The 2026 Historic Hotels of America® Annual Awards of Excellence Nominee Finalists are Announced

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Historic Hotels of America^® today announced its Nominee Finalists for the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence, a prestigious awards program honoring outstanding historic hotels, hoteliers, and preservation leaders. Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization chartered by the United States Congress in 1949, with the mission to recognize and celebrate the nation’s finest historic hotels.

Over 700 nominations were submitted by preservation supporters, prior award recipients, community leaders, historic hotels teams, and Historic Hotels of America leadership for 14 awards categories. This year’s categories include Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Resort, Historic Hotels of America Sustainability Champion, and Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Hotel across multiple size categories. (Photos)

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

As an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Hotels of America signals to travelers, civic leaders, and the global cultural, heritage, and historic travel market that its member hotels are among the finest in the United States. Nominee Finalists represent the highest standards of hospitality, stewardship, innovation, and commitment to sharing the stories of these iconic destinations.

Winners will be revealed on Thursday, October 15, 2026, during the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala, the culminating event of the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Conference. The conference is being hosted this year by the Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection (1939) in Williamsburg, Virginia (USA). Part of Colonial Williamsburg Resorts, the historic hotel is adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest American history museum. The gala will gather owners, general managers, senior decision-makers, and guests from many of the world’s most celebrated historic hotels for this occasion.

The awards committee selected the following Historic Hotels of America members as Nominee Finalists for the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence:

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America New Member of the Year

Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington, D.C. (1842) Washington, District of Columbia

Mountain Lake Lodge (1851) Pembroke, Virginia

The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza St. Louis (1922) St. Louis, Missouri

Harbor Court Hotel (1926) San Francisco, California

The St. Regis Washington, D.C. (1926) Washington, District of Columbia

Marcus Whitman Hotel (1928) Walla Walla, Washington

Arizona Inn (1930) Tucson, Arizona

The Eden (1940) Santa Monica, California

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Best Social Media of a Historic Hotel

Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa (1806) Bedford, Pennsylvania

Island House Hotel (1852) Mackinac Island, Michigan

Palmer House^®, A Hilton Hotel (1871) Chicago, Illinois

Wentworth Mansion (1886) Charleston, South Carolina

Hotel Boulderado (1909) Boulder, Colorado

The Hermitage Hotel (1910) Nashville, Tennessee

Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa (1913) Asheville, North Carolina

Haywood Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection (1923) Ashville, North Carolina

Francis Marion Hotel (1924) Charleston, South Carolina

The Wigwam (1929) Litchfield Park, Arizona

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Sustainability Champion

The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center (1828) Staunton, Virginia

The Inn at Leola Village, Est. 1867 (1867) Leola, Pennsylvania

Palace Hotel (1875) San Francisco, California

The Pfister Hotel (1893) Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Gasparilla Inn (1913) Boca Grande, Florida

Bear Mountain Inn (1915) Bear Mountain, New York

Fairmont Olympic Hotel (1924) Seattle, Washington

Inn on Boltwood (1926) Amherst, Massachusetts

Hotel Casa del Mar (1926) Santa Monica, California

Benbow Inn (1926) Garberville, California

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Best City Center Historic Hotel

The Pfister Hotel (1893) Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa (1901) Honolulu, Hawaii

The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection (1901) New York, New York

Hotel Boulderado (1909) Boulder, Colorado

The Gunter Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk (1909) San Antonio, Texas

La Fonda on the Plaza (1922) Santa Fe, New Mexico

Fairmont Breakers Long Beach (1926) Long Beach, California

The Hollywood Roosevelt (1927) Los Angeles, California

JW Marriott Essex House New York (1931) New York, New York

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Resort

Woodstock Inn & Resort (1793) Woodstock, Vermont

Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa (1806) Bedford, Pennsylvania

Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa (1847) Point Clear, Alabama

The Sagamore Resort (1883) Bolton Landing, New York

Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa (1901) Honolulu, Hawaii

Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa (1902) Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

