2021 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Winners Announced
KOHLER, Wis. - Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide® are pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence. The Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence recognize and celebrate the finest historic hotels and hoteliers from across the United States of America and from around the world.
Recipients were honored at a special evening Ceremony and Gala at The American Club Resort Hotel on Thursday, November 11. Awards were presented before an audience of more than 200 industry leaders, owners, senior management, and representatives of the finest historic hotels. Nineteen Historic Hotels of America Awards of Excellence were given in multiple categories ranging from Historic Hotels of America Hotelier of the Year, Historic Hotels of America Hotel Historian of the Year, Historic Hotels of America Best Historic Resort, Historic Hotels of America Lifetime Achievement, and others. Three Historic Hotels Worldwide Awards of Excellence were presented for Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Historic Hotel in Europe, Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Historic Hotel in Asia and the Pacific, and Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Historic Hotel in the Americas.
The winners were selected from nominee finalists representing many of the most legendary and iconic historic hotels. The 2021 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Nominee Finalists were nominated by historic hotels, preservation supporters, prior award recipients, community leaders, and leadership from Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. As official programs of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (in the United States), Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide provide the recognition to travelers, civic leaders, and the global cultural, heritage, and historic travel market that member hotels are among the finest historic hotels across the United States of America and around the world. The Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence program recognizes the pinnacle of this distinct group of nominees in a range of categories.
From more than 260 nominations received, the Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence nominations committee evaluated and, after careful consideration, selected the following 2021 Historic Hotels 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.
This award is presented to a hotel that actively engages consumers by sharing the best of its history through social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with interesting facts, photos, and contests.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 his or her hotel, a true ambassador of the past.
- Tom Vickstrom at The Hermitage Hotel (1910) Nashville, Tennessee
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.
- Top of the Mark at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco (1926) San Francisco, California
Historic Hotels of America Ambassador of the Year (Celebrating 20+ Years of Service)
This award is presented to an individual who has dedicated his or her career to a historic hotel for at least twenty years and has shown exemplary hospitality and service to the hotel and its guests.
- Cherie LeJeune at The American Club Resort Hotel (1918) Kohler, Wisconsin
This award is presented to a multi-generational family ownership entity or management company which has served as an exemplary role model in the operation of the historic hotels entrusted to its stewardship, as well as a demonstrated legacy of commitment to preservation, and active participation in Historic Hotels of America.
- The Widman Family at Charming Inns®: John Rutledge House Inn, Kings Courtyard Inn (1853), Wentworth Mansion® (1886), Circa 1886 Restaurant (1886) Charleston, South Carolina
This award is presented to a leader whose passion has helped to preserve a historic hotel and whose dedication to historic preservation will ensure that future generations of travelers can experience its history.
- Bruce Haines at Historic Hotel Bethlehem (1922) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
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.
- John Dewberry at The Dewberry (1965) Charleston, South Carolina
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.
- Jeanne and Grant Genzlinger at The Settlers Hospitality Group: The Sayre Mansion (1858), Ledges Hotel (1890), The Settlers Inn at Bingham Park (1927), and Silver Birches (1927) Pennsylvania
Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Historic Hotel in Europe
This award is presented to a historic hotel in Europe that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Historic Hotel in Asia/Pacific
This award is presented to a hotel in Asia/Pacific that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Historic Hotel in the Americas
This award is presented to a hotel in the Americas that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year
This award is presented to an individual for making a unique contribution in the research and presentation of history, and whose work has encouraged a wide, if not provocative, discussion and greater understanding of the history of our nation.
This award recognizes the extensive accomplishments of an individual in pioneering innovative concepts for achieving uncommon success, for being a thought leader on exceptional service, a legend and inspiring leader in the hotel world, and whose teachings and vision have reshaped the concepts of service and hospitality across industries.
“It is an honor to congratulate all the 2021 Historic Hotels 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 the across the United States of America and from around the world. The winners were selected from iconic historic hotels nominated including small historic inns, boutique historic hotels, lifestyle historic hotels, and legendary historic 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 decades, if not centuries, these buildings have seen, it is the care of their staff, owners, and operators and the support of travelers that allow their stories to continue.”
About 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. 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, the U.S. Virgin Islands, 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/US.
About Historic Hotels Worldwide®
Historic Hotels Worldwide® 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 more than 46 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 a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and presently used as historic hotel. For more information, please visit HistoricHotelsWorldwide.com.
