享誉百年的利顺德饭店

清同治二年(1863),天津开埠后的第三年，基督教伦敦会传教士英人殷德森(JohnInnocent),在英租界维多利亚道(今解放北路)与咪哆士道(今泰安道)交口处，临河建造了一处西式房屋，占地6亩多。前面是洋式平房饭店，后面是铁板顶棚货栈，取名 “利顺德” ,有“利顺以德”之意。这是外侨在天津开办的第一家饭店，也是中国首家涉外饭店。
光绪十二年(1886),天津怡和、高林两家粤籍买办梁炎卿与英籍德人德璀琳、英人殷德森合资，在旅馆原址上，加以扩建改修，成为英国古典露明式3层平坡屋顶的砖木结构建筑，在当时英租界中是最大最高的一幢建筑。此后，英文名称ASTOR HOTEL和中文名称“利顺德饭店” 并用。
光绪二十三年(1897),利顺德饭店实行董事会领导下的股份制。1924年，由饭店董事长威廉·海维林和副董事长梁炎卿主持，拆除了北侧的部分主楼，进行扩建，1929年建起2500平方米的砖混结构4层楼房一幢。至此，两幢楼房建筑面积共8360多平方米。饭店主楼3层，沿街布置，转角部位有一个5层的古城堡式的塔楼。首层临街设置双跑扇形退缩式台阶，为主入口，入口设旋转的木门，上有半圆形雨棚。内设客房、餐厅、图书室、台球室、舞厅、酒吧等等，有带独立卫生间的客房40套。

·利顺德饭店

1943年3月，利顺德饭店被日军接管，改名“亚细亚饭店” ; 1945年日本投降后，交还原主，恢复原名。
1952年因业务不振，饭店董事会决定，移请天津市人民政府管理，更名 “天津大饭店” ,承担中外宾接待任务。1984年由天津市旅游总公司与香港哥罗洋行有限公司合资经营，恢复 “利顺德大饭店” 名称。在主楼东侧面向海河兴建一座现代化建筑，并重新装饰了原建筑。
在利顺德饭店的经营史上，曾有许多外国领事馆、外交人员和名人在此下榻。如英国领事馆将其作为大型会议的处所； 美国领事馆先行在这里办公；加拿大和日本领事馆在筹建期间也暂时住在这里； 德国、丹麦、荷兰等领事馆或外交人员是这里的贵宾。
特别是，近代发生的重大的历史事件，在利顺德多有反映。1863年2月，普鲁士皇家领事在津建代办处，转年升格为领事馆，也建馆于此，此后改为北德意志联邦领事馆，1871年改为德意志帝国领事馆。
先后有《中丹(麦)条约》、《中荷(兰)条约》、《中巴(西)条约》、《中法新约》、《中葡天津条约》等等，在利顺德饭店内签订。
赫伯特·克拉克·胡佛(1929～1933年，美国第三十一任总统),从光绪二十五年(1899),到光绪三十二年(1906),在天津生活期间，曾住在利顺德饭店，后来，长期居住在马场道6号西耧(今天津市第20中学)。胡佛、德璀琳和张翼，签订所谓“移交契约” (副约),骗取开平煤矿及所属的唐山细棉土厂，就是在这座饭店谋划的。
在此居住过的还有国内外的许多重要人物。
目前，利顺德大饭店是全国唯一列入国家重点文物保护单位的 “老字号” 饭店

·利顺德饭店内的英宫廷式楼梯

In 1863,three years after Tianjin was opened up as atreaty port,a British missionary called John Innocentconstructed a building near the Haihe River as a hotel.The Chinese name is Lishunde. It was the first hotelestablished by foreigners in Tianjin.
In 1886 (the 12th year of Emperor Guangxu),Liang Yanqing,the comprador both of Jardine Mathesenand Conllin,co-operated with Dertring and Andersonto enlarge the hotel to a 3-story classic building of brickand wood. It became the largest and highest building inthe British Concession. The hotel was named as "AstorHotel" in English,but still called it "Lishunde Hotel" inChinese.
In the year of 1897,Lishunde Hotel was reformedinto a stock company under the directorate. In 1924,the hotel dismantled the north building and enlarged itinto a 4-story building with a construction area of 2,500square metres. The main building had three stories alongthe street. At the corner,there was a 5-story tower. Thestages led to the first floor as the main entrance. Therevolving wooden door at the entrance was covered bysemi-circle rain shed. Inside of the hotel were guestrooms,dinning hall,reading room,billiards room,dancing hall and bars. It had 40 guest rooms withindependent toilets.
In March 1943,Astor Hotel was occupied by theJapanese army,who changed its name to "Asia Hotel".In 1945,the Japanese surrendered and returned the hotelto its owners. Its original name was resumed.
In 1952,the hotel`s board of directors decided totransfer the hotel to Tianjin Municipal Government dueto poor operation. The hotel was renamed as "TianjinGrand Hotel" to receive guests from home and abroad.In 1984,the Tianjin Tourism Company and a HongKong company set up a joint venture and resumed itsoriginal English name and Chinese name respectively.To the east of the hotel`s main building,a 7-storybuilding of steel and cement was constructed by theHaihe River. Renovations were carried on the hotel.
In the history of Astor Hotel,many diplomatsand elites had lived in the hotel. For example,the UKConsulate used it for conference; the US Consulateonce used it as offices; and the Canadian and JapanConsulates set up temporary offices for their futureconsulates. It also received diplomats from Germany,Denmark and the Netherlands.
More important,the hotel also mirrored theoccurrence of many events. In February 1863,thePrussia Imperial Consul built its agency here andpromoted it into a consulate in 1864. Later,the consulatewas changed to North German Consulate and thenreverted to German Imperial Consulate.
Besides,it also witnessed the signing of the China-Denmark Treaty,the China-Holland Treaty,the China-Brazil Treaty,the China-France New Treaty and theChina-Portugal Tianjin Treaty.
During 1899-1906,Herbert Hoover,who wasthe 31st US President through 1929-1933,lived in thehotel and signed the so-called "Takeover Agreement"to diddled the Kaiping Coal Mine and the TangshanCement Plant with Dertring and the Qing official ZhangYi.
Astor Hotel has become the only Chinesehotel listed as a key cultural relic site under nationalprotection.

·利顺德饭店投资兴造的 “利顺”号舰船在甲午海战中立功