Omni William Penn Hotel Celebrates 100 Years Of Memories

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Visitors and staff at the Omni William Penn Hotel dug into a five-foot birthday cake Wednesday. They were celebrating the hotel's 100th anniversary.

Staff and visitors gathered around the one-ton cake, baked by Pittsburgh's famous Prantl's Bakery.

"Not only has every president since it was built been here, but so many movies make this their headquarters," emcee Rick Sebak announced.

William Penn memories parallel the history of Pittsburgh itself.

The hotel was built by industrialist Henry Clay Frick. But it might not have happened at all, if his wife hadn't become ill four years before. Her illness forced them to cancel their trip on the Titanic.

Beynon Real Estate president Richard Beynon says the hotel has had some name changes.

"My father and six other guys owned he hotel back in '68, and changed it from the Penn Sheraton back to the William Penn hotel."

Visitors purchased candles for the cake, to benefit a children's charity.

It takes a lot of people to run a hotel this big. Some have been here a good portion of that hundred years.

"It's always different every day. It's always something new," says Corey Martin, a 34-year hotel veteran. "You never know who you're going to see; you never know what's going to happen. So it's a new job every day."

His colleague, 37-year employee Darlene Coons, agrees.

"I have many, many memories, dating back 30-plus years, with events that I've done here. Many bar mitzvahs, weddings, corporate meetings. Just a great place to work, she says.

Ten thousand pieces of cake, more or less, were served up to hundreds of staff and visitors. Wonder how they can top this when the hotel's bicentennial comes around?