What sets apart Hotel Congress? A bit of southwestern nostalgia mingled with a little urban rock and roll. Hotel Congress, a landmark destination in downtown Tucson, is more than just room and board with beer on tap. It is a bustling avant-garde dance club and concert venue, a step back into the classic 1930 and 1940s era, a bar nearly a century old and a bistro recognized for its innovative fare and homemade desserts.
Hotel Congress is a hotspot destination for dance and music lovers who seek nightly affairs and live performances. Club Congress keeps to its regular lineup of weekly events like Monday 80s ladies night with DJ Sean T or Saturday night’s Bang! Bang! dance night. If the cutting-edge “rock, hip hop, pop jams, 80s favorites, indie mixes, mutant disco, [and] electro punk” dance tunes are not enough to satisfy the weekend night out, then pop back in on Sunday for S.I.N., Service Industry Night, featuring Club Karaoke and $3 drinks.
For this week, Club Congress will feature punk band Signals on Wednesday, March 3. Signals' music is described by their MySpace page as “Turntablism / Regional Mexican / 2-step.” Then kicking off the weekend on Friday, March 5, Harlem will perform “Hippies” for fans who anticipate “sordid premises, drunken technique and the exploded sounds of dive-bar rock’n'roll.” THE MATADORS will also join Harlem on Friday night, yet this grunge band performs for audiences who jam to “Lucifer-driven, booze-fueled hate rock.”
Aside from “drunken technique” and “Lucifer-driven hate rock,” Hotel Congress offers charming and quaint 1940s-inspired hotel rooms that have maintained their quintessential flair since 1919. Guests can expect hospitable rooms accented with vintage radios, a retro-style phone, iron beds, antique ambience and a TV lack-there-of.
Built nearly a century ago as it supported the cattle industry and railroad passengers, Hotel Congress’ biggest claim to fame is attributed to its historic capture of notorious criminal John Dillinger. In January 1934, a basement fire smoking to the third floor forced Dillinger and his gang to escape the hotel. This eventually led to a stakeout on North Second Avenue and Dillinger's infamous arrest, insomuch that Hotel Congress celebrates the public enemy with “Dillinger Days.” This event honors Dillinger with a Classic Car Show, live music, re-enactments, walking tours and other activities.
Hotel Congress’ Cup Café, Copper Hall and The Tap Room are also established traditions. At Cup Café, guests wake up to a cup of Cowboy Coffee with Huevos Rancheros or Tofu Scramble. Guests may dine in for eclectic menu items such as the Duck Confit Taco, Sonoran Dog or House Smoked BBQ Beef Brisket. Looking for the perfect location to host a special event? Hotel Congress' The Copper Hall is yours to reserve for memorable elegance of any occasion. The Tap Room, part of Club Congress, has also been favored for its fame, art and wide selection of drinks.
Visit www.hotelcongress.com to learn why this discerning destination boasts an excellent reputation in renownded publications, including Esquire Magazine, Blender Magazine, Playboy Magazine and Entertainment Weekly. Head downtown tonight to experience what all the fuss is about.
