BETHLEHEM, Pa. — An alert to all those historic hotels looking to supplant Historic Hotel Bethlehem as America’s best:
There are no vacancies.
For a record fourth consecutive year, the local iconic hotel has been voted USA Today newspaper's Best Historic Hotel/Resort in the nation.
“Number one!” shouted Yolanda Velez, a 17-year housekeeper at the hotel.
Velez was given the honor of opening the FedEx-delivered envelope with the contest results during a ceremony at the hotel on Wednesday.
"The support of the Lehigh Valley is what makes this happen."Bruce Haines, managing partner, Historic Hotel Bethlehem
Historic Hotel Bethlehem Managing Partner Bruce Haines beamed upon hearing the news. He embraced his wife, Jo Ann, as the new designation flashed on a large video screen beside them.
“The reason we won is the support of the community,” Haines told a large gathering that included many hotel employees and well-wishers.
“We’re still a community hotel. At the bar every night, there’s half the people sitting there from overseas or whatever, and the other half that live somewhere in the Lehigh Valley.
“The support of the Lehigh Valley is what makes this happen.”
A breakthrough
Historic Hotel Bethlehem employees will continue wearing the No. 1 pin on their uniform they've sported for the past three years.
The 202-year-old Historic Hotel Bethlehem outdistanced stiff competition from historic hotels and resorts from California, Hawaii, Florida, Virginia, Michigan, Washington State, Alabama, Tennessee, Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey Washington, D.C.
The nominees are chosen by USA Today editors and industry experts. The public then votes for their favorite online.
Each of the winning hotels is affiliated with Historic Hotels of America, falling under the auspices of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
“The entire Lehigh Valley community is so proud of the hotel.”Lehigh Valley IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes
Winning the contest was a grand slam for the Historic Hotel Bethlehem. Coincidentally, in the lead up to the contest, the hotel created a Grand Slam Partnership with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
At Coca-Cola Park in July to kick off the campaign, the stars seemed to be aligning for a fourth consecutive top designation, as IronPigs’ shortstop Scott Kingery belted a grand slam.
“We were proud to partner with Historic Hotel Bethlehem,” IronPigs’ General Manager Kurt Landes said. “The entire Lehigh Valley community is so proud of the hotel.”
'Hard work and dedication'
The USA Today contest is in its 10th year. No other hotel has won the award four times, much less four consecutive times.
Also, no other hotel from Pennsylvania was nominated this year.
Historic Hotel Bethlehem placed third in 2019 and second in 2020.
“This accolade is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Hotel Bethlehem,” Discover Lehigh Valley President Alex Michaels said.
Don Cunningham, chief executive officer of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., recalled walking the street with pride looking at the hotel when he was a youth.
“This is an example, a microcosm, of what is happening now in the Lehigh Valley.”Don Cunningham, chief executive officer of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.
“And I was mayor when this hotel was in mothballs — closed,” he said. “This is an example, a microcosm, of what is happening now in the Lehigh Valley.”
Haines also took time on Wednesday to celebrate the Moravian Church Settlements-Bethlehem inclusion in July as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
On Feb. 1, 2023, the U.S. government officially submitted a nomination for the designation.
Moravian Church Settlements-Bethlehem was chosen for the settlements’ outstanding universal value and the Moravian Church’s global influence.
It's among only 26 World Heritage Sites in the United States, including the Grand Canyon National Park, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello home and Yosemite National Park.
Independence Hall in Philadelphia and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater House are the only other two such sites in Pennsylvania.
The World Heritage Sites designation attracts worldwide attention to Bethlehem and may also increase tourism and boost the local economy.
