Unique Hotels Give Guests a Place in History

For many of us, hitting the road means traveling down memory lane, visiting places significant in America’s history. This summer, 48% of U.S. adults said they expected to visit a historic site, 6% more than last year, according to an annual survey by the Travel Industry Assn. of America.

Interest in historic and cultural trips has been increasing for several years, the TIA found. One index of that interest is the exponential growth in National Trust Historic Hotels of America, a program of the private, nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation that markets lodgings with a past.

The hotel group, founded in 1989 with 32 members, grew to more than 100 hotels in just four years. This spring it added 12 members, the largest addition ever, boosting the total to 184 in 44 U.S. states plus one in Canada.

Members include such nationally known names as the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, the Waldorf-Astoria in New York and the Williamsburg Inn in Williamsburg, Va., plus many that are obscure. California, with 20, has the most, including two at Yosemite National Park that were added in April.

“We’re on the receiving end of a trend,” says Thierry Roch, executive director of National Trust Historic Hotels. Travelers, especially baby boomers, are looking for lodgings with “character and personality,” he says, often with links to personal and family histories.

Last summer, in partnership with Traveling America, Historic Hotels began offering “Driving Journeys” packages with themes such as architecture, African American heritage and the founding fathers. They combine stays at historic lodgings with admission to museums and other attractions.

Many are three or four days and cost less than $400 per person. Others are longer. The “Blue Ridge Parkway From Top to Bottom” lasts 12 days, includes six hotels and is “priced upon request,” the group’s Web site says. From 60 itineraries, the “Driving Journeys” list has grown to about 400 in the last year.

To belong to the National Trust Historic Hotels of America, lodgings must meet several criteria, Roch says: They must be full-service, with food and beverages; be at least 50 years old; be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, be eligible to be on that register or have received a local accolade for historic preservation; and “faithfully maintain their architectural integrity, both inside and out.”

A major qualification: Each hotel must pay annual dues of $30 per room, with a $3,990 minimum and $8,990 maximum. New members generally pay an initiation fee of $5,000. Thus, not every historic hotel belongs to the group. The hotels that do belong represent an astonishing range, from small, independent inns to big chain resorts, with nightly room rates from $59 (Inn at Newport Beach in Newport, R.I.) to $15,000 (for a suite at the Plaza in New York).

Although many member hotels earn high ratings from organizations such as AAA, membership is no assurance of quality. Historic Hotels of America, based in Washington, D.C., with seven employees and an annual $1.2-million budget, doesn’t conduct regular inspections, Roch says. Only one hotel has been ejected because of guest complaints during his three years on the job, although “there are several we’re taking a close look at now,” he said. Roch declined to identify the hotels.

To reserve at a member hotel, call (800) 678-8946 or visit www.historichotels.org. A part of the room cost booked through the group goes to the National Trust. Hotels are listed on the Web site and in a directory that can be ordered for $3.50 (check or money order) from National Trust Historic Hotels of America, P.O. Box 320, Washington, DC 20055-0320.

Here are the California members, with published room rates. (Rates may vary seasonally; cheaper rates may be available through special sales and group discounts.)

* The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park: 1927 National Historic Landmark known for its granite facade and stone hearths; 123 rooms; $348.

* The Argyle, Los Angeles: Designed in 1929, Art Deco landmark opened as Sunset Tower apartments, home to John Wayne, Jean Harlow and other stars; 64 rooms; $230-$1,200.

* El Encanto Hotel & Garden Villas, Santa Barbara: Craftsman cottages and Spanish Colonial Revival villas dating to 1915; 84 rooms; $229-$800.

* The Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco: Beaux-Arts building by Hearst Mansion architect Julia Morgan that survived the 1906 earthquake; 591 rooms; $279-$10,000.

* Furnace Creek Inn, Death Valley: Mission-style inn opened in 1927 by Pacific Borax Co.; 66 rooms; $155-$365.

* The Georgian Hotel, Santa Monica: 1933 Art Deco landmark; 84 rooms; $235-$400.

* The Grande Colonial, La Jolla: Original wood building opened in 1913, Colonial-Revival part in 1926; 75 rooms; $199-$449.

* Hotel del Coronado, Coronado: Opened in 1888, it’s where Marilyn Monroe cavorted in “Some Like It Hot”; 680 rooms; $250-$2,300.

* Hotel La Rose, Santa Rosa: 1907 stone building with staircase from San Francisco Cable Car Barn; 49 rooms; $134-$264 .

* Hyatt Sainte Claire, San Jose: 1926 Spanish and Italian Renaissance Revival building with hand-carved, hand-painted ceiling; 171 rooms; $99-$1,400.

* Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites, Mendocino: 1878 Victorian with antique glass room dividers from British rail stations; 51 rooms; $95-$275.

* Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles: 1923 Spanish-Italian Renaissance structure; 683 rooms; $249-$2,000.

* Mission Inn, Riverside: Eclectic National Historic Landmark, built from 1876 to 1931 by collector Frank A. Miller, occupies city block; 238 rooms; $169-$800.

* Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, Ojai: rambling Spanish Colonial-style complex dating to 1920s; 207 rooms; $279-$2,500.

* Paso Robles Inn, Paso Robles: Mission-style hotel opened in 1891, rebuilt after 1940 fire, with therapy spas that draw on local hot springs; 100 rooms; $65-$235.

* La Playa Hotel, Carmel: Mediterranean mansion built in 1904 for Ghirardelli family daughter; 75 rooms; $160-$625.

* Sir Francis Drake Hotel, San Francisco: ornate 1928 building with murals depicting the life of the 16th century English explorer; 417 rooms; $169-$799.

* La Valencia Hotel, La Jolla: a 1926 Mediterranean-inspired structure with Spanish mosaics and hand-painted murals; 118 rooms; $275-$3,500.

* U.S. Grant, San Diego: 1910 Neoclassical building built by President Grant’s son occupies city block; 284 rooms; $309-$1,500.

* Wawona Hotel, Yosemite National Park: built 1876-1918, largest Victorian hotel complex in a national park; 104 rooms; $103-$158.

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Jane Engle welcomes comments but cannot respond individually to letters and calls. Write Travel Insider, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, or e-mail jane.engle@latimes.com.