Historic Hotels of America reveals its 2025 award finalists
- Jake Nicholas
- Sep 2
- 3 min read
Historic Hotels of America has unveiled the Nominee Finalists for the 2025 Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence, recognizing the finest historic hotels across the United States. Selected from more than 700 nominations, this year’s finalists highlight properties that exemplify preservation, cultural stewardship, and authentic hospitality. The winners will be revealed on October 30, 2025, at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle.
Among the most anticipated categories is Best City Center Historic Hotel, where Nashville’s Hermitage Hotel, a 1910 Beaux-Arts landmark and Tennessee’s only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond property, is competing alongside icons such as The Brown Palace in Denver, HOTEL DU PONT in Wilmington, The Hollywood Roosevelt in Los Angeles, and Hilton Milwaukee. The nomination cements The Hermitage’s place as a cultural cornerstone in Nashville while putting it on the national stage with some of America’s most enduring urban hotels.
Florida is strongly represented across multiple categories. La Concha Key West, the 1926 Duval Street icon, is nominated for Best Historic Hotel (76–200 Guestrooms). The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, fresh from a major restoration, is recognized as a Sustainability Champion. Mission Resort + Club in Howey-in-the-Hills joins the Best Historic Hotel (76–200 Guestrooms) lineup, and The Lodge at Wakulla Springs is a finalist both for Sustainability Champion and Best Social Media. Together, these properties showcase Florida’s unique mix of architectural heritage, environmental leadership, and Southern hospitality.
New York also stands out with several nominations. The InterContinental New York Barclay, which first opened in 1926, is in the running for New Member of the Year. Martinique New York on Broadway, a Curio Collection property from 1898, is a finalist for Best Historic Hotel (Over 400 Guestrooms). The Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection but long considered a New York powerbroker’s second home, is up for multiple awards. Collectively, these nominations underscore the enduring influence of New York’s historic hotels in shaping American hospitality.
Other highlights include The Queen Mary in Long Beach, one of the most storied ocean liners ever built, now permanently docked and reimagined as a hotel; the von Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, operated by the descendants of the famous musical family; and legendary resorts such as The Omni Homestead in Virginia and Jekyll Island Club Resort in Georgia. Awards also extend beyond the properties themselves, recognizing ambassadors, historians, and multi-generational hoteliers who have dedicated their careers to keeping history alive.
As Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President of Historic Hotels of America, shared, the finalists “exemplify the finest historic hotels and hoteliers in the United States. They keep the stories from the past alive and make staying or celebrating special occasions at these historic hotels memorable experiences for guests.”
With categories spanning from sustainability to dining, and from small inns to grand resorts, this year’s Historic Hotels of America Awards reflect the extraordinary range of historic hotels still thriving in the modern era. All eyes now turn to Seattle, where on October 30 the winners will be announced in front of an audience of industry leaders and preservation champions.
