WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Historic Hotels of America® is pleased to announce that Philip F. Anschutz has been named the recipient of the 2024 Historic Hotels of America® Legacy of Innovation and Inspiration Award.
Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. The Historic Hotels of America Legacy of Innovation and Inspiration Award is presented annually to a leader with extensive accomplishments in pioneering innovative concepts and programs, achieving uncommon success, being a thought leader on exceptional service, and being a force of inspiration in the hospitality industry.
Mr. Anschutz was selected for his commitment to historic preservation and his exemplary record of long-term stewardship of The Broadmoor, The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and Sea Island.
Mr. Anschutz will be presented with this prestigious award at the 2024 Historic Hotels Annual Conference in front of an audience of owners, general managers, and other senior decision makers representing many of the finest historic hotels from across the United States of America and from around the world. The Historic Hotels Annual Conference will be held at The Omni Homestead Resort (1766) in Hot Springs, Virginia, on November 18-22, 2024. The 2024 Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala will be held at 7 p.m. on November 21. The Omni Homestead Resort, inducted into Historic Hotels of America as a Charter Member in 1989 and designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, is an iconic year-round resort nestled in the scenic Allegheny Mountains. It has been welcoming guests for more than 250 years.
“On behalf of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Hotels of America, and Historic Hotels Worldwide, we are honored to recognize Philip F. Anschutz for his extensive accomplishments in pioneering innovative concepts for achieving uncommon success, being a thought leader on exceptional service, and for being a force of inspiration in the hospitality industry.” said Lawrence P. Horwitz, Executive Vice President, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “With admiration, we appreciate how Mr. Anschutz acts as a steward, rather than an investor, with a long-term commitment to environmental and historic preservation. His is an exemplary record of long-term stewardship of The Broadmoor, The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and Sea Island.”
The award recognizes Mr. Anschutz’s innovative stewardship of two iconic and legendary historic resorts. He committed The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Sea Island in Georgia to 100-year trusts, which prohibit them from being sold and ensure their future stability. These iconic and legendary Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond resorts are both steeped in history, tradition, service, and excellence. The Broadmoor, established in 1918, is the World's Longest-Running Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond Resort. The Broadmoor was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 1989 as a Charter Member. Sea Island, an exceptional destination fueled by gracious service and heartfelt hospitality since 1928, is home of three Forbes Five-Star experiences: The Cloister, The Lodge, and The Spa at Sea Island. Mr. Anschutz’ visionary leadership and exemplary stewardship will help preserve these iconic and legendary historic hotels as well as enable future generations to experience and enjoy these treasured places.
Historic Hotels of America also recognizes Mr. Anschutz and The Anschutz Corporation for its investment of more than $100 million in the restoration of The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which first opened in 1891 to take passengers to the top of the 14,115-feet-high Pikes Peak. The restoration project included rebuilding all nine miles of track from Manitou Springs to the summit of Pikes Peak, the acquisition of three new trains from Stadler Rail of Switzerland, refurbishing the depot in Manitou Springs, including adding a second boarding track and platform, and restoring the historic train cars.
Mr. Anschutz is the owner of The Anschutz Corporation in Denver, Colorado. The company’s major business interests are in the fields of communications, transportation, natural and renewable resources, real estate, lodging, entertainment, and portfolio investments. A native of Kansas, Mr. Anschutz graduated from the University of Kansas in 1961 with a degree in business. He started The Anschutz Corporation in 1965. Mr. Anschutz serves as chairman of the board of The Anschutz Foundation; as an emeritus trustee of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; as a lifetime honorary trustee of The American Museum of Natural History; and as an alumnus member of the Smithsonian National Board, having previously served on those boards. Mr. Anschutz is a governor of the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer and an executive member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. He has served in the past on boards and committees of various charitable, civic, industry, and financial organizations. Among Mr. Anschutz’s personal interests are the history of the American West and the collecting of paintings relating to that subject matter. He is the author of two books on the subject: Out Where the West Begins and Out Where the West Begins Vol 2.
The 2024 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala will take place at The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 7 pm. Ceremony and Gala Tickets are $500. To register for the ceremony and gala, click here.
About Historic Hotels of America®
Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across America. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was chartered by U.S. Congress in 1949 and is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is leading the movement to save places where our history happened. To be nominated and selected for membership in this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark, or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historical significance. Of the more than 300 historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 45 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their sense of authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity.
