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Hotels of Yesterday

American history is carried forward in many forms — from official monuments and museums to entire communities. But there is a surprising amount of history in our nation's hotels, too. From inns in Maryland that existed before they had a country to call their own to midcentury modern grooviness on the Jersey shore, here are some of the U.S.' most historic hotels.


Room rates and availability are subject to change.


Related: The World's Most Remote Hotels

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Crescent Hotel & Spa by Alan Islas (CC BY-SA)
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Colorado: The Strater Hotel

Durango
Founded: 1887
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Author Louis L'Amour used the Strater's Room 222 — directly above the Diamond Belle Saloon — to work on many of his books because the small-town saloon's "honky-tonk music helped set the mood for his novels of the Old West." Today it rents out 88 rooms and has a restaurant, the saloon, and a "spiritorium," a bar serving apps and cocktails. 


 

Related: 22 Coolest Themed Hotel Rooms Around the World

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Delaware: Hotel Du Pont

Wilmington
Founded: 1913
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The Italian Renaissance-inspired Hotel Du Pont opened after more than two years of work by French and Italian craftsmen who "carved, gilded and painted this exceptional landmark to life." Taking up an entire city block, the property was also home to the chemical company DuPont's offices, and a playhouse.

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Georgia: The Marshall House

Savannah
Founded: 1851
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The Marshall House is distinctive for its green shutters and ornate balconies. Built in 1851 and operated as a hospital for both the yellow fever epidemic of the mid-1800s and for Civil War soldiers for a time. It's now rumored that the hotel is haunted.

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Hawaii: Moana Surfrider

Honolulu
Founded: 1901
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The Moana, on Oahu's Waikiki Beach, was the first hotel in Waikiki and has reportedly hosted the likes of Agatha Christie, Amelia Earhart, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra, and Joe DiMaggio. A defining feature of the hotel is a 75-foot courtyard banyan tree planted in 1904.


Related: The Best of Hawaii on a Budget

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Illinois: The Palmer House Hotel

Chicago
Founded: 1871
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The Hilton-owned Palmer House was originally built in 1871, but burned down just 13 days after opening during the Great Chicago Fire. Prominent Chicago businessman Potter Palmer persevered and rebuilt the hotel in a new location in 1873, and counted the likes of Ulysses S. Grant and Mark Twain among its notable guests. A third and final incarnation of the Palmer House Hotel was then built between 1923 and 1925 and has operated as a hotel ever since. Its most notable characteristic may be its grand lobby's recently restored ceiling fresco.

West Baden Springs Hotel by Scutter (CC BY-NC-ND)
Hotel Manning by Sector001 (CC BY-SA)
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Kansas: Historic Elgin Hotel

Marion
Founded: 1886
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After a rocky history, the Elgin Hotel was nearly demolished in 1974 but was saved by a lack of funding for a follow-up project. Remodels around 2006 and again in 2016 have restored the property to its former glory, and it now includes a second-floor bed and breakfast, fitness center, library, and game room.

Historic Boone Tavern Hotel by Parkerdr (CC BY-SA)
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Louisiana: Hotel Monteleone

New Orleans
Founded: 1886
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This French Quarter-located hotel has been operated by the same family for five generations, since its inception. The Monteleone was a favorite hangout for authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, and William Faulkner, and it served as a location for films including 1999's "Double Jeopardy" and the more recent "Girls Trip."

 

Related: Best Cheap Or Free Things To Do In New Orleans

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Massachusetts: Harbor View Hotel

Martha's Vineyard
Founded: 1891
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This island retreat is in the Martha's Vineyard community of Edgartown, one of the 1975 filming locations for the iconic movie "Jaws." Today, in addition to guest rooms, the property offers cottages, a 2,270-square-foot penthouse, and the Historic Building, which claims to have a "legendary" guest book featuring the names of A-listers, athletes, and politicians.


Related: 22 Places to Hang Out Where You're Most Likely to See a Celebrity

Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, View From The Lake by Dehk (CC BY)
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Missouri: Hotel Frederick

Boonville
Founded: 1905
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Built by a local miller and banker who named after his son, the Hotel Frederick is now on the National Register of Historic Places and considered one of the best examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in the area. It functioned as a bus depot and retirement home for some time but was reopened in 2007 as a boutique hotel after a $4 million restoration.


 

Related: 22 Weird, Abandoned Places to Explore

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The Cottonwood Hotel by JonClee86 (CC BY-SA)
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Nevada: Mizpah Hotel

Tonopah
Founded: 1907
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This self-dubbed "jewel of the desert" opened in 1907 as one of the first luxury hotels in Nevada and a social destination in the booming mining town. The Mizpah was renovated in 2011 after being closed for 12 years and today offers 52 rooms, a full bar, dining in The Jack Dempsey Room, and gaming in the lobby.

