Category Archives: Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation, Hotels, Uncategorized

Lark Hotels to Re-open Maine’s Historic Whitehall Inn

Lark Hotels, the innovative hospitality brand renowned for its “mischief-meets-modern” inspired properties, is adding another New England gem to their growing collection of boutique hotels, with the historic Whitehall Inn in Camden, Maine.

The reinvigorated Whitehall, which originally opened its doors to vacationers in 1901, will drop the “inn” from its name and welcome guests back onto its rambling front porches in May 2015. The award-winning design firm Rachel Reider Interiors, the talent behind many of Lark Hotels’ distinctive looks, designed the 36 guest rooms and suites with Camden’s unique location in mind.

In addition to the hotel’s signature oversized porches, an outdoor lounge with a fire pit, shuffleboard court, and extensive common areas and lounging spaces, the hotel will feature a revolving collection of art by local Maine artists. All will pay homage to the motto of Camden — “where the mountains meet the sea.”It was important to incorporate Maine artists and tradespeople into the design, such as Angela Adams, Sister Parish fabric and other New England craftsmen,” Reider said. “Texture plays a large role in the look. I’ve tried to bring in the natural environment with materials such as highly textured grasscloth, weathered woods, aged metals, rope and wood textured wall coverings.”

Anchoring the property will be Pig + Poet, a restaurant whose vibe and menu will be crafted by nationally acclaimed chef Sam Talbot. A collaborative venture, Pig + Poet embraces Chef Talbot’s focus on a simpler way of cooking and celebrates thoughtful modern American food.

Focusing on Maine’s farmland, fisheries and game, the restaurant will feature a raw bar, signature roast pork dishes, Sam’s fresh take on lobster rolls, chowder and blueberry-sweet corn cobbler just to name few items. A charcuterie bar will offer sausages and cheese selections. The “poet” in the name is a nod to the chef’s role in the creative process, as well as a subtle wink to Edna St. Vincent Millay, a Pulitzer-prize winning poet who was discovered at Whitehall Inn in 1912.

“I’ve always loved the great outdoors and having a real connection to the food that comes out of my kitchen,” Chef Talbot said. “It’s become a bit of a cliche to say that my food is farm-to-fork, but that’s truly what it will be. Being in Camden is an inspiring opportunity for me to work with new local vendors, flavors and experiences. I have always been drawn to the water and waterfront towns and I’m excited to join the amazing food movement going on in the MidCoast, Portland and throughout Maine.”

Chef Talbot has worked in top NYC restaurants, and is a cookbook author and television personality. He was featured as a semi-finalist on season two of Bravo’s acclaimed series Top Chef, which included him becoming the viewers-choice “Fan Favorite” on the show. He was also featured in People Magazine’s “Sexiest Men Alive” issue in 2012. Diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at a young age, Sam has a profound understanding and appreciation for the intimate relationship between life and food, which has served as a driving force for his cooking style and recipes, which were the main focus of his cookbook titled The Sweet Life: Diabetes Without Boundaries.

A Charlotte native, Chef Talbot began his culinary training at Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, where he worked under acclaimed chef, owner and mentor James Burns of J.Bistro. At 24, he made the move to New York City to become Executive Chef at Black Duck Bistro in Manhattan. Two years later, he opened Williamsburg Café, which was then nominated for best brunch restaurant in Brooklyn by the New York Post. Sam is also the former Founding Executive Chef of the uber popular Surf Lodge in Montauk, NY and the Michelin-recommended Imperial No. Nine in New York City. While at the helm at the Surf Lodge, the restaurant garnered national acclaim as a premier dining destination in the Hamptons and was named one of the world’s 20 Sexiest Bars and Restaurants by The Travel Channel.

Together, Chef Talbot and Lark Hotels are thrilled to breathe new life into Whitehall by showcasing modern American cuisine at its finest and freshest.

Whitehall Inn, 52 High St., Camden, ME 04843, 207-236-3391, www.whitehallmaine.com.

Lark Hotels Expands

This year, in addition to The Whitehall Inn, Lark Hotels is also opening

Gilded, where 1890s opulence meets modern amenities, will open in Newport, Rhode Island in May 2015.

The Break, opening in New England’s long board surf capital of Narragansett, RI in June, will be the area’s first designer hotel, complete with casual beach-style bistro.

And an as-of-yet unnamed properties in Mendocino, CA; Napa, CA; and Stowe, VT

Lark Hotels are located in seven coveted New England seaside locations: Camden, ME, Whitehall; Kennebunkport, ME, Captain Fairfield Inn; Nantucket, MA, 76 Main and 21 Broad; Newport, RI, The Attwater; Portland, ME, Pomegranate Inn; Portsmouth, NH, Ale House Inn; and Narragansett, RI, The Break.

