A group of influential members of Ottumwa recognized the need for quality guest accommodations in the thriving city.  They hired Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson, the architect of several notable hotels in the state.  The Hotel Ottumwa was completed in 1917 with a gala opening in the Grand Ballroom.  In the late 1930's the Sniders purchased the hotel and made several major renovations, including the Pink Pig Coffee Shop, The Parade Room and The Tom-Tom Tap.  The hotel closed in 1973 with an uncertain future as it sat vacant for almost a decade, until the Schwartz family acquired it in 1982.  With vision, faith in the city and the desire to serve the best quality foods, the Schwartzs' have brought the Hotel Ottumwa to its proud tradition of hospitality.