Our standards
How we choose the inns we list
Every inn and hotel on Historic Inns passes the same three tests before it is listed. We publish them so you can hold us to them.
1. The building is genuinely historic
It is at least 50 years old, the age the National Register of Historic Places uses as its threshold, and the historic building is the reason to stay. A new hotel that borrows “Historic District” for its name does not qualify. When an inn has been heavily rebuilt or reconstructed, we say so.
2. Its history can be checked
It holds at least one credential we can verify against a primary source:
- Individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places
- Inside a historic district listed on the National Register
- Designated a National Historic Landmark
- Designated a local landmark
- A member of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
3. You can book it today
It is open, takes overnight guests, and has a way to book online, either directly with the inn or through a booking site.
How we verify
We confirm the year a building was constructed, its credential and its operating status from primary sources: National Register nomination files, state historic preservation offices, the inn’s own history pages and contemporary news. Each listing shows the date we last checked it, and every source we used is listed at the bottom of the page. If a source contradicts us, we correct the listing.
Prices
Price bands describe a typical nightly rate: $ is under $200, $$ is $200 to $349, $$$ is $350 to $549 and $$$$ is $550 or more. Rates change with the season, so always confirm with the inn.
Ghost stories
Many historic inns have them. When we mention one, we report it as the story guests and staff tell, and we link to where it was published. We do not claim any building is haunted.
Independence
Inns cannot pay to be included, and paid placements will always be labeled. Some booking links may earn us a commission; that never decides what we list. See our disclosure.