The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Best of Adaptive Reuse List Is Announced in Celebration of Preservation Month

Historic Hotels of America^®, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United States, is pleased to announce The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Best of Adaptive Reuse list. A popular and creative approach to historic preservation, adaptive reuse saves unused historic buildings from demolition by rehabilitating and renovating them to serve a new purpose. Travelers can visit many historic inns, resorts, and hotels in the United States today because their owners chose to reimagine these historic buildings in sustainable and creative ways. These adaptive reuse hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America offer travelers an immersive, authentic, and fun way to experience historic preservation on their next trip.

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The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Best of Adaptive Reuse List Is Announced in Celebration of Preservation Month

Released during Preservation Month, The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Best of Adaptive Reuse list spotlights 25 richly preserved historic buildings that were not originally built to be hotels. Guests can spend the night on a former luxury ocean liner, dine in a fire station, and swim in the hotel pool at a historic YMCA. One historic hotel featured on the list is a former junior high school that embraces its past with “hall pass” guestroom keycards and signature cocktails like the Prom Queen. Another historic hotel featured on the list is a former train station that curated train car-themed suites, named after the ticketing agents who once worked there. These hotels are proof that historic buildings can offer modern amenities while preserving their timeless character.

This month, the nation’s leading preservation nonprofit is shining a spotlight on the ways in which history and heritage are preserved in the United States, and on the people who are doing this important work. The theme this year honors those who are “Harnessing The Power of Place” —what historic hoteliers do every day for their guests.

For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org and sign up for Discover & Explore to stay up to date on news and special offers.

El Convento Hotel (1646) San Juan, Puerto Rico

Former Carmelite Convent

Located within the historic walled city of Old San Juan, El Convento Hotel was built over 350 years ago as a Roman Catholic convent for nuns of the Carmelite Order. The land was donated to the Order by Doña Ana Lanzós, a wealthy widow, in the early 1600s, but construction was delayed while labor and material resources were redirected to build the city's fortifications. In 1646, King Phillip IV of Spain approved the convent, and San Juan finally had its beautiful new convent. Debuting as the Monasterio del Señor San José de la Orden de nuestra Señora del Carmen in 1651, the convent welcomed three nuns from Hispaniola as its first residents. For nearly 250 years, the convent was one of the Caribbean’s major Catholic facilities, often providing support to the Catedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista—the second-most historic cathedral in the Americas. In 1903, the convent closed. The Bishop of Puerto Rico determined that the convent was too expensive to maintain, and the building faced an uncertain future for 50 years. In the mid-20th century, Robert Woolworth stepped in and invested in the complete rehabilitation of the building, ultimately transforming the historic convent into a stunning, boutique hotel. Reborn as El Convento Hotel, it soon emerged as one of the most popular vacation destinations in all of San Juan. In fact, numerous celebrities—including Rita Hayworth and Truman Capote—were among the first guests to step inside. Further restorations and renovations have rejuvenated the building’s historical and structural integrity, revitalizing the Spanish-style design features of the original convent, such as the architectural details throughout the building’s façade. Among other historic features, a 300-year-old níspero fruit tree stands in the historic courtyard. El Convento Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 1999 and dates to 1646.

Woolverton Inn (1792) Stockton, New Jersey

Former Farmhouse and Barn

The bucolic Woolverton Inn and Northridge Restaurant exemplify the power of adaptive reuse in preserving history while offering modern amenities. This stunning destination is located on an estate with a beautifully restored manor house that dates to 1792, and a stone barn that dates to the 1830s, each repurposed to create a unique guest experience rooted in historic charm and sustainability. The manor house was originally built as an unassuming, two-story farmhouse in 1792. The early residents of the farm cultivated linseed and grain on the land and maintained a fruit orchard. It remained a private residence until the early 1980s, when it was carefully converted into an elegant country inn. The transformation preserved original details—including grand fireplaces, wide plank flooring, and hand-hewn beams—while integrating luxurious, modern amenities. Today, the manor house, along with its thoughtfully built cottages, welcomes guests seeking a historic yet refined retreat. The estate’s stone barn was meticulously restored and repurposed into Northridge Restaurant, a fine dining destination and event venue. While maintaining its rustic stone walls, soaring wooden beams, and original structural elements, the space has been outfitted with modern amenities to accommodate intimate dinners, weddings, and other celebrations. This transformation honors the barn’s agrarian history, while offering guests an immersive and atmospheric dining experience. By repurposing these existing buildings rather than constructing new ones, Woolverton Inn strategically minimizes its environmental impact while retaining its rich architectural heritage. Woolverton Inn was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2023 and dates to 1792.

