| WASHINGTON, D.C., October 1, 2007 � National Trust Historic
Hotels of America announces the addition of 12 new members. This selection
brings the program�s total membership to 212 hotels, representing 39 states,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
�This collection of 12 hotels represents a variety of American travel
experiences,� said Thierry Roch, executive director of National Trust Historic
Hotels of America, �from the wild west in California to the serene coast
of Maine and in big cities and small towns. We are delighted to add these
hotels to Historic Hotels of America.�
Here�s a sampling of interesting facts highlighting the history and
architecture of the hotels as well as personalities who have walked through
the doors.
The Golden Gate Saloon at The Holbrooke Hotel in Grass
Valley, Calif., dates to the 1850s and is reputedly the oldest continually
operating saloon west of the Mississippi. (Located 2 ½ hours northeast
of San Francisco; 28 rooms; rates from $100)
Built in 1926, The Brazilian Court in Palm Beach, Fla., was immediately
adopted by the Palm Beach elite including Marjorie Merriweather Post, Charles
Munn and Ambassador Stanton Griffis. The hotel�s layout and lack of a grand
lobby made it convenient for prominent guests to slip in and out without
attracting attention. (Located in the residential area of Palm Beach; 78
rooms and suites; from $199)
Author and naturalist Rachel Carson was a frequent visitor to the Newagen
Seaside Inn in Southport, Maine, drawing inspiration from its natural
beauty and requested her ashes be scattered at the inn upon her death.
(Located on the southern tip of Southport Island, approximately one and
a half hours from Portland, Maine, and three hours from Boston; 30 rooms,
suites and cottages; rates from $135)
The Jefferson Clinton Hotel in Syracuse, N.Y., has hosted famous
personalities through the years including B.B. King and The Supremes. (Located
in the Armory Square district of downtown Syracuse; 60 suites and eight
European rooms; rates from $169)
The original glass windows of the Crystal Ballroom at the Bedford
Springs Resort in Bedford Springs, Pa., have been etched by the diamond
rings of brides married at the resort, some dating back to the mid-19th
century. (Located a three hour drive from Washington, D.C.; 216 rooms;
rates from $175)
The Blanche Nevin meeting room at the Lancaster Arts Hotel in
Lancaster, Pa., is named for America�s first recognized woman sculptor.
This restored tobacco warehouse features original local art for purchase
in every guest room. (Located in downtown Lancaster, 10 minutes from Pennsylvania
Dutch country; 63 rooms and suites; rates from $159)
The Hotel Fauchère, Milford, Pa., houses a collection of Hudson
River School paintings. Following a meticulous renovation, the hotel reopened
in 2006. (Located in the Delaware River Highlands, 75 miles from Manhattan;
16 rooms; rates from $275)
The Italianate-style Independence Park Hotel in Philadelphia
was designed in the mid-1800s by local architect Joseph Hoxie who was best
known for his work on the city�s churches. (Located in the heart of Old
City Philadelphia; 36 guest rooms; rates from $149)
Built in 1924 as the Melrose Court Apartments and today known as the
Warwick Melrose Hotel in Dallas, the hotel has hosted an array of celebrities
including Elizabeth Taylor, Martin Sheen and playwright Arthur Miller.
(Located in the Upper Oak Lawn and Turtle Creek neighborhoods; 184 rooms
and suites; $174)
The Tazewell Hotel & Suites in Norfolk, Va., is named in
honor of Littleton Walter Tazewell, a prominent local attorney and governor
of Virginia whose stately home stood on the site until 1901. (Located in
the historic district of downtown Norfolk; 58 rooms and suites; rates from
$109)
The Hawthorn Hotel & Suites at the Governor Dinwiddie in
Portsmouth, Va., is named for Robert Dinwiddie, the lieutenant governor
of Virginia who made George Washington a lieutenant colonel and led the
colony during the years that preceded the French and Indian War. (Located
in the Olde Towne historic and business districts of Portsmouth; 60 rooms
and suites; rates from $109)
Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, Va., opened in 1939 as one
of the two original hotels envisioned by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The Lodge
joins the Williamsburg Inn and the Colonial Houses-Historic Lodging which
are already members of Historic Hotels of America. (Located adjacent to
Colonial Williamsburg�s historic area, one hour from Richmond; 323 rooms
and suites; rates from $129)
.
Newagen Seaside Inn
60 Newagen Colony Road
Southport, Maine
|
Williamsburg Lodge
310 S. England St.
Williamsburg, Virginia
|
.
Representing nearly 36,000 rooms, Historic Hotels of America ranks
as the 14th largest hotel consortia in the world, according to Hotels magazine
(July 2007).
Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic
Preservation. Historic Hotels of America has identified more than 200 hotels
that have faithfully maintained their historic integrity, architecture
and ambiance. To be selected for this prestigious program, a hotel must
be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register
of Historic Places or recognized as having historic significance. A directory
of member hotels can be purchased for $4.00 by sending a check to National
Trust Historic Hotels of America, P.O. Box 320, Washington, D.C. 20055-0320.
Rooms at any of the member hotels can be reserved by calling 800-678-8946
or at www.historichotels.org. Reservations made through Historic Hotels
of America support the National Trust, a non-profit organization of 200,000
members that provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America's
diverse historic places and revitalize our communities. Historic Hotels
of America is aligned with Historic Hotels of Europe, a federation of 16
European hotel associations in 16 countries, and with Historic Hotels of
Mexico, an association of hotels and restaurants located in buildings of
historical significance including haciendas, palaces, monasteries, convents,
fortresses, country estates and more. |
