America's Top-Ranked Historic Hotel Is A Pennsylvania Gem Outside Allentown With An Award-Winning Restaurant

Travelers looking for a cookie-cutter-free lodging experience, especially one that has stood the test of time, should look no further than the Historic Hotel Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. The grand Beaux-Arts landmark has won the USA Today 10Best Readers Choice Award for Best Historic Hotel for the 6th year in a row. The accolades extend beyond its striking architecture and lavish décor. It has also landed on the Historic Hotels of America Top 25 for "Most Magnificent Art Collections," "Culinary Heritage and Traditions," and "Where U.S. Presidents Made History" lists. 

Open since 1922, the hotel's roots go deeper. It sits on the site of the First House of Bethlehem from 1741, built by a group of Christian Moravian missionaries who hailed from ancient Bohemia. The property at one time hosted wounded soldiers during World War I. After the war, steel magnate Charles Schwab bought the property and transformed it into the city's crown jewel. Over the years, the hotel has had its ups and downs, weathering the advent of freeways during the 1960s which bypassed small towns and decimated sales, and a deadly fire in 1989, per The Morning Call. After it declared bankruptcy and closed, local investors eventually bought it, restoring its luster.

Winners for the USA Today award are part of an initial contender list curated by industry experts and travel writers. USA Today 10Best editors finalize a set of nominees before readers casts their votes. Guests often make this destination the focus of their vacation, enjoying award-winning cuisine and the charms of Bethlehem, a gem outside of Allentown known as the "Christmas Capital" and home to one of the 10 best Christmas markets in America. Speaking of the holidays, in an email to Islands, Hotel Bethlehem shared that it has just been nominated by USA Today's experts and editors for "Best Hotel for the Holidays" 2026. Reader voting ends November 30, and the winner will be announced on December 3. 

Step into the hotel's past, starting in the cozy lobby furnished with tufted leather seating, rocking chairs, and a grand piano. Photographs and printed materials help tell the story of the town's pendulum swing from religious settlement to industrial boomtown in the Hall of History. The hotel's art honored by the Historic Hotels of America is also a draw. It's home to eight murals painted by George Gray. These massive images, some as big as 30-feet wide, chronicle the city's story, including its steel heritage, the founding of nearby Lehigh University, and Benjamin Franklin's visit to the area. Guests can take a peek at them hanging in the Mural Ballroom and at its entrance.

You may think you're staying in rooms from yesteryear at Hotel Bethlehem as the furnishings and décor reflect elegant tradition — but they're equipped with modern amenities, too. In its 125 guest rooms and suites, rich fixtures like curtain valances and Italian marble baths blend with 21st-century touches like flat-screen TVs, and USB nightstands for creature comforts. Some rooms offer views of the town's historic Main Street and the limestone Moravian Church Settlements, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Guests today probably wish the walls could talk since luminaries — past and present — have lodged here, including Sir Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, Amelia Earhart, and President John F. Kennedy. Don't be surprised if some rooms actually engage in communication with you. The hotel website devotes a section to "Our Friendly Spirits." In Room 932, you may be awakened by a man asking, "Why are you in my room?" Guests may even wonder about flying pens or changing bathroom wallpaper colors, per Facebook observers. Fans of paranormal activity can learn more about the hotel's mystery experiences on the town's Spirited Tales Pub Tour that includes a tasting.

Your special occasion stay should also include a meal or two at the hotel's signature restaurant, 1741 on the Terrace. Set in a light-filled space with floor-to-ceiling windows and a ceramic, Moravian tile floor, it features artfully presented fare from its farm-to-table menu, featuring elevated favorites like mac and cheese with Maine Lobster and deviled eggs with caviar along with vegetarian specialties such as mushroom ravioli and roasted cauliflower steak. The restaurant has earned an "Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator and Open Table's "Diner's Choice" award. It's open for lunch and dinner, as well as an opulent weekend brunch buffet with live music.

Make sure to save room for treats or an after-dinner nightcap. A must-try and the source of its Historic Hotels of America honor is the complimentary Moravian Sugar Cake, a coffee cake-like treat made with leftover bread dough and brown sugar once made by colonial Moravians. It's also available for purchase at Hotel B Ice Cream Parlor, where they serve up scoops crafted by the historic Berkey Creamery — established in 1865. History meets the hotel's gathering places again at Tap Room. With it's "Gallery of Distinguished Former Guests," vintage mahogany bar, and live music with Thursday night Jazz, it's a convivial spot for a cocktail. Try the signature Moravian Manhattan made with maple bourbon. 

If you can time your stay for the holidays, that's when the magic shines brightly at the hotel and in Bethlehem, no surprise since the town was founded and named on Christmas Eve. This is one of America's hotels that transform into a Christmas wonderland, with over 25 brightly-lit Christmas trees, towering toy soldiers, and a gingerbread house replica of the hotel. It's no wonder the hotel landed a nomination for USA Today's "Best Hotel for the Holidays" 2026. You can fly into Leigh Valley International Airport, a mere five miles away.