20 Best Historic Hotels
words by > Jill Fergus
With the newest nearly a century old and the oldest dating back to the 1770s, the US has a wealth of grand, historic hotels. While most of these destinations have been updated with modern-day conveniences
such as high-speed internet, they continue to exude the sophisticated charm of the days gone by. If you want to lay your head in the same room as the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, Clark Gable, Amelia Earhart and John F. Kennedy, look no further than these 20 classic hotels.
The Drake Hotel
Chicago
This classic hotel, which dates back to 1920, is located on the Magnificent Mile, one of the Windy City’s most beloved locales. Hillary Clinton and Princess Diana are just two of the hotel’s famous guests. Soak up the history in the fabulous public spaces. These include the grand lobby, with its carved ceiling and opulent crystal chandeliers; the Palm Court, where afternoon tea is served to the lovely strains of a harp; the Cape Cod Room, which features casual décor and serves fresh seafood; and Coq d’Or, which opened the day after Prohibition ended and is always a fun place for cocktails and lively conversation. www.thedrakehotel.com
The Brown Palace Hotel
Denver
The grand dame of Denver, the 241-room Brown Palace Hotel opened in 1892 and has hosted numerous presidents—from Teddy Roosevelt to Woodrow Wilson.
But it’s President Eisenhower who is most closely associated with the hotel; he used it as his summer headquarters during his administration. The hotel is also known for its stunning interiors, including the sweeping atrium lobby with its spectacular stained-glass window and massive fireplace supported by two onyx columns. To enjoy the décor to its fullest, sign up for a complimentary tour led by the hotel’s own historian. Be sure to stop into Churchill Bar for a cognac and a cigar, and enjoy American cuisine at Palace Arms. www.brownpalace.com
The Fairmont San Francisco
San Francisco
The Bay City’s most storied hotel is The Fairmont, located in the fashionable Nob Hill neighborhood, just minutes from the Financial District and Union Square. Built in 1907, the hotel was extensively remodeled in 2001. One of the most spectacular spaces is the Laurel Court dining room, where meals and afternoon tea are served. Guests can also dine on Pacific Rim cuisine in the tropically themed Tonga Room. The hotel’s design elements include crystal chandeliers, Corinthian marble columns, a wraparound mural and three ornate plaster-and-golf-leaf ceiling domes. The 591 rooms are well appointed and many have bay views; other amenities include serene roof gardens as well as a spa and fitness center. www.fairmont.com
The Peabody
Memphis
Dating back to 1925, The Peabody is a landmark in the South, having hosted everyone from Nelson Mandela to Tom Cruise. The 464 rooms were recently renovated, and Chez Philippe, the only Mobil Four-Star restaurant in the Mid-South, has added some Asian flair to its classic French menu. Before taking a walk down Beale Street, a few blocks away, visit the Peabody Memorabilia Room, filled with historic artifacts. Make sure to witness the March of the Peabody Ducks, a beloved ritual that takes place twice a day amid great fanfare; the ducks arrive at the fountain in the Grand Lobby via a red carpet. www.peabodymemphis.com
Chateau Marmont
Los Angeles
If the walls could talk at this famed LA hilltop hideaway, oh, the stories they would tell. The castle-like Marmont has always been a magnet for celebrities. They come for the eclectic interiors and rich history— not to mention the large pool and posh accommodations. Have a drink at the Bar Marmont; try the Fresh Peach Bellini or the gin-based Ginger Rodgers.