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New Mexico: The Plaza Hotel

Las Vegas
Founded: 1882
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About an hour's drive east of Santa Fe, this 1882 hotel was built when the town of Las Vegas was bigger than Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Today, the Plaza is known for its Victorian facade and 14-foot ceilings, and it's hosted names from Doc Holiday to Tommy Lee Jones.

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North Dakota: Carroll House Hotel

Fullerton
Founded: 1889
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In its more-than-130-year history, the Carroll House has always served as a hotel — but has also seen uses such as beauty parlors, restaurants, cream stations, and lumber business come and go. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 and serves as one of Fullerton's greatest pieces of living history.

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Ashland Springs Hotel by Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA)

Oregon: Ashland Springs Hotel

Ashland
Founded: 1925
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Opened in 1925 as the nine-story Lithia Springs Hotel near the Rogue River Valley, the Ashland Springs is known for its light-filled two-story lobby, terrazzo flooring, and combination of Gothic, Beaux-Arts, and Arts and Crafts styles of architecture.

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South Carolina: Zero George Street

Charleston
Founded: c. 1804 (original building)
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Named for its physical address, the five 19th century buildings that make up Zero George Street have undergone a "meticulous preservation and restoration" by its current owners. In addition to guest rooms, it has the Zero Restaurant and Bar and furnished outdoor piazzas and courtyards from which to enjoy daily wine-and-cheese pairings.

 

Related: 19 Free or Cheap Things to Do in Charleston

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Tennessee: Union Station Hotel

Nashville
Founded: 1894
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One in a line of historic train stations transformed into a jaw-dropping hotel (see also: Denver and St. Louis), the turret- and tower-heavy Gothic facade of Nashville's Union Station is worth the visit alone, but inside visitors will find plenty more to gawk at, including a 65-foot barrel-vaulted lobby ceiling, stained glass windows, three limestone fireplaces, and more.


Related: 36 Bucket-List Destinations for Music Lovers

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Texas: Hotel Paisano

Marfa
Founded: 1930
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Film history fans will delight in this West Texas town's Paisano, which was the headquarters for the classic 1956 movie "Giant," starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Built in 1930 and renovated after the turn of the century, the hotel now includes 41 rooms, a ballroom, an outdoor courtyard, and a restaurant and lounge, as well as a "Giant" memorabilia room.


Related: 50 Iconic Movie Locations You Have to Visit

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Vermont: The Grafton Inn

Grafton
Founded: 1801
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The Grafton Inn has seen a lot of history. It served as the area's courthouse in its early years and hosted literary figures such as Rudyard Kipling and Ralph Waldo Emerson, but by 1964 was in a state of disrepair and failing. Enter the state's Windham Foundation, which "strives to preserve Vermont's rural way of life." The foundation breathed new life into the Grafton so visitors can enjoy it today.

The Cavalier Hotel by Serge Melki (CC BY)
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Washington: Salish Lodge & Spa

Snoqualmie
Founded: 1916
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Opened in 1916 with eight guest rooms, the Salish served as the setting for David Lynch's mystery TV series, "Twin Peaks." It now has 86 rooms for travelers and those wanting to experience the Pacific Northwest and is owned by Snoqualmie Indian Tribe.

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West Virginia: The Blennerhassett Hotel

Parkersburg
Founded: 1889
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The Blennerhassett is a combination of Victorian, Queen Anne, and Romanesque Revival architectural styles and has seen three renovations over the course of its history: in the mid-1940s, early 1980s, and, most recently, a $10 million restoration from 2002-2006. The hotel is now registered as a Parkersburg historical landmark and with Historic Hotels of America.


Related: 25 Historic Movie Theaters Across America Worth Visiting

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Wisconsin: Maxwell Mansion

Lake Geneva
Founded: 1856
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The Maxwell began life as a mansion for a local surgeon and his family in 1856 and many notables after that. It was reportedly also the site of Nancy and President Ronald Reagan's early courtship. After a period of disrepair, it wasn't until this century that the mansion became a hotel with 30 rooms, 3 acres of gardens, lounges, outdoor fireplaces, a heated pool, and a croquet and bocce ball area.

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Wyoming: The Old Faithful Inn

Yellowstone National Park
Founded: 1904
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Built in 1903-1904, the Old Faithful Inn is considered the largest log structure in the world. Its jaw-dropping, multistory lobby features a huge stone fireplace and rough-hewn log columns. While most of its guest rooms aren't as historic in appearance as the hotel's origin date would suggest, there are "old house" rooms that offer a rustic simplicity with a few modern amenities.


Discover more stunning and historic travel destinations right here.