“Lark Hotels embrace the locations they are in, but in playful, unexpected ways. Think “sense of place” with imagination and a touch of mischief. Each Lark Hotel invites guests to experience modern luxury in the heart of an iconic destination, to feel the pull of a nostalgic getaway while surrounded by today’s amenities and to find attentive service when they want it and privacy when they don’t.”

For information on Lark Hotels, “On a Lark Club,” and the hotel collection visit www.larkhotels.com.

 

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Historic Preservation, Hotels

Historic Hotels of Europe Adds 20 New Members

Château de Varenne, France, is one of the new members of Historic Hotels of Europe.
Château de Varenne, France, is one of the new members of Historic Hotels of Europe.

France: February 2015

Historic Hotels of Europe, a niche consortium of luxury hotels with historical significance, announced an exceptional growth in new membership for 2015, with 20 hotels joining the group. This new hotels, who hail from France, Austria, Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, Wales and Greece, from brings the total to 500 members.

Spread across the European continent from the UK to Norway, the new members have satisfied the stringent requirements of their respective national hotel groups. Ranging from historic boutique hotels in city locations to luxury estates in the country, the new members include hotels and restaurants in prime locations. Below is the list of the 20 new members per country:

●   Festningen Restaurant – Norway
●   Ghan House – Ireland
●   Restaurant Forty-One – Ireland
●   Campagne Restaurant – Ireland
●   Sea View House – Ireland
●   Thermenvilla Gutenbrunn – Austria
●   Hotel Post – Austria
●   Türmlihus B&B, Fideris – Switzerland
●   Hôtel de l’Ours Bellelay – Switzerland
●   Château de Noyelles – France
●   Château de Varenne – France
●   Domaine de Mombreux – France
●   Castel Damandre – France
●   Hostellerie de la Tour d’Auxois – France
●   Hotel Edward 1er – France
●   The Marpessa Smart Luxury Hotel – Greece
●   Cotommatae – Greece
●   The Corran Resort & Spa – Wales
●   Penally Abbey – Wales
●   Caemorgan Mansion – Wales

Established in 1997 with the objective to promote the unique cultural and historic heritage of Europe, the Historic Hotels of Europe is a gold-standard prestigious network of 500 exceptional hotels, offering guests outstanding accommodation, fine regional cuisine, and the opportunity to experience hospitality in its purest tradition. All Historic Hotels of Europe members have maintained their authenticity and sense of place creating a lasting memory of a Europe both past and present.

Visit www.historichotelsofeurope.com.

 

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Historic Preservation, walking vacations

In the footsteps of ‘Downton Abbey’: Castle that ‘Stars’ in ‘Downton Abbey’ Episode Highlights Wayfarers Walking Vacations’ New Program for 2015

Alnwick Castle in England’s Northumberland, which will take a leading role in a special Christmas episode of "Downton Abbey," highlights a new 2015 Wayfarers Walking Vacations trip.
Alnwick Castle in England’s Northumberland, which will take a leading role in a special Christmas episode of “Downton Abbey,” highlights a new 2015 Wayfarers Walking Vacations trip.

In what can be classsed as truly “In the footsteps of Downtown Abbey,” Alnwick Castle in England’s Northumberland which has a leading role in a special Christmas episode of “Downton Abbey” as Brancaster Castle, also is a highlight of a new Wayfarers Walking Vacations 2015 program.

No stranger to the cameras, Alnwick (pronounced ‘Annick’) was also the setting for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts.

The cast and crew of “Downton Abbey,” PBS’s hugely popular Masterpiece Classic series, spent two weeks at the castle last summer, filming extensively in the spectacular State Rooms, as well as in the castle’s grounds and at the semi-ruined Hulne Abbey in the Duke of Northumberland’s parklands in Alnwick.

Visitors to Alnwick Castle in 2015 can explore a brand new Downton Abbey exhibition, featuring photography, costumes, and props from the filming.

The castle is a centerpiece of The Wayfarers’ new itinerary, ‘Northumbria – Land of Castles, Saints and Vikings’, based on the ancient kingdom of one of Britain’s most remote and beautiful landscapes.

It is one of three Walks new to the schedule. The others are in Italy’s Puglia region and a new take on the historic pilgrimage route of the Via Francigena in Tuscany.

A Wayfarers’ “Downton Abbey” vacation already includes a visit inside the ‘real’ Downton, Highclere Castle, in the south of England, other key locations and hiking amid classic English villages and countryside.

