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Nights In The Past |
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~ UK ~ |
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~ FRANCE ~ |
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~ ITALY ~ |
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~ MORE EUROPE ~ |
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~ America’s Most Historic Hotels ~ |
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It may not possess the many centuries of history which one associates with European nations, but it would be wrong to underestimate the diversity of historic hotels and inns to be found across the United States of America. As such, we at Nights In The Past are proud to list our Top 20 historic places to stay in the USA... |
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Nights In The Past is a guide to historic and period hotels and accommodation throughout the UK, France, Italy, and Western Europe, including Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal and Germany. We focus primarily upon those hotels and inns with connections to famous historic figures and events, from the medieval period to World War II. Our aim is to provide information to those seeking historic places to stay be it for weekend breaks, heritage tours, romantic getaways, honeymoons or even business travel. Thank you for visiting. |
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20. The Monteleone Hotel |
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Bearing the name of its Sicilian founder, Antonio Monteleone, the hotel is one of only three designated Literary Landmark hotels in the United States. Though much has changed since 1886, it continues to be owned and run by the same family. |
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Historic Significance: The hotel features in Ernest Hemingway’s “Night Before Battle”, and was also frequented by many of America’s most celebrated authors: William Faulkner, Truman Capote, Eudora Welty and Tennessee Williams among them (the latter first visiting as a young boy). |
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19. The Algonquin |
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This famous old hotel is something of a national treasure, first opening its doors over a century ago in 1902 and never looking back. Having had millions of dollars spent on a recent historical restoration, what H.L. Mencken once described as “the most comfortable hotel in America” continues to welcome guests to midtown Manhattan. |
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Historic Significance: The list of famous figures to have called The Algonquin home-from-home has something of a literary and artistic flavour: Booth Tarkington, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., John Barrymore, and Simone de Beauvoir to name but a few. |
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Historic Significance: the house acted as Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters during the Valley Campaign of 1862. |
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Historic Significance: Since being established in 1803, the Golden Lamb has been visited by no fewer than 12 U.S. Presidents including Garfield, McKinley, Adams, Harrison (B), Harding, Taft, Harrison (W.H.) , Grant, Van Buren and Hayes. It has also been patronised by some of English literature’s most notable figures including Charles Dickens and Mark Twain. |
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16. Thayer’s Inn |
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Quintessential New England, Thayer’s Inn has been welcoming guests since the mid nineteenth century. On the National Register of Historic Places, it has a total of 40 guest rooms and is ideally located for those wishing to explore the White Mountains. |
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Historic Significance: It is said that Ulysses S Grant addressed an audience from the hotel balcony in 1869, while other famous guests include President Franklin Pierce, General George McClellan, Henry Ford, P. T. Barnum and General Tom Thumb. Numerous other late-twentieth century figures have also spent time here including Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and George H. Bush. |
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Historic significance: It is said that the hotel has been patronised by no fewer than four Presidents, including Benjamin Harrison. It has also hosted Mark Twain, and boxer “Gentleman” Jim Corbett – their names are still to be found in the guest book. |
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Historic significance: While the club’s original membership could boast names such as Vincent Astor, J P Morgan, William Vanderbilt and Joseph Pulitzer, the hotel has two other special claims-to-fame. First, it was here in 1907 that a secret meeting Senator Nelson Aldrich and several nationally important bankers took place leading to the proposal of the Aldrich Plan (this called for a centralised national banking structure); though unsuccessful, it was later used as a basis for the Federal Reserve Act. Second, it was from the club that the first transcontinental telephone call was made on January 25th 1915 (by AT & T president Theodore Vall). |
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17. The Golden Lamb |
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Said to be the state of Ohio’s oldest inn and quite possibly its oldest continuous business, the Golden Lamb benefited from its position on the highway between Cincinnati and Columbus. Today it offers travellers 18 guest rooms and a popular restaurant. |
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18. The Inn at Narrow Passage |
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Built around the mid 18th century, The Inn at Narrow Passage sits amid 5 acres on the Shenandoah River. It offers 12 guest rooms, most with working fireplaces, and views of the Massanutten Mountains. |
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15. The Holbrooke Hotel |
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This 28-room hotel boasts what is, perhaps, the oldest continually operating saloon west of the Mississippi. Trading since 1851, the Holbrooke blends all the modern conveniences the 21st century traveller requires with the ambience of a bygone age. |
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14. The Jekyll Island Club Hotel |
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Described as “the richest, the most exclusive, the most inaccessible club in the world.” in the February 1904 issue of Munsey's Magazine, the Jekyll Island Club remains a pretty prestigious place to stay. |