The Mansion at Ocean Edge (1907) Brewster, Massachusetts

The Gasparilla Inn (1913) Boca Grande, Florida

Claremont Resort & Club (1915) Berkeley, California

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa (1927) Sonoma, California

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Best Small Historic Inn Hotel (Under 75 Guestrooms)

Hotel 1829 (1829) Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands

Castle Hot Springs (1896) Morristown, Arizona

Oaks Waterfront Hotel (1902) Easton, Maryland

Hotel Iroquois (1902) Mackinac Island, Michigan

XV Beacon (1903) Boston, Massachusetts

The Commonwealth (1913) Richmond, Virginia

Inn on Boltwood (1926) Amherst, Massachusetts

The Lodge at Wakulla Springs (1937) Wakulla Springs, Florida

Williamsburg Inn (1937) Williamsburg, Virginia

The Wort Hotel (1941) Jackson, Wyoming

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Hotel (76-200)

Nassau Inn (1756) Princeton, New Jersey

Woodstock Inn & Resort (1793) Woodstock, Vermont

Bienville House (1835) New Orleans, Louisiana

The Union Station Nashville Yards (1900) Nashville, Tennessee

The Otesaga Hotel (1909) Cooperstown, New York

Hotel Shattuck Plaza (1910) Berkeley, California

Keswick Hall (1912) Charlottesville, Virginia

Skytop Lodge (1928) Skytop, Pennsylvania

Royal Palms Resort and Spa (1948) Phoenix, Arizona

The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton (1956) Dallas, Texas

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Hotel (201-400)

The Willard InterContinental, Washington DC (1818) Washington, District of Columbia

Grand Hotel (1887) Mackinac Island, Michigan

Hayes Mansion San Jose, Curio Collection by Hilton (1905) San Jose, California

The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City (1911) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

HOTEL DU PONT (1913) Wilmington, Delaware

Claremont Resort & Club (1915) Berkeley, California

The American Club (1918) Kohler, Wisconsin

The Hotel Viking (1926) Newport, Rhode Island

The Don CeSar (1928) St. Pete Beach, Florida

The Nittany Lion Inn of Pennsylvania State University (1931) State College, Pennsylvania

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Hotel (Over 400 Guestrooms)

Palmer House^®, A Hilton Hotel (1871) Chicago, Illinois

Palace Hotel (1875) San Francisco, California

Hotel del Coronado (1888) San Diego, California

Fairmont San Francisco (1907) San Francisco, California

Omni Grove Park Inn & Spa (1913) Asheville, North Carolina

The Broadmoor (1918) Colorado Springs, Colorado

Fairmont Olympic Hotel (1924) Seattle, Washington

InterContinental New York Barclay (1926) New York, New York

JW Marriott Essex House New York (1931) New York, New York

El Conquistador Resort (1962) Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Restaurant

Wye Oak Tavern at Visitation Hotel Frederick, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (1846) Frederick, Maryland

Chez Philippe at The Peabody Memphis (1869) Memphis, Tennessee

The Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone (1886) New Orleans, Louisiana

Stationairy at The Union Station Nashville Yards (1900) Nashville, Tennessee

The Round Table Restaurant & Lounge at The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection (1901) New York, New York

Le Cavalier at HOTEL DU PONT (1913) Wilmington, Delaware

Sky Room at Fairmont Breakers Long Beach (1926) Long Beach, California

Santé at The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa (1927) Sonoma, California

The Circular at The Hotel Hershey^® (1933) Hershey, Pennsylvania

1902 at Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa (1902) Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Ambassador of the Year

Robert Watson at The Willard InterContinental, Washington DC (1818) Washington, District of Columbia

Juan Rodriguez at The Pfister Hotel (1893) Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Jeanita Harris at The Jefferson Hotel (1895) Richmond, Virginia

Liban Ayanle at The Portland Regency Hotel & Spa (1895) Portland, Maine

Thomas (Tom) Wolfe at Fairmont San Francisco (1907) San Francisco, California

Jean Simpreux at The Eliot Hotel (1925) Boston, Massachusetts

Rob Blake at Hassayampa Inn (1927) Prescott, Arizona

Richard A. (Rick) Murphy at The Raphael Hotel (1928) Kansas City, Missouri

Hugo Gutierrez at Piñon Court by La Fonda (1930s) Santa Fe, New Mexico

Andre Richardson and Leslie Shotwell at Colonial Williamsburg Resorts: Williamsburg Inn (1937) and Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection (1939) Williamsburg, Virginia