In festive spirit, the company, which has been providing all-inclusive hiking tours for more than 30 years, is offering ‘a walk in an envelope’ – Gift Certificates which can be redeemed by the recipient for a Wayfarers’ vacation in one of 20 countries across the globe. The vouchers are available for values from $500, up to the full price of a Walk.

“‘Our Walk in Northumbria was designed before we knew Alnwick would be a location in Downton Abbey, because it is such a wonderful place, steeped in more than 700 years of history,” The Wayfarers’ founder Michael West said. {As on our Downton Abbey Walk, we aim to give our guests much more than just a sight-seeing stop – we really aim to get beneath the skin of a place and I guarantee that Northumbria will be unforgettable.  Meanwhile, our Gift Certificates are the chance for someone to give a truly wonderful gift of one of our Walks as a surprise on Christmas morning – or at any time of the year!”

Founded more than 30 years ago, The Wayfarers Walking Vacations was named by National Geographic Traveler as purveyor of one of the ‘50 Tours of a Lifetime,’ and by National Geographic Adventure as one of the ‘Best Hiking Companies,’ The Wayfarers offers an eco-sensitive walking vacation of both culture and fitness in 19 countries with 40+ itineraries.

Walks cover England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, New Zealand, Patagonia, Alaska, Colorado, Southwest USA, and a barging/walk combination in Burgundy, France.

Wayfarers Walks offer exclusive entrees into homes and gardens otherwise closed to the public, graceful accommodations, outstanding cuisine, and meetings with local residents. Walks are from 6-13 days and are rated on a five-level challenge scale. Price per person is all-inclusive from Day One: including all transfers, hotel accommodation, full board plus twice daily snacks, wine with dinner, tips, entrance tickets, maps and postcards.

The Wayfarers is a member of Trusted Adventures, www.trustedadventures.com, dedicated to the highest standards of small-group travel and supporting local economies.

The Wayfarers Walk Away Guide explains the benefits and practicalities of walking vacations and is guaranteed to inspire new walkers. Available at www.thewayfarers.com/walkawayguide

The Wayfarers 2015 Brochure http://bit.ly/1t2wwkr

For more information on all the Wayfarers Walks or the Gift Certificates contact www.thewayfarers.com, 800-249-4620 or email [email protected].

Facebook The Wayfarers Walking Vacations; Twitter @wayfarers; Instagram Wayfarerswalks.

 

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Conservation, Historic Preservation, international travel

Project Launched to Save Greenland’s Buried Archeological Artifacts Threatened by Climate Change

National Museums of Denmark and Greenland have formed a coalition to save archaeological treasures – bones, metal and wood captured and preserved in ice in Greenland – endangered by melting ice due to global warming.

The coalition is mapping out which areas are most threatened by climate change and an interactive map that pinpoints which areas are especially at risk and so should be given first priority by archaeologists.

Kitchen middens are getting particular focus because they contain valuable evidence of how Greenlanders have lived for thousands of years. If the ice encapsulating the kitchen middens melts, the potential finds will be exposed to air and will eventually rot. The artifacts are also at risk of being swept away by meltwater or covered by new tree and plant growth.

To pinpoint which finds and areas are most affected by climate change, researchers have filled several freezers in the Danish National Museum with samples from kitchen middens found all over Greenland. The researchers’ next job is to measure the oxygen consumption of each piece of wood, bone and metal, which has been collected, at different temperatures, in order to determine which materials are most affected by increasing temperatures. The results will provide the foundation for the interactive map and the mission to rescue as much of Greenland’s buried treasures as possible.

For more information, Visit Greenland, Greenland.com, [email protected].

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Conservation, Historic Preservation, National Parks

House Passage of Key Legislation Positions Senate for Approving Most Significant Expansion of National Park System in Decades

The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor (NY) is one of the areas that would continue to get funding, if legislation that already passed the House passes the Senate © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor (NY) is one of the areas that would continue to get funding, if legislation that already passed the House passes the Senate © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Washington, DC – The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the National Defense Authorization Act, a bill that includes provisions that could mean the most significant National Park System expansion in decades.  If passed by the U.S. Senate and signed into law, the legislation will carry with it the establishment of seven new National Park units, the expansion of nine national park sites, and the extension of 15 National Heritage Areas, effectively shaking loose a five-year stalemate on public lands measures in Congress.

National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), numerous local communities, local businesses, and scientists have spent years advocating for many of the new and expanded parks included in this legislation.

“If signed into law, this legislation will protect places taken right out of the pages of our history and science books,” said Clark Bunting, President and CEO of National Parks Conservation Association.  “From the sites associated with the Manhattan Project to the legacy of Harriet Tubman in New York and Maryland to the North Fork Watershed in Montana and Ice Age fossils in Nevada, these are stories that deserve to be told in the name of strengthening our country’s best idea.  And these are places that deserve to be preserved for all Americans to experience.”

