Historic Hotels of America Has Big Birthday Plans for the U.S.’ 250th
by Laurie Wilson
Historic Hotels of America®, founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to champion heritage and cultural tourism and celebrate a collection of the best of the United States’ historic hotels, is getting ready to blow out the candles in 2026.
The original Historic Hotels of America class of 35 charter members debuted the prestigious program, and most are still members. Today, there are about 300 hotel members, a vetted collection of luxury and upscale hotels that have preserved their historic character and authenticity. And, as the country’s milestone 250th birthday approaches in 2026, it is anticipated that travelers will appreciate the historical significance of these properties even more, and celebrations with special programming, packages, and amenities are in the works.
Historic Hotels of America properties are diverse in size ranging from small inns (the smallest has four rooms) to city-center hotels to destination resorts (the largest property has 1,000-plus rooms). At least nine historic hotel members are AAA 5-Diamond or Forbes 5-Star, and 140-plus are AAA 4-Diamond or better. About 32 of the hotels are designated National Historic Landmarks or Landmark Districts by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and at least 140 members are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (and more are within or border those historic districts.)
The selection requirements:
- The hotel must be at least 50 years old
- Must 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
- Must be recognized as having historical significance.
There is a nomination form at Historic Hotels.org that encourages anyone to fill out if they believe a hotel they work at or admire should be part of the program.
Properties in the Historic Hotels of America portfolio
“The histories of the formation and continuation of the United States can be told through its historic hotels,” said Katherine Orr, director of marketing strategy and communications, at Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “The most popular ways of understanding the past—through labor history, political history, immigration history, cultural history, economic history, sports history, women’s history, Black history, military history—can be applied to historic hotels.”
Several hotels in the program (El Tovar Hotel and the Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins in Grand Canyon National Park and The Historic Magnolia House in North Carolina) were once listed in editions of the “The Negro Motorist Green Book” and others tell the story of segregated spaces and at least one was the site of sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement (The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City).
Some had former lives as military barracks (Inn at the Presidio and The Lodge at the Presidio, Inn at Diamond Cove) or factories (Cork Factory Hotel and Ledges Hotel) that are now boutique hotels. The oldest members in the program are the Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, which dates to 1625, and was once the hacienda of Padre Ramon Ortiz, one of Santa Fe’s founders during the Spanish colonial period. And El Convento (est. 1651) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, which was once a Carmelite convent.
And, not surprisingly, given in part to their densely populated locations, there is an impressive number of member hotels located along the East Coast in New England and in New York City, and travelers can expect big celebrations in 2026. They include:
In Boston, The Omni Parker House is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the U.S. dating to 1855, and where Boston Cream Pie was invented. Parker House rolls were also discovered here, hence the name; both iconic dishes are still on the menu and will undoubtedly star in the big birthday bash. The landmark hotel sits on the Freedom Trail and has hosted every President since Ulysses S. Grant. Other memorable moments—Dickens gave his first American reading of A Christmas Carol. In many ways, the hotel is a living history museum–and shows off memorabilia of its storied past including photos of the barber shop in the belly of the hotel, with more than a dozen barber chairs—convenient for the politicians who worked in the State Capitol just blocks away.
Also in Boston, the Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston has had a formidable presence in town since 1912. The 383-guest room hotel presides over stately Copley Square and, in fact, was built on the original site of the Museum of Fine Arts. Accents of marble and crystal are timeless reminders of the hotel’s allure and the hotel’s handsome Oak Bar has been popular with Brahmins all these years and was once the Merry Go-Round Bar during Prohibition with a true merry go-round—there are remnants of the track preserved in the floor.
The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts (est. 1773), famously known for its sprawling porch and rockers that overlook the village’s Main Street, is also notable as a meeting place during Shay’s Rebellion. And, if it is true that cats have nine lives, the two felines that roam the lobby may have been here at that period, too. The inn also has had many lives and started out as a tavern; today, Widow Bingham’s Tavern is a cozy spot with booths, bar and memorabilia and The Lion’s Den has been one of the most popular spots in the Berkshires for live music for decades. The inn is in many ways timeless and that is its’ magic. Authenticity is felt and seen in treasures of days gone by that are on display in the main inn. Some of the rooms have shared bathrooms down the hall, but others have private baths and there are also rooms in guest houses. There’s a heated pool and hot tub, too. This was the place to see and be seen for two centuries now, and still is.
Coastal Portland, Maine is home to the desirable in-town Portland Regency Hotel & Spa. The hotel dates to 1895 when it debuted as an armory for the Maine National Guard. The Neo-Gothic Romanesque exterior is still evident, and lovely decks were added to the top floor guest rooms for views of Portland. And, of course, the spa is a revolutionary enhancement to the hotel in later years. The Ironside Whiskey Bar and Armory Bar are popular Old Port spots for locals and visitors.
Newport, Rhode Island’s Hotel Viking, rumored to be haunted, may have a ghost or two show up for the 2026 birthday celebrations. The hotel’s in-town location is a quick walk to Newport Harbor with lots of boating and sailing action. The Viking opened in the Roaring Twenties, primarily for the rich and famous who came to town to enjoy parties in the storied mansions down the street. The rooftop is a nice spot for a martini toast to a bygone era.
About 15 minutes from the lively seaport town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with its cobblestoned street lined with shops and waterfront seafood restaurants, is the elegant, historic Wentworth by the Sea, on the island of New Castle. Clay tennis courts, a spa, two pools and a marina-front restaurant crown the jewel hotel today, but there are still those turrets that preside over the Gilded Age grand dame retreat; the hotel debuted in 1874. Since then, the Wentworth has hosted presidents and dignitaries.
Once upon a time, The Algonquin Hotel, in Manhattan, around the corner from the legendary New York Public Library, was famed for its literary Round Table; Dorothy Parker is everywhere in this hotel. It is also home to another tale, Hamlet the Cat. And then, there is the legendary Blue Bar, which opened in 1933 at Prohibition’s demise and became known as the spot for Broadway stars to gather amidst the rich artwork of hotel regular, artist Al Hirschfeld. Today, it is still a popular spot for New York’s cultural crowd.
And the Omni Berkshire Place in midtown is Manhattan royalty. The hotel debuted in 1926 as part of a plan to develop hotels and apartments in the Grand Central Station Terminal neighborhood with the idea to salute the new-beaux-arts terminal. It was not only a hotel, but a residence for famous New Yorkers to live in. And the presidential suite is named for Rodgers & Hammerstein who met and collaborated here on their musical hit Oklahoma.
How advisors can work with Historic Hotels of America
For travel advisors, Historic Hotels of America distributes content from more than 40 hotel brands, chains, and collections, such as family travel experiences, romantic getaways and places to propose, culinary heritage and traditions, holiday experiences, golf, and other recreational activities. For about 60 of those hotels, advisors can book using the HE GDS code, and for properties, book directly with the hotel chain, brand, or collection GDS code. The site will also be updated with information about the 250th birthday celebrations.
