You may be asking yourself why anyone would endeavor to launch a blog devoted solely to historic hotels. Fair question!
Not only am I an avid history buff, but I've only worked as a writer in the hotel/timeshare industry since graduating from college over 4 years ago. (I have ample experience writing descriptions for many a hotel, from 4-star luxury properties to historic resorts to intimate inns. Those closest to me will attest to my bookish nature and insatiable appetite for knowledge. In particular, I love all things social sciences -- from history and geography to psychology and economics. As far as history books, I recently read the first three chapters of "The Founding Fathers," which chronicles how presidents such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison helped shape the United States into what it is today. Next on my history book list is "American Presidents - A Dark History." (I think it's safe to say that, upon completion of both books, I will have been presented with disparate viewpoints on the legacies these men left behind.) I stay abreast of the latest goings-on in the travel industry by reading the Travel section of the local paper, AAA Magazine, and myriad travel articles I find on the web.
I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Marketing and a minor in Psychology, so I have a strong predilection for the study of consumer psychology. In fact, I'm currently reading "Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy" by Martin Lindstrom and "How Customers Think" by Gerald Zaltman, both of which stress that purchase decisions are largely driven by consumers' unconscious motivations. I'm also a politics junkie -- yes, I am closely following the Republican presidential race -- and hope to begin reading the mega bestseller "The Audacity of Hope" by President Obama in the coming weeks.
There's no question that travel is considered a fun industry in and of itself. At some point, we've all looked at pictures of spectacular beaches and imagined ourselves sunbathing on them. We've seen commercials featuring elegant hotels and pictured ourselves unwinding in their comfy bedrooms following a busy day spent shopping or sightseeing. We've heard a friend rave about a particular hotspot he or she visited on her latest trip to Europe and wished we could be there to see it for ourselves.
My goal is to elicit in my readers a desire to visit some of the most charming historic hotels on the face of the planet. I'll lead you on a journey back in time and we'll visit a wide array of historic hotels around the world that have retained the very charm they exuded when they first opened their doors. The vast majority of the hotels you'll learn about are historic landmarks, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and/or members of Historic Hotels of America. Granted, I have not visited most of them in person, but my hope is that you'll derive as much pleasure from reading about these historic properties as I do researching and writing about them. Whether you’re interested in learning about historic
- Which presidents and celebrities have stayed at the historic hotel
- Which special events were or continue to be held at the hotel
- Inventions/discoveries that were made there or that the hotel is associated with
- Whether the hotel served a different purpose throughout its history (was the hotel originally a home to a wealthy family? a hospital for wounded soldiers during a major war?)
- Other historic landmarks/attractions near the historic hotel (museums, parks, famous statues, etc.)
Ready to explore countless hotels that have stood the test of time? I sure am. Happy reading!