The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center (1828) Staunton, Virginia

Former Hospital

The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center dates to 1828, when the Virginia State Government built Western State Hospital on 80 acres in Staunton, Virginia. Soon after it opened, the hospital administrators hired architect Thomas R. Blackburn to expand the medical campus. Blackburn was a respected architectural protégé of former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. Blackburn directed the magnificent renovation of the complex, which saw the addition of spacious room wings, verdant gardens, and a magnificent cupola on top of the main hospital building. He aimed to create a place of healing that was as beautiful as it was useful. When construction concluded in 1836, the Western State Hospital stood as an architectural masterpiece. The hospital moved out of these buildings in the 1970s, and portions of the medical campus have been repurposed since then. In the early-21st century, investors acquired several of the buildings on the medical campus. After undergoing a long and careful renovation, The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center opened in Summer 2018, and was inducted into Historic Hotels of America that same year. The boutique hotel merges modern amenities and historic architectural details, along with elegant touches. The unique architectural features in The Blackburn Inn include the original heart pine floors and classical molding around the doorways. The transom windows on the third floor were the inspiration behind the inn’s logo. Guests can learn more about the inn’s architectural history by asking for information at the front desk, or by locating a copy of In Jefferson’s Shadow: The Architecture of Thomas R. Blackburn (2006) in the gift shop. The Blackburn Inn and Conference Center was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2018 and dates to 1828.

Visitation Hotel Frederick, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel (1846) Frederick, Maryland

Former Convent and Girls’ School

Guests can marvel at the striking architectural details of Visitation Hotel Frederick, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, which served as a Catholic educational institution led by the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary in historic Frederick, Maryland, for over 150 years. The school was at the center of the greater Frederick community throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, even briefly serving as a Civil War field hospital for wounded troops after the nearby Battle of Antietam. The historic academy continued to be active in the community into the 20th century. In the early 2000s, the Vatican closed the monastery and relocated the nuns to another convent in Virginia. The academy operated for a few more years until it closed permanently in 2016. Sitting completely vacant, the fate of the historic institution seemed dire. However, Annapolis-based businessman James O’Hare decided to purchase the academy. Vowing to save its impressive cultural heritage, he invested $20 million to adapt the academy compound into a boutique hotel and restaurant. O’Hare and his team from OTJ Architects carefully preserved the facility’s architecture, collaborating closely with the National Park Service and the Maryland Historical Trust to ensure that its historical character would be left intact. Debuting as the Visitation Hotel Frederick, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in 2024 and inducted into Historic Hotels of America that same year, this historic hotel invites cultural travelers to experience its architecture, art, history, and hospitality. Visitation Hotel Frederick, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2024 and dates to 1846.

Bellwether House (1876) Savannah, Georgia

Former Private Rowhouses

The charming Bellwether House occupies two stately 19th-century townhouses, originally built in 1876 as private residences for two prominent Savannah families. These Italianate-style homes were thoughtfully designed with the hallmark architectural features of the era—soaring ceilings, grand staircases, symmetrical façades, and intricate moldings. The legacy of Bellwether House’s grand private residences is woven throughout the boutique hotel. Guests encounter historic design elements at every turn: original heart pine floors, period-specific chandeliers, and elegant fireplaces that once warmed drawing rooms and parlors. The expansive front porches and meticulously landscaped courtyards evoke the genteel lifestyle of Savannah’s past, encouraging a slower pace and neighborly interactions. During the buildings’ transformations, great care was taken to preserve the original architectural details while weaving in modern comforts and luxurious amenities. Each suite is unique, with layouts shaped by the original footprints, and décor that blends Southern charm with modern elegance. History lovers can appreciate the deep respect shown for the Bellwether House’s design integrity—every choice, from furnishings to fixtures, was made with the house’s history in mind. The restoration team collaborated closely with artisans and preservationists to ensure that every architectural design element—from plaster ceiling medallions to original fireplaces—was retained or thoughtfully restored, honoring the original craftsmanship and Gilded Age grandeur. Guests are welcomed with a brief narrative of the Bellwether House’s history, as the hotel staff are trained to share this unique history. Daily Afternoon Tea—a quintessential tradition of the Victorian Era—is served with an elevated, wellness-focused twist, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the slower pace of the 19th century. Bellwether House was named one of Historic Hotels of America’s “Most Romantic” hotels of 2025. Bellwether House was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2021.

Atheneum Suite Hotel (1879) Detroit, Michigan

Former Seed Company Warehouse

Originally a seed company warehouse in Detroit, Michigan, when the city was the “Seed Capital of the World,” Atheneum Suite Hotel offers 173 elegant suites with views of the city's skyline. The business's history can be traced to 1856, when businessman Dexter Mason Ferry established his seed company in Detroit and opened a large warehouse complex on the corner of Monroe Street and Beaubien Boulevard in 1879. The most historic portion of the current building dates to 1886, when a newer, grander warehouse designed by architect Gordon W. Lloyd was built, who drew inspiration for the Romanesque-style warehouse from Marshall Field’s Wholesale Store in Chicago. Debuting as the largest industrial structure in Detroit at the time, the building stood eight stories tall and featured a distinctive brick façade with limestone trim. The ornate, imposing warehouse served as the company's headquarters for decades. By the 1950s, the company expanded into world markets as the Ferry-Morse Seed Company and moved its business operations away from Detroit, leading to the closure of its historic warehouse. In the 1980s, businessman Jim Papas, a Greek immigrant with deep connections to the neighborhood, acquired the site and planned to build an upscale hotel. He recognized the building’s rich heritage and directed the renovations to preserve the building’s architectural integrity. Papas and his team transformed the Ferry-Morse Seed Company’s warehouse into a mixed-use urban mall known as Trappers Alley, establishing the Atheneum Suite Hotel at the same time. Part of the historic Greektown neighborhood, the Atheneum Suite Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2023.