www.chateaumarmont.com
The Pfister
Milwaukee
Known as the “Jewel of Milwaukee,” this Victorian masterpiece was opened in 1893 by Guido Pfister. The hotel’s centerpiece is the ornate three-story lobby flanked by a grand marble staircase on one end and a massive fireplace on the other. Pfister’s son Charles, a passionate art collector, amassed one of the country’s pre-eminent collections of Victorian paintings, still on display today. The hotel’s ballroom is one of the premier event spaces in the city. www.pfisterhotel.com
The Breakers
Palm Beach
Undoubtedly the most famous hotel in Palm Beach, The Breakers is a massive 140-acre property built by oil and railroad magnate Henry Morrison Flagler in 1896. In the hotel’s early days, its guest register was a who’s who of society, including Astors, Vanderbilts and Rockefellers; today, it still attracts bold-faced names. The Italian Renaissance-style building boasts a 200-foot-long lobby, a 20,000-square-foot spa and numerous gourmet restaurants. www.thebreakers.com
Hay-Adams Hotel
Washington, DC
It’s been said that staying here is as close as you can get to the White House without being invited by the president. Indeed, this Italian Renaissance-style hotel, built in 1928, is just across the street from the famous residence, making it the ideal relaxing ground for today’s foreign dignitaries. Just minutes from the National Mall and the Washington Monument, the hotel has an impressive list of historic guests, including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and Sinclair Lewis. The 145 rooms feature ornamental fireplaces, decorative plasterwork and some have White House-facing balconies. Power lunches take place in the Lafayette Room, where you can dine on sautéed scallops and roasted sea bass while eavesdropping on the hush-hush conversations taking place in the bar, appropriately called Off the Record. www.hayadams.com
Waldorf-Astoria
New York
While New York is jam-packed with fabulous hotels, many of them with grand histories like the Algonquin or the Plaza (much of which is being turned into condominiums), The Waldorf-Astoria remains an oasis of sophistication and elegance. Countless celebrities have rested their heads here and sitting presidents always stay in the adjacent Waldorf Towers. The lobby of this 1893 Art Deco masterpiece on Park Avenue makes for a great people-watching spot with its many bars, including the famous The Bar at Bull and Bear. This Edwardian-style room, named after the highs and lows of the stock market, features a pentagon-shaped mahogany bar and serves classic cocktails. www.waldorfastoria.com
Park Hyatt Philadelphia at The Bellevue
Philadelphia
The Waldorf-Astoria also played a part in another of the country’s classic hotels, the Bellevue. In 1898, the Astor family hired George C. Boldt to run the newly opened Waldorf-Astoria. While working in New York, Boldt decided Philadelphia needed a similarly spectacular hotel; thus, in 1904, the French Renaissance Bellevue-Stratford was born. Design elements include a marble staircase leading to the Grand Ballroom, a Turkish bath and a theater. Today, the hotel is run by Hyatt and occupies the top eight floors of the landmark building. The rooms have been fully updated, and a restaurant— XIX, an American brasserie, café and bar with sweeping city views—has been added. www.bellevuephiladelphia.com
The Jefferson
Richmond, VA
This National Historic Landmark, named after Thomas Jefferson, is centrally located in downtown Richmond. Built in 1895, the Beaux Arts-style building features a dramatic two-tiered lobby with marble columns and a stained-glass skylight, with rich tapestries and antique furnishings throughout. The 262 guest rooms feature high ceilings, mahogany armoires and king-sized beds topped with Frette linens. For fine dining, visit Lemaire, which is housed in the former ladies’ salon and named for Etienne Lemaire, Jefferson’s maitre d’hotel from 1794 until the end of his presidency. Virginia-born chef Walter Bundy excels in Southern seasonal cuisine with French influences. Don’t miss out on the Sunday champagne brunch, which has become a city tradition. www.jeffersonhotel.com
Fairmont Copley Plaza
Boston
Prominent Bostonians, including Mayor Thomas Menino, members of the Kennedy clan and Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, have been spotted at the clubby Oak Bar at the historic 383-room Copley Plaza hotel, which dates back to 1912. The bar’s wood-paneled interiors and damask curtains make for an intimate setting in which to enjoy a drink. Another favorite spot is the Oak Room restaurant, which serves mouthwatering steaks and seafood. And while the Hancock Tower and Beacon Hill are nearby, you’ll be just as happy to relax in your room with fireplaces and cathedral ceilings. www.fairmont.com
Williamsburg Inn
Williamsburg, VA
