet of classic Pierce-Arrow limousines were kept on-site and used to transport visiting VIPs from the nearby Omaha Train Station to the property, adding another layer of luxury to the experience.

Undergoing an extensive $75 million “reinvention” in 2019, many of The Blackstone’s original and best features were painstakingly preserved. Some of these elements include hand-carved terra cotta columns, mosaic tiled flooring, marbled staircases, and more than 800 restored windows.

Iconic tile flooring in the Cottonwood Hotel Omaha.

Today the hotel boasts 205 guest rooms including 31 suites, 5 food and beverage venues, a large resort-style swimming pool, fitness center, solarium, and artwork from local artists throughout the property.

Our suite was clean, comfy, and bathed in natural light. Tasteful art accents compliment the décor as do the natural fabrics and high-end finishes–a nod to the hotel’s past. Modern amenities included a smart- enabled HD TV, free Wi-Fi, plush bathrobes, a workstation, and a mini-fridge. This is how the other half must have lived, I mused.

An example of a guest room in the hotel.

Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel Means Omaha Dining

The on-site dining options include the Petit Orleans for grab-and-go coffee, The Orleans Room for full meals plus bar, The Cottonwood Room lounge for cocktails, an outside Pool Club (seasonal), and the Committee Chophouse for dinner.

My wife and I made our way to the Orleans Room, a relaxed space with communal seating. The large windows let in abundant natural light that highlighted the room’s wooden beamed ceiling and understated palate.  This restaurant was so popular in its time that it received Holiday Magazine’s “Award for Excellence” for 16 consecutive years. We couldn’t wait to try their signature Reuben Sandwich, invented and first sold at the Blackstone in 1925. The story has become the stuff of legends.

It seems that the owner, Charles Schimmel, had a regular poker game on the top floor of the hotel with his friends which he nicknamed, “The Committee.” One of his buddies was a Lithuanian-born grocer who settled in Omaha named Reuben Kulakofsky. Kulakofsky just happened to have an abundant amount of sauerkraut in his Central market retail shop. During one Sunday night game, everyone became hungry and Schimmel asked his son Bernard to create something using corned beef and Kulakofsky’s sauerkraut. Having just returned from Switzerland, Bernard whipped up a sandwich using Emmental cheese, corned beef, and sauerkraut which he mixed with Russian dressing and grilled between pumpernickel bread.

The real deal Reuben Sandwich served in the Orleans Room.

Apparently, it was a smash hit and the sandwich was named The Reuben after Kulakofsky. It was subsequently added to the regular menu in all of Schimmel’s hotels. From there, its fame has spread far and wide and in 1956, The National Restaurant Association gave it the Sandwich of the Year award. The Blackstone sells thousands of Reubens each year which they now make with Gruyere Cheese in The Orleans which they affectionately called “Omaha’s Living Room.”

You might think that the Blackstone’s role in gastronomic history might end there but you would be wrong. According to the property, Butter Brickle Ice Cream was first introduced to the public at the hotel. If you aren’t familiar with this cool confection, it can be made in various ways but here, they use what they call the “best and closest recipe” from the nearby Coneflower Creamery. Their version uses tiny bits of handmade toffee and chocolate mixed into a sweet cream base. My tip is that this ice cream is so insanely good, order a large size or you will regret it.

Hungry for more? Read about Coneflower Creamery and other sweet stops in Omaha.

For dinner, we walked down one level via a beautifully original marbled staircase to the Cottonwood Room.  The space is dimly lit but what caught our eye was a contrasting, bright faux Cottonwood Tree jetting out of a circular bar. It is surrounded by plush, oversized upholstered seating areas and a 54-foot long custom mural by Artist Eve Borhcer.

During the hotel’s extensive renovation, they discovered a secret room between the first and second floors which they believe was used to hide liquor. The Cottonwood Room is their version of the hotel’s speakeasy-without fear that the feds come knocking. You can enjoy a classic Manhattan, Rob Roy or more contemporary cocktails in this wonderfully romantic bar.

The adjacent hallway leading to The Committee Chophouse fine dining steakhouse is lined with black and white mosaic tile floors and the walls are adorned with photos of celebrities, dignitaries, and luminaries of the day. One of these was of President John Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy who celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary at the hotel. The Blackstone is also where Richard Nixon announced his candidacy for president in 1967.

Inspired by the Roaring 20s and named after their poker game namesake, The Committee is an intimate area for enjoying some of Omaha’s best prime beef. The restaurant motif includes soft lighting, warm tones with curved booths with an almost art-deco feel.

I ordered the prime filet with asparagus and potatoes au gratin. My steak was tender and flavorful and the side of potatoes was a deliciously cheesy accompaniment. For dessert, I suggest their signature Baked Alaska made using Coneflower Creamery’s popular Tart Cherry Crumble Ice Cream. If you can try only try one fine dining meal while in Omaha with a delightful mid-century ambiance, this would be it.

Steak and Asparagus dinner, served at The Committee Chophouse at the Cottonwood Hotel in Omaha.

As I strolled around the property, I could easily envision what life was like back at the turn of the century. Back then, life seemed simpler and luxury could be defined by attention to detail, great food, and excellent service—all of which I found at the Blackstone.

To learn more about Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel Omaha, visit their website, here.

To learn more about visiting Nebraska, start with their website.

–Story and images by Ron Stern, “The Global Gumshoe” and RFT’s Hospitality Editor

Please note, Ron was hosted at the hotel, but, as is Real Food Traveler’s policy, our opinions and impressions are always our own.