Lancaster Arts Hotel (1881) Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Former Tobacco Warehouse

The Lancaster Arts Hotel preserves and celebrates its history in every aspect of its design. Originally constructed in the 1880s as the Falk and Rosenbaum Tobacco Warehouse, it played a significant role in Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s once-thriving tobacco industry. Built with red brick masonry, thick wooden beams, and iron reinforcements, the warehouse was designed to store large quantities of tobacco under optimal conditions. The exposed brick and wooden beams remain an integral part of the hotel's aesthetic today. The hotel honors its industrial origins while reflecting its evolution into a destination that celebrates both creativity and hospitality. Handcrafted furniture by Pennsylvanian artisans, including traditional four-poster beds and tobacco chairs, reinforces the hotel’s history and commitment to regional craftsmanship. The hotel's carefully curated ambiance pays homage to its past while offering modern elegance to its guests, seamlessly incorporating metal fixtures, reclaimed wood, and warehouse-style windows that honor the building’s history. In 2004, developers recognized the potential to transform this historic warehouse space into a boutique hotel. Over a two-year period, great care was taken to restore its original brick walls, wooden beams, and sections of the original wood flooring, ensuring that the integrity of the structure remained intact while creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for guests. A dedicated history wall in the lobby tells the story of the building’s transformation into a boutique historic hotel. The hotel embraces its role as both a boutique hotel and a cultural landmark, allowing guests to engage with the building’s history through its design, storytelling, and art. The Lancaster Arts Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2008 and dates to 1881.

Fairfield Inn & Suites Madison Historic Eagle Cotton Mill (1884) Madison, Indiana

Former Cotton Mill

Located on the banks of the Ohio River, Fairfield Inn & Suites Madison Historic Eagle Cotton Mill was built in 1884 as a cotton mill. Local businessmen Robert Rankin and James White constructed the Eagle Cotton Mill to bolster Madison’s manufacturing-based economy. They used money raised through local subscriptions to purchase and relocate equipment from a Pennsylvania mill, and by the turn of the twentieth century, the mill was the city’s major industrial plant, with 400 employees producing muslin, canvas, and twine. The mill ceased operations during the Great Depression, and the building housed other manufacturing operations for another 50 years, producing shoes, canvas military goods, ice cream carts, and refrigerators. Despite its prime location, the building fell into disrepair and was even listed on Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered places list in 2013 and 2014. Preservation-minded investors soon saved the building, carefully renovating and restoring it. The building’s façade remains mostly the same, as a masonry company repaired more than a million original bricks, and new windows were installed within the original frames. Inside, the building retains its original wooden beams, where visitors can see where factory workers carved their names, and the names of their loved ones, into the wood. Original wood from the mill's historic stairs was repurposed and installed as a statement wall behind the lobby bar. Complementing these historic architectural design features, the interior design and artwork throughout this historic hotel highlights the building’s history. When the Fairfield Inn & Suites Madison Historic Eagle Cotton Mill opened, it won the Indiana Landmarks Renaissance Award, recognizing its revitalization of the historic mill and the subsequent economic revitalization of Madison, Indiana. Fairfield Inn & Suites Madison Historic Eagle Cotton Mill was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2023.

Napa River Inn (1884) Napa, California

Former Warehouse

Napa River Inn is a historic inn on the Napa River in California’s Wine Country. However, this riverfront getaway has not always been a boutique hotel. Napa River Inn was known as the Hatt Building for decades, and served a variety of purposes before its transformation into an inn. In 1882, Captain Albert E. Hatt, a German immigrant, decided to invest in a plot of land at the corner of Main Street and Fifth Street in Napa, California, where he built a massive multipurpose warehouse that became a success. Local merchants used the warehouse to store goods, and the warehouse provided space for Alma Hogan Hatt, Albert’s wife, to open a restaurant. On the second floor, the Hatts added a skating rink, library, and dining area. After the Hatt family moved on, the building served as a granary and mill for local farmers for approximately 50 years. After a period of uncertainty in the late-20th century, an investor acquired the building in 1992 with a plan to transform it into a stunning hotel, worthy of the beautiful Napa Valley, while preserving the building’s rich history and architectural integrity. The Hatt Building debuted as the Napa River Inn in 2000. Today, guests can stay in guestrooms with exposed brick walls that are original to the warehouse, and can even book Captain Hatt's Suite, complete with a fireplace and a clawfoot slipper bathtub. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places and once named as one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Napa River Inn was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2004.

Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa (1885) Sausalito, California

Former Private Home

Built in 1885 as a private manor house, Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa was once the residence of William G. Barrett—a San Francisco businessman originally from Vermont—and his family. Styled after Tuscan villas, and utilizing Victorian Era architecture, with its porticos and verandas, the beautiful hillside house was part of a wave of modern development in Sausalito, California, as the San Francisco Bay Area expanded in the latter half of the 19th century. The hillside location in Sausalito provided a wide-angle view of the San Francisco Bay, teeming with large cargo ships, elegant yachts, and sidewheeler ferryboats. Today, guests can still enjoy these panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay. The Barretts sold the house in 1906, and its new owner transformed the manor house into a popular hotel. By the 1980s, the hotel’s owner acquired a former garage located next to the house and adapted the garage into additional guestrooms. It was around this time that the owner successfully nominated the hotel to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2010, a new owner undertook a bold and visionary restoration effort to revitalize the manor house, while maintaining its architectural integrity. It was a success: today, guests can enjoy the original Barrett home and its preserved Victorian Era architectural details, as well as modern hotel amenities. Guests can still walk up the original ramp of Mason’s Garage, which now features stairs that lead up to the hotel’s wellness courtyard and spa. This historic hotel offers luxurious suites with expansive views of San Francisco and Marin County, as well as spa amenities and fine dining. Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2024.

Ledges Hotel (1890) Hawley, Pennsylvania

Former Glass Factory

Perched on the edge of Wallenpaupack Creek in Hawley, Pennsylvania, amid the breathtaking scenery of the Pocono Mountains, Ledges Hotel is a tranquil destination with a fascinating industrial history. The Federal-style building dates to the 1890s, when it served as the J.S. O’Connor American Rich Cut Glassware Factory, one of the largest of its kind in the United States at the time. Founded by an Irish immigrant, the factory on Wallenpaupack Creek was water-powered and was one of the county’s biggest employers. In 2011, family-owned Settlers Hospitality Group acquired the building to develop a hotel and restaurant that would preserve the aesthetic of this historic building, which was constructed with Pennsylvania Bluestone. Wood from the trusses of the adjacent Bellemonte Silk Mill was repurposed into modern beds and tables for the guestrooms. The décor in the hotel’s restaurant, Glass, includes original glass mold prints from the factory, as well as historic images from this time period. Wood from a fallen 250-year-old copper beech tree was used to create a live edge bar and tabletops for the dining room. A part of the hotel known as the ruins was converted into an outdoor lounge space. This area is a favorite of guests, and visitors can see a portion of the original factory building, where the architecture blends seamlessly with the surrounding natural rock ledges and waterfall. Merging modern design and amenities with historic architectural integrity and environmental sustainability, Ledges Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2013.

The Kendall Hotel (1894) Cambridge, Massachusetts

Former Fire Engine House

The origins of The Kendall Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, harken back to the height of the Gilded Age. During the 1890s, the neighborhood of Kendall Square had rapidly emerged as one of Cambridge’s most industrialized areas. Due to the neighborhood's growth, city officials extended a branch of the Cambridge Fire Department to the area. Engine 7, the new fire station, moved into a state-of-the-art fire engine house in 1894. Designed by architects R.J. Fitzgerald and S.D. Mitchell of Boston, the new fire station contained numerous technological innovations, including advanced steam pumpers, coal bunkers, and a novel fire engine. It was one of the region’s first single-purpose fire stations, and the Engine 7 Firehouse served Kendall Square until 1993. At that time, the historic Engine 7 moved to a new, modern headquarters. Left abandoned, the fate of the fire engine house appeared bleak until two preservationists made it their mission to save the building. Charlotte Forsythe and her husband, Gerald Fandetti, petitioned the City of Cambridge to transform the former fire station into a boutique hotel. The city agreed and sold the building to the couple. In 2000, renovations began to transform the fire station dormitories into modern guestrooms, and the firehouse into the hotel’s restaurant. The renovations also restored the building’s original architectural design elements, and the new owners took great pains to ensure that the fire station’s architectural integrity remained intact, as evidenced by their meticulous work revitalizing the building’s iconic cupola. Today, the décor is a creative and eclectic mix of historic fire station memorabilia and motifs, Victorian Era antiques, and contemporary art. The Kendall Hotel was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2004 and dates to 1894.

