October 13, 2023 — WASHINGTON, DC — Historic Hotels Worldwide® is pleased to announce the distinguished winners of the 2023 Historic Hotels Worldwide Annual Awards of Excellence.
Recipients were honored at the 2023 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala at The Wigwam (1929) in Litchfield Park, Arizona, in front of an audience of more than 200 industry leaders, owners, general managers, senior management, and representatives of the world’s finest historic hotels. The Wigwam, originally opened to guests in 1929 by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, is an award-winning Arizona resort that offers an unparalleled experience, combining over a century of hospitality, Southwestern charm, casual luxury, and rich history.
Ten Historic Hotels Worldwide Annual Awards of Excellence were given in multiple categories ranging from Historic Hotels Worldwide Historic Hotelier of the Year to Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Historic Resort to Historic Hotels Worldwide Sustainability Champion, and others. Winners were chosen from a selection of nominations by historic hotels, preservation supporters, prior award recipients, community leaders, and leadership from Historic Hotels Worldwide. As a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Hotels Worldwide provides the recognition to travelers, civic leaders, and the global cultural, heritage, and historic travel market that member hotels are among the finest historic hotels from around the world. The Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Program recognizes the pinnacle of this distinct group in a range of categories.
From more than 350 nominations received, the awards committee evaluated and, after careful consideration, selected the following 2023 Historic Hotels Worldwide Awards of Excellence winners:
Historic Hotels Worldwide New Member of the Year
This award is presented to a new member hotel that best demonstrates immediate engagement, activation, and passionate support of Historic Hotels Worldwide.
Winner: Castlemartyr Resort (1210) Cork, Ireland
Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Social Media of a Historic Hotel
This award is given to a hotel that actively engages consumers by sharing the best of their history through social media, including Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram with interesting historical facts and stories.
Winner: The Savoy London (1889) London, England, United Kingdom
Historic Hotels Worldwide Sustainability Champion
This award is presented to a hotel that best implements and practices innovative green initiatives and programs, demonstrating historic preservation is the ultimate green.
Winner: Villa Copenhagen (1912) Copenhagen, Denmark
Historic Hotels Worldwide Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year
This award is presented to a multi-generational family ownership entity or management company which has served as an exemplary role model in the operation of the historic hotel entrusted to its stewardship, has demonstrated a long-term legacy of commitment to historic preservation, and has been an active champion of Historic Hotels Worldwide.
Winner: The Henderson and Howell Families at The Great House Antigua (1670) Saint Peter, Antigua and Barbuda
Historic Hotels Worldwide Best City Center Historic Hotel
This award is presented to a hotel located in a city center that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: Hotel Maximilian’s (1722) Augsburg, Germany
Historic Hotels Worldwide Best Historic Resort
This award is presented to the historic resort that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello (1930) Montebello, Canada
Best Historic Hotels Worldwide Hotel in Europe
This award is presented to a historic hotel in Europe that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski St. Moritz (1864) St. Moritz, Switzerland
Best Historic Hotels Worldwide Hotel in Asia/Pacific
This award is presented to a historic hotel in Asia/Pacific that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor (1932) Siem Reap, Cambodia
Best Historic Hotels Worldwide Hotel in the Americas
This award is presented to a historic hotel in the Americas that best celebrates its history in the guest experience and provides exceptional customer hospitality and service.
Winner: Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo – Panama City (1917) Panama City, Panama
Historic Hotels Worldwide Historic Hotelier of the Year
This award is presented to the recipient demonstrating the highest contribution to furthering the celebration of history at historic hotels as well as leadership and innovation.
Winner: Stephan Stokkermans of Grand Hotel Huis Ter Duin (1885) Noordwijk aan Zee, Netherlands
“It is an honor to congratulate all of the 2023 Historic Hotels Worldwide Annual Awards of Excellence winners,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “The winners are the finest historic hotels and hoteliers from around the world. The historic hotels nominated include small historic inns, boutique hotels, lifestyle hotels, and resorts. They represent small towns to large cities to UNESCO World Heritage destinations. We applaud the dedication and passion of the thousands of individuals working at these iconic and legendary hotels that keep the stories alive from the past and make staying or celebrating special occasions at these historic hotels memorable experiences. The hotels on this list represent the very best spirit of perseverance and preservation of historic hotels. Through the many chapters these buildings have seen, it is the care of their staff, owners, and operators and the support of travelers that allow these stories to continue.”
To be nominated for the Historic Hotels Worldwide Annual Awards of Excellence, the hotel must be a member of Historic Hotels Worldwide, demonstrate how the hotel increased the recognition and celebration of the hotel’s history, heritage, historic preservation, and its membership, as well as how the hotel (through its ownership, leadership, and employees) contributes significantly as an industry leader in the designated award category.
Historic Hotels Worldwide’s sister collection, Historic Hotels of America®, also announced its collection’s winners of the Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence this week. See the news about those nominees here.