The 301-acre recreation of an 18th-century community is perhaps the best place to learn about colonial times in America. The most historic lodging is the Williamsburg Inn, an English Regency-style inn opened by John D. Rockefeller in 1937. Just three of the esteemed guests include Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and the Dalai Lama. To end the day, dine in the Regency Room and take a look at the colonial artifacts in the Restoration bar. www.history.org
Sorrento Hotel
Seattle
Enter through wrought-iron gates to find elegance that has been sitting on Seattle’s First Hill for nearly a century. These gates opened for their first registered guest, President William Taft, in 1909. The hotel has a brilliant way of combining the old and new, with 76 rooms that feature Italian marble bathrooms, Egyptian cotton linens, DirectTV and high-speed internet access—all looking out onto Seattle’s skyline. The Hunt Club, the hotel’s AAA Four-Diamond restaurant, serves classic cuisine, like pan seared pheasant with French green beans, roasted shallots and red grapes, and potato beurre blanc with pumpkin seeds and fried sage. www.hotelsorrento.com
Admiral Fell Inn
Baltimore
This classic hotel in the waterfront village of Fell’s Point—Maryland’s first National Historic District—is made up of seven brick buildings dating back to the 1770s and named after William Fell, a Quaker from England who bought 1,000 acres of surrounding land. Over the years, it has served as a theater and a boarding house for sailors; it’s even said that several ghosts haunt the inn. (Be sure to take the ghost tour.) The 80 rooms feature touches like canopy beds, balconies and hardwood floors topped with Persian rugs and Jacuzzi tubs, as well as Gilchrist and Soames toiletries. Dine on crab cakes and veal chops amid old stone walls at TRUE restaurant. www.harbormagic.com
Omni William Penn Hotel
Pittsburgh
This has served as Pittsburgh’s most storied hotel since 1916, hosting such luminaries as John F. Kennedy and members of the Mellon family. The 596 rooms, including numerous one- and two-bedroom suites and the lavish presidential suite, feature architectural detailing like Italian marble, massive crystal chandeliers and painted ceilings. There are several dining spots, including the award-winning Terrace Room, the Palm Court and the English-style Tap Room pub, which serves draft beers and what may well be the city’s best bowl of chili. www.omnihotels.com
The Adolphus
Dallas
This baroque masterpiece was the most opulent hotel in Dallas when it opened in 1912. The owner, beer baron Adolphus Busch, filled it with Flemish tapestries, gilt-edged paintings and a Steinway piano once owned by the Guggenheims. Dine in the French Room, where you can expect dishes like pan-roasted sea bass with peppercorn vinaigrette and medallions of veal in a shallot merlot sauce. For more casual fare, try the Rodeo Bar, with brisket, nachos and Lone Star beer. www.hoteladolphus.com
Biltmore
Coral Gables, Miami
This grand hotel was built in 1926 by real estate developers John Bowman and George Merrick (who also founded the University of Miami). There’s a wide range of activities, including a Donald Ross-designed 18-hole golf course, 10 tennis courts and the largest pool in the continental US. (Johnny Weissmuller, the actor who played Tarzan, was once a lifeguard.) Guests can choose from several restaurants, including the signature Palme d’Or, known for its tasting menus, and 1200 Courtyard Grill, which features a Mediterranean menu and a large exhibition kitchen. The rooms feature European feather beds and beautiful marble baths. www.biltmorehotel.com
The Houstonian
Houston
The Houstonian, modeled after a grand Texas lodge, is set on 18 acres of land, studded with towering pine and oak trees, nature trails, three outdoor heated swimming pools and two 18-hole golf courses. One of Houston’s grandest hotels, it also boasts a world-class fitness club and spa where you can take yoga or Pilates, weight train, rock climb and play squash. The Great Room, with its massive stone fireplace, is the perfect spot for pre-dinner cocktails (keep an eye out for regulars George and Barbara Bush). Enjoy dinner at the popular Olivette restaurant, which serves modern American cuisine with a Mediterranean influence. www.houstonian.com
Viking Hotel
Newport, RI
Newport, a picture-perfect colonial town and yachting center, is the ideal weekend getaway, just an hour-and-a-half drive from Boston. One of the seaside city’s classic hotels is the Viking Hotel, located in the Historic Hill district. The stately red brick building, built in 1926, was originally used to house the overfl ow of guests visiting the “summer cottages” owned by the wealthiest families of the time, including the Astors and Vanderbilts. Today, the Viking is still a posh retreat for those who appreciate its Georgian and Queen Annestyle furnishings and top-notch service. The hotel has recently updated features such as the soothing Spa Terre (try the Balinese massage), the Top of Newport open-air bar and candlelight dining at One Bellevue. www.hotelviking.com