The Emprise Bank building started out in 1930 as the Lamer hotel. It opened on Monday, June 16th that year as an addition to the towns over-worked hotel business. C.W. Lamer of Salina was brought in as the chief investor with a group of thirty other stockholders, nearly all of which were under the age of thirty. It was designed by Alonzo H Gentry, a native to Kansas and cost the investors a whopping $300,000.

The building had nearly one hundred rooms and housed a barber shop for guests, a drug store, a coffee shop, conference rooms and a massive room called the Fort Hays Function Room which served as the hotel's dinning room, ballroom and hosted various civic activities in the community. Lamar, along with Gentry, wanted a building that would offer the denizens of Hays of place of comfort, luxury and class. 

The Ellis County and Hays Free Press wrote an article about the grand opening of the hotel and its preview to the press. The article was published in the June 19th edition of the paper. They described the hotel this way: “With the rich and restful atmosphere of Old Spain pervading the lobby of the new Lamer hotel one is prepared in a way, for one surprise after another as he travels from subbasement to pent-house and curiosity gives way to incredulity as one feature after another, designed for the pleasure and comfort of guests of the hostelry is revealed to him.”

From the original grandeur of the Lamer Hotel, Rooftops offers the same “pleasure and comfort” as did its designer and owner. They strive to make each guest feel like royalty with the luxurious atmosphere, food and service that only Rooftops can give. 

6th floor of the Emprise Bank Building
1200 Main | Hays, KS 67601 | 785-628-8631

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