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers

Richard and Dorothy (Dort) Mollett at Antrim 1844 (1844) Taneytown, Maryland

The Ryba-Callewaert Family at Island House Hotel (1852) Mackinac Island, Michigan

The Smiley Family at Mohonk Mountain House (1869) New Paltz, New York

The Sharp-Farish Family at The Gasparilla Inn (1913) Boca Grande, Florida

The Melius Family at OHEKA Castle (1919) Huntington, New York

The Bentley Family at La Fonda on the Plaza (1922) and Piñon Court by La Fonda (1930s) Santa Fe, New Mexico, and The Raphael Hotel, Autograph Collection (1928) Kansas City, Missouri

The Ullian Family at The Eliot Hotel (1925) Boston, Massachusetts

The von Trapp Family at von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort (1942) Stowe, Vermont

The Jackson Family at Alisal Ranch (1946) Solvang, California

The Hardy Family at The Lodge at Nemacolin (1968) Farmington, Pennsylvania

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Hotel Historian of the Year

Jessica Sims at Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa (1806) Bedford, Pennsylvania

Beth Vargas at Glasbern (1870) Fogelsville, Pennsylvania

Susan Wilson at Omni Parker House (1855) Boston, Massachusetts

Dinelia Smiles at Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel (1871) Chicago, Illinois

Jim Early at Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa (1902) Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

Audrey Jablonszki-Hahn at Hayes Mansion San Jose, Curio Collection by Hilton (1905) San Jose, California

Thomas (Tom) Santora at HOTEL DU PONT (1913) Wilmington, Delaware

Mark Schoenberg at La Valencia Hotel (1926) La Jolla, California

Amore Cianciola at Hassayampa Inn (1927) Prescott, Arizona

Kathleen Hutton at The Graylyn Estate (1932) Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Nominee Finalists for Historic Hotels of America Historic Hotelier of the Year

Terry Haney at Presidio Lodging: The Lodge at the Presidio (1894) and Inn at the Presidio (1903) San Francisco, California

Tori Ossola at The Strater Hotel (1887) Durango, Colorado

Willis Loughhead at The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection (1901) New York, New York

Yara Acker at Keswick Hall (1912) Charlottesville, Virginia

Ann Alba at The Broadmoor (1918) Colorado Springs, Colorado

Marty Rosenthal at The Otesaga Hotel (1909) Cooperstown, New York

Steve Caloca at The Queen Mary (1936) Long Beach, California

Jim Waldrop at The Wort Hotel (1941) Jackson, Wyoming

Kristina von Trapp Frame at von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort (1942) Stowe, Vermont

Maggie Hardy at The Lodge at Nemacolin (1968) Farmington, Pennsylvania

Historic Hotels of America’s sibling program, Historic Hotels Worldwide^®, also announced today its Nominee Finalists for the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence. See the news about those Nominee Finalists here.

“It is an honor to congratulate all of Historic Hotels of America’s 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Nominee Finalists,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “The Nominee Finalists exemplify the finest historic hotels and hoteliers in the United States. The historic hotels nominated include historic inns, boutique hotels, lifestyle hotels, and legendary resorts. These historic hotels represent small towns and large cities, as well as historic districts. We applaud the dedication and passion of the thousands of individuals working at these iconic and legendary historic hotels. They keep the stories from the past alive and make staying or celebrating special occasions at these historic hotels memorable experiences for guests.”

Tickets for the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala are available. The much-anticipated event will take place at the Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection (1939) in Williamsburg, Virginia, on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 7 p.m., to close out the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Conference.

Learn more about the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Conference, including how to register to participate in the full week of activities or how to purchase gala-only tickets.

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 from 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 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, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: 
Katherine Orr
Director, Marketing Strategy and Communications
Historic Hotels of America │ Historic Hotels Worldwide
KOrr@historichotels.org