St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton (1894) St. Louis, Missouri

Former Train Station

On September 1, 1894, St. Louis’s iconic Union Station opened its doors. German-born architect Theodore C. Link, who immigrated to St. Louis, led its design: a magnificent, sprawling complex that stood as a Romanesque Revival-style masterpiece. Link designed the Grand Hall to resemble a passageway inside a medieval castle; the walled French city of Carcassonne was his inspiration. Ornate architectural details can still be seen today throughout the station, such as spectacular gold leaf, wide stained-glass windows, and wall carvings made from Indiana limestone. A stunning, 65-foot-tall, barrel-vaulted ceiling crested the Grand Hall, anchored by a beautiful, wrought-iron chandelier. One of the United States’ largest and busiest train terminals at the time, Union Station was home to 22 railroads and 32 tracks in its heyday. Today, the transportation complex has undergone a renaissance that restored and respected its architectural heritage. St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton is at the center of an award-winning family entertainment destination within the historic Victorian Era train terminal. The hotel’s guestrooms, meeting and event spaces, and Grand Hall have been fully renovated and expanded. The clock Tower Suites have train-themed décor, and each guestroom door is marked with the name of a railroad company that once had offices on these floors. The train shed is now a family entertainment destination, which includes the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, the St. Louis Wheel, as well as a carousel, and mini golf. In the Grand Hall, where visitors can watch a 3D light show, the original stained glass and ornate plasterwork have been restored. Designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in 1970, St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 1991.

Chicago Silversmith Hotel & Suites (1897) Chicago, Illinois

Former Artisan Workshop and Retail Building

Steps from Chicago’s Millennium Park, the Magnificent Mile shopping district, and cultural attractions like the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Silversmith Hotel & Suites is located in the city’s historic Jewelers Row District. Constructed in 1897, this Romanesque Revival-style skyscraper was originally the Silversmith Building, and was built during a construction boom that followed an influx of jewelry dealers, designers, wholesalers, and storefronts to the neighborhood. Two large sterling silver companies—the Gorham Manufacturing Company and Benjamin Allen & Co.—commissioned the Silversmith Building in 1896 and hired Peter J. Weber of D.H. Burnham & Company to design the building. Weber designed a spectacular façade that featured some of the best architectural motifs in the Loop, incorporating brick columns and terra cotta tiles. In addition to the Gorham Manufacturing Company and Benjamin Allen & Co., the building was quickly occupied by jewelers. Tenants wanted to work in the central court, which provided ventilation and natural light, making it ideal for hammering silver and crafting elaborate jewelry designs. In 1995, the jewelers moved on and the building was converted into a beautiful boutique hotel. Two years later, the building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and commercial history. Today, this boutique hotel inside the Gilded Age skyscraper nods to its heritage through lustrous silver and crystal décor, and offers guests contemporary, spacious guestrooms featuring 12-foot ceilings. Chicago Silversmith Hotel & Suites was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2016 and dates to 1897.

The Union Station Nashville Yards (1900) Nashville, Tennessee

Former Train Station

The Union Station Nashville Yards was originally a train station, built by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. Constructed in 1900, the train station featured a ticket counter, a barber and shoeshine stand, a waiting parlor for ladies, a carriage entrance where luggage and supplies were dropped off and brought into the station, a newspaper stand, and an open-air entrance. Union Station served as Nashville’s primary train station until passenger service was discontinued in the late 1970s. With the train station facing demolition, the community rallied to preserve the building. Nashville’s “Save Our Station” movement was a success: the U.S. Secretary of the Interior designated the historic train station as a National Historic Landmark, and the station opened as a boutique hotel in 1986. In 2023, the former station underwent a multimillion-dollar restoration and renovation. Today, many of the station’s Richardsonian Romanesque-style architectural and original stone design features have been preserved. Original architectural features include the clock tower, adorned with a statue of Mercury, and the lobby’s limestone fireplace, a popular place for couples to exchange wedding vows since the 1910s. The station’s original flooring was exposed during the recent renovation and can be seen in the lobby bar. The station features preserved bas-relief sculptures on the fifth floor, which depict the history of transportation up until the station was constructed in 1900. The guestrooms pay homage to the building’s history, with leather belting reminiscent of vintage luggage trunks, design elements inspired by Pullman train cars, antique burnished brass accents, and designs that combine the prominent Art Deco style of the station’s heyday in the 1920s with the original Romanesque Revival-style architecture of the station. Specialty accommodations include two luxurious suites: the Conductor’s Suite and the Broadway Suite, which draws inspiration from first-class sleeper cars. The Union Station Nashville Yards was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2015.

XV Beacon (1903) Boston, Massachusetts

Former Boston Transit Commission Building

Located near the Boston Common, on a cobblestone, gaslit street in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood, XV Beacon unites the past and present to create an unmatched atmosphere of luxury and legacy for its guests. XV Beacon, a refined Beaux-Arts-style building designed by architect William Gibbons Preston, was originally a municipal office building when it opened in 1903. Preston designed a magnificent ten-story edifice that quickly dominated the Boston skyline. The first two stories feature cast-iron details that are rich in ornamentation and gilded shielding. Preston installed a limestone band on the third story, which supported the upper levels of Roman brick. Inside, the building contained a lavish lobby, as well as space for an upscale restaurant and several storefronts. Perhaps the most notable architectural design element inside the building was the marble staircase that ascended to the office spaces situated above the lobby. The building’s first tenant, the Boston Transit Commission, which developed the United States’ first subway system, moved in just months after the building opened. Later, the Boston School Committee was headquartered in the building from 1923 until 1999, at which time the building was redeveloped into a beautiful luxury hotel. Today, the lobby showcases the original marble staircase and elevators dating to 1903, as well as a magnificent art collection. XV Beacon was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2016 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row (1906) Washington, District of Columbia

