• Hotel is listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, or recognized by a local or state government as being historically significant.
• The hotel site and building must convey an overall sense of historic integrity in both facilities and atmosphere. The hotel should reflect its historic nature in such aspects as design, furnishings, décor, and architecture. Preservation of historic elements is an important aspect for each historic property. This is particularly important for the hotels entrance, lobby, lounges, foyers, and other interior public spaces. Guestrooms can reflect modern amenities in a historic design setting.
• The façade of the hotel must retain the integrity of its original distinguishing qualities or character and be well maintained generally, in a fine state of repair. While later additions or modifications may be acceptable, they cannot inappropriately dominate or modify the façade’s historic integrity and appearance.

The Historic Hotels of America Program Standards is designed and operated to ensure an overall continuity and level of trust between the member hotels and the consumers that seek out the program for their travel needs. The Advisory Board has issued standards to all Historic Hotels of America hotels to ensure the integrity of the Historic Hotels of America program classification. A third party vendor evaluates each hotel every other year during an onsite visitation on the following standards:

• Appearance and presentation of property is historic in nature
• Services and amenities demonstrate the historic significance of the property
• Guestrooms reflect the overall historic design of the hotel
• Displays incorporate historic memorabilia
• Pre-printed collateral is available to explain the hotel’s history
• Employees are knowledgeable of the hotel’s historic significance
• Historic Hotels of America program (plaque and directory) is prominently displayed
• Menu items hint to historic significance
• Food is of good quality, is well presented and served
• Facility is clean and well maintained
• Staff members are attentive to the guest’s needs

Since 2025, Historic Hotels of America has partnered with EcoSure (a subsidiary of Ecolab) to conduct its Program Standards inspections on its behalf. Their field advisors have been thoroughly trained to execute this distinctive program, focusing on the many ways that you commemorate your heritage on-site. Please know that while the field advisors will also assess your contemporary guest experience, it will only constitute 25% of your inspection's final scoring.

For reference, the visit itself will just be a two-hour inspection that will use criteria that the National Trust has established for maintaining membership in the organization. These inspections are always announced beforehand, with EcoSure working diligently with our hoteliers to find a suitable date and time for the visit. However, when contacted for an inspection, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has mandated that they must occur within the calendar year.

Please bear in mind that the inspection is not to exceed two-hours, meaning overnight accommodation and food vouchers are not necessary. (You will also bear no additional cost participating, as the hotel has already paid for this inspection as part of its annual membership dues.) Furthermore, we request that you adhere to visiting the following spaces to ensure our consultants have enough time on property. Please note that we have empowered our consultants to request seeing additional spaces if time allows, though:

• Lobby/Front Desk area
• One guestroom or suite
• One restaurant or dining area
• One meeting venue
• Any areas that commemorate the building’s history (i.e., memorabilia displays)

Reports created by EcoSure will be sent to the hotels upon completion of the site visit, as well as to its dedicated reporting platform, the TrueView Portal. Key leadership contacts will receive login credentials to the portal prior to their inspection; hotels are encouraged to contact Matt Coletti (Manager, Member Services and Support) to add additional users to TrueView. Likewise, the department is always available to answer any questions concerning the Historic Hotels of America Program Standards initiative: