WASHINGTON, D.C.—The winners of the 2024 Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence were announced at the ceremony and gala, which took place November 21, at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va. Seven Southern hotels were selected as winners from more than 500 nominations.
More than 200 industry leaders, owners, general managers, senior management, and representatives of the world’s finest historic hotels gathered to celebrate and recognize the best historic hotels in the United States.
During the ceremony, 19 distinct awards were presented to hoteliers and hotels, recognizing them as the best of the best among their peers. 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.
“It is an honor to congratulate all of the 2024 Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence winners,” said Lawrence Horwitz, executive vice president of 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.”
From more than 500 nominations received, the awards committee selected seven Southern hotels as 2024 Historic Hotels of America Awards of Excellence winners:
Best Historic Hotel (76-200 Guest Rooms) Winner: The Jefferson Hotel (1895) Richmond, Va.
Best Historic Hotel (400+ Guest Rooms) Winner: JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District (1912) Savannah, Ga.
Best City Center Historic Hotel Winner: The Willard InterContinental Washington, DC (1818) Washington, D.C
Best Historic Resort Winner: Colonial Williamsburg Resorts: Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection, and Colonial Houses (1750) and Williamsburg Inn (1937) Williamsburg, Va.
Ambassador of the Year (25+ Years of Service) Winner: Cindy White at The Omni Homestead Resort (1766) Hot Springs, Va.
Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year Winner: The Monteleone Family at Hotel Monteleone (1886) New Orleans
Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Molly and Robert D. Hardie at The Hermitage Hotel (1910) Nashville, Tennessee; and Keswick Hall (1912) Charlottesville, Va.
Historian of the Year Winner: Anthea M. Hartig, Ph.D., serving as the Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.
For the complete list of 2024 Historic Hotels of America Awards of Excellence winners, read the press release.
