USA Today names Hotel Bethlehem best historic hotel in the country

Hotel Bethlehem has been named the best historic hotel in the country by USA Today as part of its 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

The historic hotel — which is nearing its 100th anniversary — was the only hotel in Pennsylvania to be nominated as part of the awards. In 2019, the hotel was named third in the country, and last year it was named No. 2.

Voting started on July 19 and was open to the public for four weeks. The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee has traditionally held the number one Best Historic Hotel position.

The iconic Hotel Bethlehem, a member of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America, part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, opened in May 1922 as a 200-room community hotel.

It was constructed on about the same spot as the First House that the Moravians built when they settled the land in 1741. The site also was the location of the Golden Eagle hotel for about 100 years.

Over the past century, Presidents Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with other prominent figures such as Amelia Earhart, Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali and Ray Charles, have visited.

Over the past few years, the owners have also extended the hotel’s footprint downtown to include a 5,000-square-foot Executive Conference Center one block away and a Hotel B Ice Cream Parlor across the street.

Today, the 125-room hotel is a lodging and entertainment facility, with 19 suites, two ballrooms, two restaurants and a gift shop showcasing women’s clothing and accessories.