Historic Hotels of America Launches Two Campaigns for Preservation Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. April 30, 2025 ------ Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing the finest historic hotels in the United States, is pleased to announce two upcoming promotional campaigns for Preservation Month this May. For this month-long observance, the program is putting the spotlight on member historic hotels that offer discounts for preservation supporters as well as on member hotels that are case studies in how historic preservation can be used in creative ways in hospitality.
At the start of the month, Historic Hotels of America will launch a campaign to raise awareness of its NHP Rate. Consumers can book special rates at participating hotels that offer rooms at the NHP Rate, also known as the Friends of Historic Hotels of America Rate. This special rate is available to donors and supporters of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and select non-profits that have been invited to participate including George Washington's Mount Vernon, The American Association for State and Local History, Chicago History Museum, and The American Historical Association. Participating hotels have been vetted for this promotion: they have the NHP rate loaded and widely available for 2025, bookable exclusively on HistoricHotels.org, and offer at a minimum a 10 percent discount off the hotel’s Best Available Rate.
The second Preservation Month campaign begins with the publication and distribution of The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Best of Adaptive Reuse List, a press release and travel inspiration article. Travelers can visit many historic inns, resorts, and hotels in the United States today because otherwise outdated historic buildings have been carefully saved, preserved, and restored by dedicated preservationists in sustainable and creative ways. At Historic Hotels of America, adaptive reuse hotels offer travelers an immersive, authentic, and fun way to experience their next trip. This list of 25 historic hotels established in buildings with previous lives will be announced on May 5. A series of social media posts will highlight members on the list throughout the month.
The tradition of celebrating historic preservation in May dates to the first Preservation Week in May 1973, affirmed by a joint Congressional Resolution and a Proclamation signed by President Richard Nixon that winter to make the celebration official. The Proclamation states, “As the pace of change accelerates in the world around us, Americans more than ever need a lively awareness of our roots and origins in the past on which to base our sense of identity in the present and our directions for the future.” Mayors and governors throughout the country have since added their proclamations to President Nixon's. The week was made into a month-long celebration in 2005.
Since then, local preservation groups, state historical societies, and business and civic organizations across the country celebrate the preservation movement in May through events that promote historic places and heritage tourism, and that demonstrate the social and economic benefits of historic preservation. This year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's theme for Preservation Month is "Harnessing the Power of Place." This phrase, "the power of place," refers to the idea that historic places have intrinsic value beyond their material physical features.
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.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Katherine Orr
Director, Marketing Strategy & Communications
Historic Hotels of America | Historic Hotels Worldwide
Tel: +1 202 772 8337
KOrr@HistoricHotels.org