Former Luxury Apartment Building

The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row in Washington, D.C., originally opened in 1906 as the Highlands, a luxury apartment building on Connecticut Avenue that was designed by architect Arthur B. Heaton. Built for $200,000—double the cost of similar residences at the time—it blended hotel-style amenities with the privacy of an upscale home. The Beaux-Arts-style building featured a grand circular driveway, electric garage, and modern conveniences like elevators, a private telephone system, and an on-site power plant. In 1955, the building was converted into efficiency apartments, undergoing significant renovations while maintaining its original steel frame and brick construction. By 1977, the building transitioned into a hotel, with further modifications including a new entrance and lobby. Located in Kalorama Heights, one of Washington, D.C.’s most prestigious neighborhoods, The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row is surrounded by embassies, historic homes, and landmarks like the Major General George B. McClellan Statue. Guests and temporary residents of the hotel have included diplomats, dignitaries, politicians, business travelers, and prominent families over the years. Today, guests can enjoy panoramic views of the city, its surrounding environs, and the Potomac River—just like its former residents. These spectacular views were defining features when it was originally designed as an exclusive apartment building, and it helps solidify The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row’s reputation to this day. The Churchill Hotel Near Embassy Row was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2009.

The Inn at Diamond Cove (1910) Portland, Maine

Former U.S. Army Fort and Barracks

Located on a beautiful island east of Portland, Maine, The Inn at Diamond Cove is situated on Great Diamond Island, and many of its historic buildings date to the early-20th century. The U.S. Army established a military complex called Fort McKinley in the late-19th century, and in 1910, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expanded the fort by adding barracks, including a two-story, Colonial Revival-style building known as the Double Barrack. Fort McKinley served as the linchpin for the imposing Harbor Defenses of Portland for decades, including during both World Wars. The fort also temporarily lent its munitions to units serving overseas during World War I, specifically offering some of its mortars to act as pieces of railroad artillery. Today, the historic Double Barrack—as well as other buildings like the Quartermaster’s Storehouse—are part of The Inn at Diamond Cove. After the fort was decommissioned in the 1960s, the historic buildings fell into disrepair. It was not until the 1990s that an entrepreneur came in to restore and, transform the fort into a resort, most notably transforming the Double Barrack into a boutique hotel, and the Quartermaster’s Storehouse into a waterfront restaurant. The Inn at Diamond Cove has been a favorite destination among Maine’s holiday retreats ever since. It has also continued to function as the centerpiece of Great Diamond Island’s resort community, which has welcomed cultural and heritage travelers interested in exploring the island’s rich history. The Inn at Diamond Cove is listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure within the Fort McKinley Historic District. The Inn at Diamond Cove was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2015.

Hotel Grinnell (1921) Grinnell, Iowa

Former Junior High School

Built in 1921, Hotel Grinnell was originally the Grinnell Junior High School. Designed by the prominent Des Moines-based architectural firm Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, the Classical Revival-style building served as a public junior high school, and was part of a larger complex of academic buildings. After the school closed in 1978 and much of the academic complex was demolished, the surviving junior high school building served as a municipal office building for the city. In the early-21st century, an ambitious entrepreneur invested in the building. Meticulously restored and redesigned, Hotel Grinnell was reborn in 2017 as a modern, eco-conscious boutique hotel, as well as a dining and event destination. The boutique hotel seamlessly weaves its history into the guest experience, ensuring an unforgettable stay for every guest. The front desk was originally the principal’s office, and the guestrooms are located in the building’s former classrooms, which feature the original maple hardwood floors and lofty ceilings. Guests receive room keys designed as "hall passes," can review a "primer” detailing the many hotel amenities, and are given a necktie to use as the “do not disturb” door hanger. The school’s theater, now an event venue, has a soaring coffered ceiling which was painstakingly restored to its former glory. A grand staircase leads up to the hotel’s luxurious Penthouse Suite, originally the dressing room above the stage. The Periodic Table, the hotel's restaurant, offers signature cocktails with names that pay homage to the junior high school and scientific principles, like Secret Crush and Caffeinated Chemist. The school’s old locker rooms are now bunk bed guestrooms that can each accommodate ten guests—designed for big families, wedding parties, or children's slumber parties—and some of the original wood locker room benches can be found throughout the hotel. Hotel Grinnell was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2023.

