Historic Hotels of America Announces 2013 Annual Award Winners

The Historic Hotels of America 2013 Annual Awards recipients were announced at The Pfister Hotel (1893) on Thursday, November 21. The Historic Hotels of America 2013 Annual Awards gala dinner was sponsored by Buena Vista Winery and American Express. Awards were presented to an audience of owners, senior management, invited media, industry leaders, and representatives from the finest historic hotels across America. Honors were given in multiple categories ranging from Hotelier of the Year and Hotel Historian of the Year to Sustainability Champion and Best Historic Restaurant in Conjunction with a Historic Hotel.

Each year, these awards honor, encourage, and recognize the most exemplary historic hotels, hoteliers, and leadership practices. The Historic Hotels of America Hotel of the Year Award is the highest honor awarded. The Best Historic Hotel awards are given to historic hotels demonstrating the highest contribution to furthering the celebration of history and demonstrating leadership and innovation in one of four categories ranging from under 75 to 400 guest rooms.

Of a strong group of nominees, the following Historic Hotels of America hotels and hoteliers were honored with these prestigious awards:

Historic Hotels of America New Member of the Year

• The Jefferson, Washington, D.C. (1923) Washington, D.C.

Historic Hotelier of the Year

• Dennis Costello, Historic Hotel Bethlehem (1922) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Best Small Historic Inn/Hotel (Under 75 Guest Rooms)

• The Wort Hotel (1941) Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Best Historic Hotel (75-200 Guest Rooms)

• Gettysburg Hotel, Est. 1797 Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Best Historic Hotel (200-400 Guest Rooms)

• Ojai Valley Inn & Spa (1923) Ojai, California

Best Historic Hotel (Over 400 Guest Rooms)

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

Best City Center Historic Hotel

• The Willard InterContinental (1850) Washington, D.C.

Best Historic Resort

• French Lick Resort (1845) French Lick, Indiana

Hotel Historian of the Year

• Bob Tagatz, Grand Hotel (1887) Mackinac Island, Michigan

Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year

• The Morrissey Family, The Saint Paul Hotel (1910) St. Paul, Minnesota

Best Historic Restaurant in Conjunction with a Historic Hotel

• Plume at The Jefferson, Washington, D.C., (1923) Washington, D.C.

Best Social Media of a Historic Hotel

• The Stanley (1909) Estes Park, Colorado

Historic Hotels of America Sustainability Champion

• Timberline Lodge (1938) Timberline, Oregon

Historic Hotels of America Ambassador of the Year (Quarter Century Service)

• George Moore, The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa (1852) Mobile, Alabama

Historic Hotels of America Heritage Award

• The Marcus Family, The Pfister Hotel (1893) Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Historic Hotels of America Community Leadership Award

• The Lenox (1900) Boston, Massachusetts

Historic Hotels of America Lifetime Achievement Award

• Thierry Roch, Former Executive Director, Historic Hotels of America

The hotels were nominated by fellow members, past award recipients, and honorees. Award winners were judiciously chosen by the Historic Hotels of America selection committee.

"Historic Hotels of America is proud to announce the 2013 Annual Award winners," said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. "These historic hotels and hoteliers are the finest across America. They inspire travelers to discover and experience the treasures where America's history was written."

As the 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 the member hotels are among the finest historic hotels across America.

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. Historic Hotels of America was founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservationwith 32 charter members. In 2007, Preferred Hotel Group partnered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to grow and enhance Historic Hotels of America. Historic Hotels of America has more than 244 historic hotels. These historic hotels have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated properties. More than 30 of the world's finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; must have been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance. For more information, please visit www.HistoricHotels.org.

SOURCE: BUSINESS WIRE

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