It’s easy to settle for the first great hotel we find when planning a trip.
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We look for the basics, like location, cost, and amenities. After, we read through the reviews to make sure we know what we’re signing up for. Lastly, we look for extras like romance packages or experiential programs.
In the end, we’re all looking for something different in a top-notch hotel experience.
And if the ambiance is high on your priority list, then I highly suggest you look for a boutique hotel experience. Boutique hotels have a focus that you can feel throughout the grounds, from high design elements to surfer vibes to hostel-like social programming.
As a fan of history and historic, quaint grounds, I usually keep a lookout for boutique hotels with unique backstories.
Though you can find historic hotels dotting the country, especially in New England, the US’s oldest state is home to more than a dozen verified historic hotels.
Welcome to Pennsylvania’s coolest hospitality attractions—its historic hotels.
Below, you can find my top picks, which are based on age, history, and modern outlook.
Top 8 historic hotels in Pennsylvania
Omni Bedford Springs Resort (Est. 1806)
Bedford, Pennsylvania
In the late 1700s, settlers discovered high-mineral water springs near Bedford, Pennsylvania. Shortly after, a local doctor purchased the lands with the springs to offer medicinal baths to his patients.
By 1806, three buildings were erected, one of which would become the famous Evitt House of today’s Omni Bedford Springs Resort.
Today, it remains a popular resort thanks to its healing waters. In fact, a new spring was discovered in 2006 during resort expansions. There’s also a golf course and a full spa on the grounds.
The Sayre Mansion (Est. 1856)
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
This commanding single-family home was built in the center of Bethlehem by one of the town’s wealthiest industrialists in the mid-1800s, Robert Heysham Sayre. The beloved family home, built in a Gothic Revival Style, housed Sayre until 1970. It’s where his raised eight children with four different wives.
But the Sayre Mansion was eventually sold in 1914, then again in the 1930s. It served as a multi-family rental unit until the 1990s. A major restoration saved this mansion in the 1990s from demolition. Since then, its current owners have worked hard to renovate, restore, and celebrate the Sayre Mansion.
Eagles Mere Inn (Est. 1877)
Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania
This historic inn comes bundled with a gorgeous, quaint town: Eagles Mere.
The town was established in 1877, and its main street doesn’t look all too different than it would have in the early 1900s—including the Eagles Mere Inn. It’s one of the smallest historic hotels in Pennsylvania, but it’s been hosting wayward travelers as a resort destination since it first opened its doors.
Glasbern (Est. 1870)
Fogelsville, Pennsylvania
Parts of Glasbern look so modern that you might wonder about its historic status. This tract of land was purchased in the late 1700s and was used for farming—but by 1870, a new property owner began adding a family home and several barns.
A century later, in 1985, a couple purchased the property with the goal of restoring the old structures and creating a historic inn.
Though the hotel changed hands in 2024, it retains its historic status and charm The Carriage House is built on the former tractor shed and the Gate House is built on another large shed.
Notably, some structures are reconstructed from barns taken from surrounding properties. A historic hodge-podge, if you will.
Ledges Hotel (Est. 1890)
Hawley, Pennsylvania
The Ledges Hotel was once a massive glass-cutting factory, which employed a significant portion of county laborers. The factory was created to run on water power—if you visit, you’ll immediately hear the calming sound of Wallenpaupack Creek.
It was purchased in 2011 by a hospitality group that has since turned the factory into a stunning five-story historic hotel.
Settlers Inn (Est. 1927)
Hawley, Pennsylvania
Not far from the Ledges Hotel, you can explore Settlers Inn. The property was built in 1927 in an Arts and Crafts design and was meant to serve the incoming visitors to the man-made Lake Waullenpaupack.
Though those plans stalled (by around two decades), The Settlers Inn has since become one of the most popular boutique historic hotels in town.
Skytop Lodge (Est. 1928)
Skytop, Pennsylvania
The massive, impressive Skytop Lodge spans a whopping 5,500 acres, handing you the reins to a luxurious and calming escape. This AAA Four Diamond-rated escape has perfected its offers since it opened its door almost a century ago—so if you want an opulent adventure that offers a glimpse into the past, head to Skytop.
All that land means you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get outdoors. There’s a full golf course, an adventure center, zip lining, hiking, pickleball, beekeeping, tennis, lawn bowling, shooting lessons, boating, paintball, archery lessons, something called ‘wibit’, and more.
Penn Wells Hotel (Est. 1869)
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
So far, I’ve focused on hotels that look the part (aside from Glasbern)—but Penn Wells Hotel, located in the heart of Wellsboro, resembles a modern urban structure.
The original hotel from 1869 was expanded in the 1920s to include 70 rooms and a fantastic lounge that’s still a popular pick for locals. Both have stately interiors that call back to the Gilded Age.