Haywood Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection (1923) Asheville, North Carolina

Former Department Store

The historic building that Haywood Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection now occupies was built in 1923 to provide Asheville, North Carolina, with a larger downtown location for its luxury department store, the Bon Marché. Asheville’s new Bon Marché location was famous for attracting dignitaries and celebrities from around the world when it opened. During the Roaring Twenties, downtown Asheville saw flappers, speakeasies, Prohibition violations, and the popular dance of the time, the Charleston. The Bon Marché offered sophisticated fashion options to locals and visitors alike. Another luxury department store, Ivey’s, took over the building in 1937, and operated there until 1975. In 1985, after significant renovations and careful attention to detail during the restoration, the Classical Revival-style hotel opened its doors to welcome visitors to Asheville. Combining the iconic heritage of Asheville’s premier department store with modern amenities in a beautiful boutique hotel, Haywood Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection honors its rich history through its hospitality and style. Guests are encouraged to explore the hotel lobby, which features a vintage 1929 Ford Model A that would not look out of place at the Bon Marché a century ago, as well as historic photographs from the same era. Haywood Park Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2011.

The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (1924) San Antonio, Texas

Former Medical Arts Building

In 1924, real estate developer Clifton George and architect Ralph Cameron decided that the prosperous, growing city of San Antonio, Texas, needed a medical arts building. Medical arts buildings were a new concept in the 1920s, and these large buildings were for doctors and other medical professionals to practice their various specialties. Rival cities like Dallas and Houston had their own medical arts buildings, inspiring George and Cameron to invest in a triangular plot of land near the historic Alamo. Two years later, the medical arts building—the future Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel—opened. The medical arts building debuted as a 13-story skyscraper, the tallest building in the city at the time, adorned with Gothic Revival-style motifs. Cameron masterfully incorporated many Gothic-inspired architectural elements throughout his design, including a steeply pitched mansard roof, terra cotta ornamentation, and a chateau-inspired corner tower. Perhaps the most notable Gothic-inspired architectural features are the façade’s gargoyles, many of which depict various ailments. The medical arts building was a success for many decades, and the building received a new lease on life when it was acquired by hoteliers in 1984. These hoteliers restored and renovated the medical arts building, converting the former medical building into a hotel. It was named The Emily Morgan Hotel to pay homage to the legend of Emily Morgan, a woman who, according to legend, helped the Texans win the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 by seducing General Santa Anna. Today, The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, provides guests with some of the city’s best hospitality, and is notable for its proximity to The Alamo. Not only have guests continued to find its charming guestrooms to be among the finest in the city, but guests also enjoy its proximity to prominent historical attractions like The Alamo. The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a Doubletree by Hilton Hotel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure in the Alamo Plaza Historic District, and was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2015.

21c Museum Hotel St. Louis (1926) St. Louis, Missouri

Former YMCA Building

21c Museum Hotel St. Louis is a beautiful example of early Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) architecture, as directed by the national organization’s Building Bureau. Nearly a century before the 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis opened its doors to guests, the building was known as the Downtown YMCA Building. Constructed in 1926 for St. Louis, Missouri’s new YMCA branch, the building served local members of the YMCA. The Downtown YMCA Building was designed, in large part, by two noted St. Louis-based architects, Louis LaBeaume and Eugene S. Klein, who worked with the input and approval of the national YMCA Building Bureau. The Building Bureau was formed in 1915 to ensure architectural uniformity for every official YMCA location in the early 20th century, and the Building Bureau instructed the architects to include rooms for athletic activities and short-term housing. LaBeaume and Klein met those requirements, and also added their own touches, which can be seen in many of the building’s intricate design details and Renaissance Revival-style architecture. By the 21st century, the YMCA had moved out of the building, and the building fell into disrepair. In 2018, help came in the form of entrepreneurial real estate developers, who invested in the historic building and hired architects to transform the former Downtown YMCA Building into a boutique hotel and art gallery. The developers preserved the building’s architectural integrity, ensuring that its heritage remained intact for future generations to appreciate. In its new life as a boutique hotel and art gallery, the building kept its community-centered roots by providing a space where travelers and locals alike can come together to experience contemporary art exhibitions, local cultural programming, and shared meals. Many aspects of the building’s original YMCA architecture can be seen today. On the lower level, the YMCA lap pool has been restored and renovated as part of the Locust Street Athletic and Swim Club, where guests and members can admire the intricate tilework. On the second floor, the former basketball court retains its distinctive style and flooring; it is now used as an event and exhibition space for the hotel’s innovative contemporary art programming. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2014, 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2023.

The Graylyn Estate (1932) Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Former Family Home

The Graylyn Estate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was built in 1932 as the country estate of Bowman and Nathalie Gray. With over 60 rooms, it was one of the largest private homes in North Carolina at the time. Hiring a young architect named Luther Snow Lashmit, the Grays established a magnificent estate, located on more than 85 acres, that blended Norman, Gothic, Renaissance, and Classical architectural styles. Nathalie and her sons gifted the estate to Wake Forest University in 1946, and in 1984, the university’s Board of Trustees agreed to transform the estate into a boutique hotel and conference center. Today, guests of The Graylyn Estate have the unique opportunity to eat, sleep, and play in the home's original spaces. Guests can dine in the home's original Adam-style dining room, and can play chess, read, or work remotely in the Gray family’s original library, which features French wood paneling installed by the Gray family. Many guestrooms are in the family’s original sleeping quarters, including the Bowman Gray Suite and Mrs. Gray's Suite. Many special events and receptions are held in the Atlantis Room, the sea-themed space that was originally the home's indoor pool. Guests can add a guided history tour to their stay. Many of the historic public spaces are available for guests to enjoy throughout their stay. Guests can embark on self-guided tours of the estate by studying the photographic timeline in the lobby, or by picking up a copy of The Story of Graylyn (1985) to read. The Graylyn Estate was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2016.