Many of the proposed new and expanded national park sites would further diversify the National Park System, including the Tule Springs site which is less than 30 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip and would offer a significant opportunity for an urban community to visit a fossil-rich national park.  Many will permanently protect places that played key roles in our nation’s history, including the historic Gettysburg train station where President Abraham Lincoln arrived to deliver his seminal Gettysburg Address.  And many of these sites would provide visitors with a richer adventure, including the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve where the watershed and marble caves will be protected.

This public lands package is monumental in terms of expanding our national park system, however NPCA remains mindful that it is not perfect.

“While this legislation includes two dozen bills that will enhance our national heritage and highlight our collective history, from innovation to science and nature, it also includes provisions that could harm our natural resources.  It is those provisions that are of concern to us, both as park advocates and as conservationists.  However, the gains we make for our parks, their communities and their visitors will have lasting effects for our nation,” said Theresa Pierno, Chief Operating Officer, National Parks Conservation Association.

 

National Parks Package of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015

 

New National Park Units

1. Blackstone (RI)

2. Coltsville (CT)

3. Harriet Tubman (NY)

4. Manhattan Project (WA, TN, NM)

5. Valles Caldera (NM)

6. Tule Springs (NV)

7. World War I Memorial in Pershing Park (DC)

 

Park Expansions

1. Apostle Islands (WI)

2. First State (DE)

3. Gettysburg (PA)

4. Harriet Tubman (MD)

5. Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson Great Falls (NJ)

6. Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve (OR)

7. San Antonio Mission (TX )

8. Vicksburg (MS)

9. Lower East Side Tenement (NY)

 

Special Resource Studies

1. Lower Mississippi (LA)

2. Buffalo Soldiers

3. Rota, Commonwealth of Lower Mariana Islands

4. Prison Ship Martyrs (Brooklyn, NY)

5. Flushing Remonstrance (NY)

6. West Hunter Street Baptist Church (Atlanta, GA)

7. Mill Springs Battlefield (KY)

8. New Philadelphia (IL)

 

National Heritage Area Reauthorization

The authority to continue funding 15 National Heritage Areas that had a sunset will now be extended

through September 30, 2021.

1. Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (PA)

2. National Coal Heritage Area (WV)

3. Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area (PA)

4. Essex National Heritage Area (MA)

5. Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area (IA)

6. Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area (OH)

7. Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area (NY)

8. Motor Cities National Heritage Area Partnership (MI)

9. Lackawanna Heritage Valley & State Heritage Area (PA)

10. Wheeling National Heritage Area (WV)

11. Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area (AZ)

12. Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor (NY)

13. Schuykill River Valley National Heritage Area (PA)

14. Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor (CT & MA)

15. John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor (MA & RI)

 

Mineral Withdrawal around national park

North Fork Watershed Protection Act (MT)

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Historic Preservation, Hotels & Resorts

Historic Hotels of America Inducts 24 New Members in 2014

Historic Hotels of America members are not just historic but where history happened. Wentworth by the Sea, in Newcastle, NH, for example, hosted the Russian and Japanese delegates to the Treaty of Portsmouth congress that ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 (for which President Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize) © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Historic Hotels of America members are not just historic but where history happened. Wentworth by the Sea, in Newcastle, NH, for example, hosted the Russian and Japanese delegates to the Treaty of Portsmouth congress that ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 (for which President Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize) © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Historic Hotels of America welcomed 24 historic hotels into membership in 2014. Hotels nominated and accepted into the prestigious Historic Hotels of America program range in age from 51 to 389 years old. These new additions represent historic hotels from 14 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The oldest new member hotel dates to 1625. Six of the hotels were adapted from a previous use including a former bank and courthouse. Of the 24 new members, five have reported hauntings from friendly ghosts.

Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservationfor recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance.

Historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America members YTD in 2014 include:

  • Le Méridien Tampa (1905) Tampa, Florida Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, converted to a hotel from century old federal courthouse
  • Hilton Hawaiian Village® Waikiki Beach Resort, Honolulu (1961) Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
  • The Drake Hotel (1920) Chicago, Illinois Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
  • Hilton Chicago (1927) Chicago, Illinois
  • Hilton Orrington/Evanston (1927) Evanston, Illinois
  • Seelbach Hilton (1905) Louisville, Kentucky Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
  • Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center (1927) Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Hilton New Orleans/St. Charles Avenue (1926) New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Southern Hotel (1907) Covington, Louisiana, converted from the Grand Lodge of Louisiana’s Masonic Temple
  • The Westin Portland Harborview (1927) Portland, Maine
  • Hilton Boston Downtown/Faneuil Hall (1928) Boston, Massachusetts, converted from Boston’s first Art Deco skyscraper office building
  • Hilton President Kansas City (1926) Kansas City, Missouri
  • Hilton St. Louis Downtown at the Arch (1888) St. Louis, Missouri, converted from former Merchant Laclède National Bank and office building.
  • Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza (1625) Santa Fe, New Mexico, converted from 300 year old hacienda
  • Hilton Manhattan East (1931) New York, New York
  • Chateau at the Oregon Caves National Monument (1935) Cave Junction, Oregon Designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark
  • Abraham Lincoln Reading Hotel (1930) Reading, Pennsylvania
  • Caribe Hilton San Juan (1949) San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • The Condado Plaza Hilton (1963) San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Condado Vanderbilt Hotel (1919) San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Hilton Fort Worth (1921) Fort Worth, Texas
  • Airlie (1892) Warrenton, Virginia, converted from picturesque farm
  • Capital Hilton (1943) Washington, DC
  • The Edgewater (1948) Madison, Wisconsin

“Historic Hotels of America is pleased to honor these noteworthy and iconic historic hotels,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “From Puerto Rico to Hawaii, each hotel represents a unique aspect of the heritage, history, and culture of the United States of America including one from more than 150 years prior to 1776. Several hotels are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and one hotel that has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark. We are delighted to welcome adaptive reuse historic hotels that previously were built as unique buildings ranging from a hacienda to a public court house.”

Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation® for recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels. Historic Hotels of America was founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservationwith 32 charter members. Today, Historic Hotels of America has more than 260 historic hotels. These historic hotels have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including 46 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated properties.  More than 30 of the world’s finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance.

For more information, visit HistoricHotels.org.

 

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Historic Preservation, Hotels & Resorts, Travel Through History

Historic Hotels of America Honors 2014 Awards of Excellence Winners

 

The Jekyll Island Club Hotel (1886) Jekyll Island, Georgia, was one of the Historic Hotels of America members honored with a 2014 Award of Excellence © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
The Jekyll Island Club Hotel (1886) Jekyll Island, Georgia, was one of the Historic Hotels of America members honored with a 2014 Award of Excellence © 2014 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Washington, D.C. – The Palmer House Hilton of Chicago, the Inn at the Presidio of San Francisco, Portland Regency Hotel & Spa in Maine, the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa in Pennsylvania and The Lord Baltimore of Baltimore were among the Historic Hotels of America 2014 Awards of Excellence winners announced at a gala ceremony at The Hotel Hershey® (1933) in Hershey, Pennsylvania on Thursday, October 2.

Honors were given in multiple categories ranging from Hotelier of the Year and Hotel Historian of the Year to Best Historic Resort and Historic Hotelier of the Year.

From more than 160 nominees, the following Historic Hotels of America hotels and hoteliers were honored with these prestigious awards:

Historic Hotels of America New Member of the Year

Historic Hotelier of the Year

Best Small Historic Inn/Hotel (Under 75 Guestrooms)

Best Historic Hotel (75-200 Guestrooms)

Best Historic Hotel (200-400 Guestrooms)

Best Historic Hotel (Over 400 Guestrooms)

Best City Center Historic Hotel

Best Historic Resort

Hotel Historian of the Year

Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year

Best Historic Restaurant in Conjunction with a Historic Hotel

Best Social Media of a Historic Hotel

Historic Hotels of America Sustainability Champion

Historic Hotels of America Ambassador of the Year (Quarter Century Service)

Historic Hotels of America Lifetime Achievement Award

  • Terry Richey, National Trust for Historic Preservation

Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year Award

  • Stanley Turkel, Author and Consultant

“Historic Hotels of America is proud to congratulate the 2014 Awards of Excellence winners,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “These historic hotels and hoteliers represent the pinnacle in historic hotels and their achievements from Portland, Maine to Waikiki Beach.”

The hotels were nominated by fellow members, past award recipients, and honorees. A panel of experts judged and weighed the nominees in each category in order to determine a winner. As the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Hotels of America provides the recognition to travelers, civic leaders, and the global cultural, heritage and historic travel market that the members hotels are among the finest historic hotels across America.

To find more information about award winners from previous winners, click here.

Historic Hotels of America was founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation with 32 charter members. Today, Historic Hotels of America has more than 260 historic hotels. These historic hotels have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including 44 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated properties, however, more than 30 of the world’s major hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; be designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance. For more information, visit HistoricHotels.org.

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