The Hotel Phillips is a beautiful hotel located on Johnstone Ave in Downtown Bartlesville. The hotel was renovated not too long ago but when the new Hilton Garden Inn opened, it was understood that the Hotel Phillips would close. Later, I read an article that said that the hotel would be converted into senior apartments.

I didn’t realize just when the hotel would be closing until the week of the OK Mozart Festival when I walked by and the parking lot was empty. Completely empty. I took this photo on June 15, 2010. The hotel was always packed during OK Mozart due to it’s proximity to theBartlesville Community Center and it was just the nicest hotel that Bartlesville had. In my opinion.

Fast forward two months to August 11 when Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were seen in the Bass Pro Shop in Broken Arrow and the Walmart in Bartlesville. My neighbor messaged me saying that Jennifer Garner was in Wal-Mart.

I’m glad she told me who was in the photo because I’m not a movie person and I never would have thought anything if I saw her there.

Then came the denial. No, there is not a movie being filmed in Bartlesville. But! I had received an email from the CVB asking for houses that could possibly be used in a movie being filmed in Bartlesville.

Having just gotten back from two weeks in Chicago, with stuff stacked all around the Garage Mahal waiting to be put away, I knew my unusual house did not fit their specifications and deleted the email. Also, it would take a WHOLE lot to dislodge me from my house.  I love being home so much that I cannot imagine an offer I would take. Have I mentioned I’m not a movie person?

Then came the announcement of a casting call for a movie being filmed in Bartlesville. No! Really??? This one was going to take place in Tulsa. At about that time, I started seeing five or six cars in the parking lot of the Hotel Phillips.

When the next casting call occurred in Bartlesville, add a 40 ft Budget rental truck to the mix at the parking lot. I’m sure they needed “stuff” to conduct a casting call and now that it’s over, the truck is gone.

However….

There are lots of cars in the parking lot now.

And lots of people (and dogs) coming out of the hotel. The lights are on at night in the beautiful Frank Phillips Suite on the top floor of the hotel.

So, this is my question. If you were going to film a movie in Bartlesville, would you take rooms at a local hotel, the nicest of which is the Hampton Inn where you can run into local people every minute you are out of your room, or would you rent out the beautifully appointed, recently closed Hotel Phillips that you could have all to yourself?

I’m sure we’ll hear denial like we did when it was rumored that Britney Spears was staying in the Mayo before it opened but it’s my reasoned opinion that the film crew for the Ben Affleck movie is headquartering in the Hotel Phillips.

Dear film crew folks,

Please make sure your Huskie is on a leash when you have it outside. Boo Boo the Wonderdog is 96 lbs of lean power and he is very hard to hold back.

Thank you,

Lauri