The Queen Mary (1936) Long Beach, California

Former Luxury Ocean Liner

The Queen Mary is one of the most distinctive destinations in the United States. At the height of the Great Depression, the prestigious Cunard Line began construction on The Queen Mary, an impressively large and spectacular ocean liner that would ultimately feature four restaurants, two libraries, a spa, and a full gymnasium. The Queen Mary ferried celebrities and royals, as well as many World War II soldiers, across the Atlantic Ocean for decades until the rise of air travel in the 1960s. The Cunard Line retired the ship in 1967, and the historic vessel took its final expedition later that year, leaving the misty shores of Southampton to reach the sunny port of Long Beach, California. Upon arrival, the City of Long Beach officially took over the stewardship of the RMS Queen Mary, readapting the ocean liner as a floating hotel and entertainment venue known as The Queen Mary. The smaller first-class public spaces, such as the drawing room, lecture room, and libraries, were modified to become boutique storefronts and extravagant meeting venues. Meanwhile, the ship’s gorgeous staterooms underwent a modernization effort to meet the expectations of contemporary travelers. Working deck by deck, and stateroom by stateroom, this legendary ocean liner steadily emerged as the luxurious hotel and event center that the City of Long Beach had intended. Today, The Queen Mary is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is a California Historical Landmark. Extensively renovated in 2023, The Queen Mary is both a luxurious hotel and a special event venue that serves as a tribute to the history of ocean travel. Guests can relax in one of the 347 upscale staterooms and suites, dine at one of the ship’s restaurants, and take a guided or self-guided tour through the fascinating past of this former ocean liner. The Queen Mary was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2024 and dates to 1936.

von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort (1942) Stowe, Vermont

Former Family Home

After Georg and Maria von Trapp fled Austria with their children during World War II—which is dramatized in the popular musical, The Sound of Music—the von Trapp Family settled in Stowe, Vermont, and the family eventually transformed their private home into the von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort. Despite experiencing significant culture shock upon their arrival in the United States, the von Trapps pursued their music careers as the Trapp Family Singers. The family used their newfound wealth to purchase a quiet, verdant farm outside of Stowe, Vermont, in 1942. Georg oversaw the construction of a rustic lodge at the heart of the farm, which took several months to finish. Named Cor Unum "One Heart" in Latin), the lodge resembled the gorgeous alpine-inspired chalets of the family's native Austria. The sale of Villa Trapp back in Salzburg, Austria, enabled the family to hire professional carpenters to complete the lodge. Although the lodge was initially the family’s private residence, the von Trapps began operating portions of the lodge as a small hotel. When it opened to the public, it had 27 guestrooms that provided stunning views of the surrounding mountainous landscape. An extension was later added to increase the guest capacity of the lodge with the profits from the sale of Maria’s first book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (1949). The hospitality shown by the von Trapp Family proved to be the most crucial component to the lodge's success, and the lodge continues to be a family-run business to this day. The von Trapp Family has worked hard to preserve the heritage of the lodge, while adapting to the needs of contemporary travelers. The lodge offers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty, making it a beloved destination for travelers from around the world. The von Trapp Family Lodge and Resort was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2024 and dates to 1942.

“Historic hotels preserve the past to serve the present, making them beacons of sustainability, as well as fantastic destinations for solo travelers searching for new experiences, couples in need of a romantic getaway, and families setting out to make lifelong memories,” said Lawrence P. Horwitz, Executive Vice President, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “Historic Hotels of America applauds forward-thinking investors and hoteliers who see the potential in historic buildings, as well as the guests who choose to stay at historic hotels. At Historic Hotels of America, the people who are 'harnessing the power of place' are the guests, hotel staff, and the hotels’ communities, who support these special places throughout the year.”

Historic Hoteliers understand that the draw of their hotels is not merely old bones but the stories and experiences that can only be told or lived at those specific, special places. The teams at members of Historic Hotels of America harness the power of place every day for their guests. This work strengthens communities, breathes new life into neighborhoods, and offers travelers more than just a place to lay their head.

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 from across the United States of America. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was chartered by U.S. Congress in 1949 and is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is leading the movement to save places where our history happened. To be nominated and selected for membership in this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; 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; and recognized as having historical significance. Of the more than 300 historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org.

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Historic Hoteliers understand that the draw of their hotels is not merely old bones but the stories and experiences that can only be told or lived at those specific, special places.