Each year, Historic Hotels of America adds new members to its roster. Some are old faithfuls, like Colonial inns or century-old downtown hotels. Others are new properties situated in repurposed schools, department stores or other buildings with colorful pasts. Some are rebirths of once-popular hotels abandoned after business failures. Many of these HHA members are convivial gathering places, with meeting spaces, public spaces and guest rooms that reflect their personalities instead of the latest trends. So, if the search is on for a venue with personality, HHA members are a good place to start.
Here are five of HHA’s newest members, all located in second-tier and third-tier destinations.
New Lessons at Old School
In a town as steeped in history as Frederick, Maryland, the Visitation Hotel Frederick is a fitting addition. The 65-room inn became the first new hotel in downtown Frederick in 50 years when it opened last year in an 1846 brick Colonial that was once a Catholic girls’ school. It also served as a temporary hospital during the nearby Battle of Antietam.
From the front, the inn looks as serious as a nun. But behind the facade, guest rooms open to a large, landscaped courtyard. Reminders of its past pepper the property, like chains for Do Not Disturb signs that mimic rosaries and spare but striking rooms warmed by historic photos. The former chapel is now a gleaming bar, lit by sunlight that streams through stained-glass windows. Apple dumplings offered at the 66-seat restaurant are a nod to nuns who made the sweet treat for students. Meetings can opt for a 2,700-square-foot ballroom and a smaller meeting room; boards can choose among three private dining rooms for 10.
Colonial Inn is a Yankee Doodle Dandy
A long history precedes the Nassau Inn, the only full-service hotel in downtown Princeton, New Jersey. Today’s 188-room inn sits across from Princeton University on busy Palmer Square; the original Nassau Inn, opened in 1756, was a hangout for Paul Revere, Thomas Paine and other revolutionaries, many traveling to and from Philadelphia for the Continental Congress. Its ties to the Revolution inspired owners to hire Norman Rockwell to paint the mural for its Yankee Doodle Taproom when the new inn opened in the early 1900s. And although it is “new,” today’s inn looks as though it stepped right out of the 1700s, with a Colonial style that fits nicely with a collegiate downtown. Its traditional style is obvious in the largest of its 13 meeting spaces, the 2,800-square-foot Prince William Ballroom, where brass chandeliers dangle from coffered ceilings and windows peer onto Palmer Square.
Abandoned Hotel Annex Now Boutique Hotel
The recently opened Le Meridien Fort Worth is a transformation of what was once the hotel annex of the famed Hotel Texas, now the Hilton Fort Worth. That hotel, across from Le Meridien, opened in 1921, is a member of HHA and is, sadly, where John F. Kennedy spent the last night of his life. The annex had sat empty after Hilton bought the Hotel Texas in 2000 but passed on buying the annex. Years later, Blueprint Hospitality decided to turn it into a 188-room boutique hotel. Their timing was perfect for a property with 1960s architecture that’s back in style. The new hotel’s meetings spaces include a 2,555-square-foot divisible ballroom and three other small meeting rooms. Its restaurant, the Bouvier Brasserie, adds Southwest spice to French cuisine; a rooftop bar, Annex, sits 14 stories above the city.
Spend the Night Where Richmond Shopped
In an Art Deco building where all of Richmond once shopped, visitors to the Virginia capital now stay the night. The 250-room Hilton Richmond Downtown incorporates the block-wide storefront that originally was home to Miller and Rhoads, a department store that began as a dry goods store opened after the Civil War.
Bankruptcy closed Miller and Rhoads in 1990, but luckily, investors later realized that the building could have a new purpose. The hotel opened in 2006 and recently underwent a major renovation. Once again a community gathering spot, the property has 17,634 square feet of meeting space, including a 4,720-square-foot ballroom. Live jazz floats through its cocktail lounge; an upscale restaurant specializes in Northern Italian fare and an enclosed courtyard fosters conversations and cornhole competitions.
Stars Splash Desert Skies
Back in the 1930s, the Southern California desert became a hot spot for tourists who hopped in their newfangled autos and headed to Borrego Springs to sit beneath dark, star-spangled skies. An attentive entrepreneur saw opportunity, and in 1937, opened a small resort seven miles from what is now the state’s largest park, Anza-Borrego. Though the La Casa Del Zorro Desert Resort and Spa has seen ups and downs, it has been on an up since 2013 thanks to enterprising new owners.
Today’s La Casa Del Zorro lets the desert again be the star, keeping lights low so dark skies sparkle. Its 48 guest rooms and 19 casitas (one to four bedrooms) and 6,225 square feet of indoor and outdoor venues make it a choice for small meetings that want to spark big ideas. Meeting spaces showcase the resort’s Spanish Colonial architecture with whitewashed walls, glowing fireplaces and timbered ceilings; French doors open to patios; and two dozen pools reflect strong sun. Groups can hike the state park’s trails and be reminded by the vivid plant life they see that the desert is a garden too.
