Hotel Bethlehem is going for a grand slam in being named the Best Historic Hotel in America.
A win in this year’s contest would be the fourth in a row for the hotel, which anchors the city’s Main Street shopping district. It’s also the sixth year in a row Hotel Bethlehem has been nominated by USA Today for the distinction.
“Winning this again would be like having the bases loaded and hitting the home run for our community,” said Bruce Haines, Hotel Bethlehem’s managing partner. “ … And it’s not just about us. These awards are so much more than recognition for the hotel. They recognize the community and the spirit that built this landmark and brought it back to life when it nearly shut down for good in the ‘90s.”
Adding to the baseball theme of this year’s campaign, Haines and Hotel Bethlehem community ambassador Ryan Crookham will throw out the first pitch before the Lehigh Valley IronPigs game Wednesday at Coca-Cola Park.
In addition to the ceremony, the IronPigs announced the “bases loaded” partnership. Throughout the voting campaign, whenever the IronPigs load the bases, they will display a QR code on the stadium’s big board with a link that takes fans to the voting website. They’ll also announce voting details during defensive lineups.
To vote, go to www.votehotelb.com. Voting will be conducted until 11:59 a.m. Aug. 5.
Hotel Bethlehem came in third place in 2019, moved up to second in 2020 and won first place in 2021-23. It knocked out historic destination heavyweights like the Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee and Hotel Du Pont in Delaware to take the lead.
According to the USA Today website, a panel of travel industry experts and editors at USA Today agree each nominee has “held true to its historic roots and unique sense of place.”
