2023 Historic Hotels of America® Annual Awards of Excellence Winners Announced

Winning Hotels and Recipients were honored at the 2023 Historic Hotels Annual Awards Ceremony and Gala on October 12, 2023, at The Wigwam (1929) in Litchfield Park, Arizona (United States of America).

Historic Hotels of America® is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence. Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United States of America.

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Grand Hotel (1887) Mackinac Island, Michigan. Credit: Historic Hotels of America and Grand Hotel.

Recipients were honored at the 2023 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala at The Wigwam (1929) in Litchfield Park, Arizona, 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 Wigwam, originally opened to guests in 1929 by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, is an award-winning Arizona resort that offers an unparalleled experience, combining over a century of hospitality, Southwestern charm, casual luxury, and rich history.

Seventeen Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence were given in multiple categories, ranging from Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotelier of the Year to Historic Hotels of America Hotel Historian of the Year, from Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Resort to Historic Hotels of America Lifetime Achievement Award, and others. 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 in a range of categories.

From more than 350 nominations received, the awards committee evaluated and, after careful consideration, selected the following 2023 Historic Hotels of America Awards of Excellence winners:

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: JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District (1912) Savannah, Georgia

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: 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa (1886) Eureka Springs, Arkansas

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: Mohonk Mountain House (1869) New Paltz, New York

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: Hassayampa Inn (1927) Prescott, Arizona

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: Skytop Lodge (1928) Skytop, Pennsylvania

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: The Edgewater (1948) Madison, Wisconsin

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: Hilton Chicago (1927) Chicago, Illinois

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: Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton (1898) New York, New York

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: Grand Hotel (1887) Mackinac Island, Michigan

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: The Savoy at 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City (1888) Kansas City, Missouri

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: Elmer Smith at The Wigwam (1929) Litchfield Park, Arizona

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: Ed Pulsifer at La Fonda on the Plaza™ (1922) Santa Fe, New Mexico

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 Eustis and Fitzpatrick Families at The Red Lion Inn (1773) Stockbridge, Massachusetts

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: Amy Finsilver at XV Beacon (1903) 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: Frank and Gina Day, Hotel Boulderado (1909) Boulder, Colorado

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: Jane Forbes Clark and The Clark Family at The Otesaga Hotel (1909) Cooperstown, New York

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: Major General Mari K. Eder (U.S. Army, Retired)

“It is an honor to congratulate all of the 2023 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 collection, Historic Hotels Worldwide®, also announced its collection’s winners of the Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence this week. See the news about those nominees here.

About Historic Hotels of America®

Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in 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 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 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their sense of authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org and sign up to receive future news, highlights, and advance notice of special offers from Historic Hotels of America®.

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