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Award recipients were announced and honored on the evening of November 21, at the 2024 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia (United States of America), in front of an audience of more than 200 industry leaders, owners, general managers, senior management, and representatives of the world’s finest historic hotels. The Omni Homestead Resort, founded in the scenic Allegheny Mountains in 1766, is the most historic resort in the United States. It is famous for its iconic Warm Springs Pools and championship fairways. TIME Magazine recently included The Omni Homestead Resort on its list of the “World’s Greatest Places 2024” (PDF file). The awards ceremony was the final event of the 2024 Historic Hotels Annual Conference held there the week of November 18.

During the ceremony, 19 distinct awards of the Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence were presented to hoteliers and hotels, recognizing them as the best of the best among their peers. Winners were selected from nominations by historic hotels, preservation supporters, prior award recipients, community leaders, and leadership from Historic Hotels of America. As an 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 member hotels are among the finest historic hotels from across the United States of America. The Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Program recognizes the pinnacle of this distinct group.
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Historic Hotels of America New Member of the Year
This award is presented to a new member hotel that best demonstrates immediate engagement, activation, and passionate support of Historic Hotels of America.
Winner: Hotel Iroquois (1902) Mackinac Island, Michigan

Historic Hotels of America Best Social Media of a Historic Hotel
This award is presented to a hotel that actively engages consumers by sharing the best of its history through social media, including Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram with interesting historical facts and stories.
Winner: Historic Hotel Bethlehem (1922) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Historic Hotels of America Sustainability Champion
This award is presented to a hotel that best implements and practices innovative green initiatives and programs, demonstrating historic preservation is the ultimate green.
Winner: Mauna Kea Beach Hotel (1964) Kohala Coast, Hawaii

Historic Hotels of America Best Small Historic Inn/Hotel (Under 75 Guestrooms)
This award is presented to a hotel under 75 guestrooms that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: The Inn at Leola Village, Est. 1867 (1867) Leola, Pennsylvania

Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Hotel (76-200 Guestrooms)
This award is presented to a hotel with 76-200 guestrooms that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: The Jefferson Hotel (1895) Richmond, Virginia

Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Hotel (201-400 Guestrooms)
This award is presented to a hotel with 201-400 guestrooms that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: Fairmont Century Plaza (1961) Los Angeles, California

Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Hotel (Over 400 Guestrooms)
This award is presented to a hotel over 400 guestrooms that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District (1912) Savannah, Georgia

Historic Hotels of America Best City Center Historic Hotel
This award is presented to a hotel located in a city center that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: The Willard InterContinental Washington, DC (1818) Washington, District of Columbia

Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Resort
This award is presented to a historic resort that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: Colonial Williamsburg Resorts: Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection, and Colonial Houses (1750) and Williamsburg Inn (1937) Williamsburg, Virginia

Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Restaurant
This award is presented to a restaurant that is part of a historic hotel that offers the finest cuisine, historic atmosphere, and exceptional customer service.
Winner: Garden Court at Palace Hotel (1875) San Francisco, California

Historic Hotels of America Ambassador of the Year (25+ Years of Service)
This award is presented to an individual who has dedicated their career to a historic hotel for at least 25 years, has been an exemplary ambassador and steward of the history and stories of a historic hotel, and has shown exemplary hospitality and service to the hotel and its guests.
Winner: Cindy White at The Omni Homestead Resort (1766) Hot Springs, Virginia

Historic Hotels of America Hotel Historian of the Year
This award is presented to a hotel historian who best demonstrates a passion for preserving, displaying, and interpreting the history of their hotel, a true ambassador of the past.
Winner: Gina Petrone at Hotel del Coronado (1888) San Diego, California

Historic Hotels of America Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year
This award is presented to a multi-generational family ownership entity or management company that has served as an exemplary role model in the operation of the historic hotels entrusted to its stewardship, demonstrated a long-term legacy of commitment to historic preservation, and been an active champion for Historic Hotels of America.
Winner: The Monteleone Family at Hotel Monteleone (1886) New Orleans, Louisiana

Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotelier of the Year
This award is presented to the recipient demonstrating the highest contribution to furthering the celebration of history at historic hotels as well as leadership and innovation.
Winner: John Murtha at Omni Parker House (1855) Boston, Massachusetts

Historic Hotels of America Lifetime Achievement Award
This award is presented to individuals whose lifelong passion has resulted in the preservation and celebration of the history and stories of a legendary historic hotel.
Winner: Molly and Robert D. Hardie at The Hermitage Hotel (1910) Nashville, Tennessee; and Keswick Hall (1912) Charlottesville, Virginia

Historic Hotels of America Steward of History and Historic Preservation Award
This award is presented to hospitality leaders whose passion and dedication to the historic preservation of a legendary hotel will ensure that future generations of travelers can experience its history.
Winner: Kelly and Duane Roberts at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa (1876) in Riverside, California

Historic Hotels of America Legacy of Innovation & Inspiration Award
This award recognizes the extensive accomplishments of individuals in pioneering innovative concepts and programs, achieving uncommon success, being a thought leader on exceptional service, and being a force of inspiration in the hospitality industry, and whose commitment to historic preservation and exemplary record of long-term stewardship has resulted in the preservation of historic hotels and resorts.
Winner: Philip F. Anschutz at The Broadmoor (1918) Colorado Springs, Colorado

Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year
This award is presented to an individual who is making a unique contribution to the research and preservation of history and whose work has encouraged a wide discussion, greater understanding, and increased enthusiasm for American History.
Winner: Anthea M. Hartig, Ph.D., serving as the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

“It is an honor to congratulate all of the 2024 Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence winners,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “The winners are the finest historic hotels and hoteliers from across the United States. The historic hotels nominated include small historic inns, boutique hotels, lifestyle hotels, and resorts. They represent small towns to large cities to UNESCO World Heritage destinations. We applaud the dedication and passion of the thousands of individuals working at these iconic and legendary hotels that keep the stories alive from the past and make staying or celebrating special occasions at these historic hotels memorable experiences. The hotels on this list represent the very best spirit of perseverance and preservation of historic hotels. Through the many chapters these buildings have seen, it is the care of their staff, owners, and operators and the support of travelers that allow these stories to continue.”

To be nominated for the Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence, the hotel must be a member of Historic Hotels of America, demonstrate how the hotel increased the recognition and celebration of the hotel’s history, heritage, historic preservation, and its membership, as well as how the hotel (through its ownership, leadership, and employees) contributes significantly as an industry leader in the designated award category.

Historic Hotels of America’s sister program, Historic Hotels Worldwide®, also announced its collection’s winners of the Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence this week. See the news about those winners here.

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About Historic Hotels of America®
Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across the United States of America. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was chartered by U.S. Congress in 1949 and is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is leading the movement to save the places where our history happened. To be nominated and selected for membership in this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; 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 historical significance. Of the more than 300 historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 44 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org.

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About Historic Hotels Worldwide®
Historic Hotels Worldwide®, an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (in the USA), is a prestigious and distinctive collection of historic treasures, including luxury historic hotels built in former castles, chateaus, palaces, academies, haciendas, villas, monasteries, and other historic lodging spanning ten centuries. Historic Hotels Worldwide represents the finest and most distinctive global collection of more than 320 historic hotels in forty-nine countries. Hotels inducted into Historic Hotels Worldwide are authentic historic treasures, demonstrate historic preservation, and celebrate historic significance. Eligibility for induction into Historic Hotels Worldwide is limited to those distinctive historic hotels that adhere to the following criteria: minimum age for the building is 75 years or older; historically relevant as a significant location within a historic district, historically significant landmark, place of a historic event, former home of a famous person, or historic city center; hotel celebrates its history by showcasing memorabilia, artwork, photography, and other examples of its historic significance; recognized by national preservation or heritage buildings organization or located within UNESCO World Heritage Site; and presently used as a historic hotel. For more information, please visit HistoricHotelsWorldwide.com.

Media Contact:
Katherine Orr
Historic Hotels of America | Historic Hotels Worldwide
Director, Marketing Strategy and Communications
Tel: 202-772-8337
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