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Historic Hotels of America Honors 18 Winners From Over 700 Nominations at Williamsburg Gala
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- Historic Hotels of America presented 18 distinct Annual Awards of Excellence at the Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection on October 15, 2026.
- Winners were selected from more than 700 nominations, with the Marcus Whitman Hotel named New Member of the Year and The Wigwam winning Best Social Media.
- Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and represents more than 315 historic properties.
Historic Hotels of America presented 18 distinct Annual Awards of Excellence to historic hotels and hoteliers at a ceremony in Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 15, 2026, selecting winners from more than 700 nominations. The organization announced the recipients in a GlobeNewswire release.
The Williamsburg Ceremony and Its Winners
The Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection hosted the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala on the evening of October 15. More than 240 hospitality industry leaders attended, including local dignitaries, owners, general managers and representatives of historic hotels. The Williamsburg Lodge is part of Colonial Williamsburg, which is celebrating 100 years in 2026 as the world's largest American history museum.
Winners were chosen from nominations submitted by historic hotels, preservation supporters, prior award recipients, community leaders and Historic Hotels of America leadership. The Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla, Washington, was named New Member of the Year, and The Wigwam in Litchfield Park, Arizona, won Best Social Media of a Historic Hotel. The Gasparilla Inn in Boca Grande, Florida, received the Sustainability Champion award, while the InterContinental New York Barclay took Best Historic Hotel in the over 400 guestrooms category.
Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1949. The National Trust and The Travelers Companies held the fourth event of their Travelers Across America preservation campaign at the Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minnesota, on August 6, 2026, according to Gurufocus.
Historic Hotels Worldwide's Award Program
According to akta.pro company records, Historic Hotels Worldwide scaled the Annual Awards of Excellence program to 14 categories and attracted over 700 nominations for 2026. The same records show the organization represents more than 315 historic properties across 46 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and spans 46 countries globally. Historic Hotels Worldwide was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Washington.
Earlier Awards Announcements in 2026
Historic Hotels of America announced the nominee finalists for its 2026 Annual Awards of Excellence on August 10, 2026, according to FinancialContent Business Page. Historic Hotels Worldwide announced its own nominee finalists the same day, recognizing leaders from its collection spanning 46 countries, FinancialContent Business Page reported. On October 7, 2026, Business Wire Blog reported that Andrew N. Todd, chief executive officer of Xanterra Travel Collection, received the 2026 Legacy of Innovation and Inspiration Award.
Next Steps for Historic Hotels Worldwide
Historic Hotels Worldwide, an affiliated program of Historic Hotels of America, announced its own winners of the Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence this week, the release said.