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Krause & Johansen
The Peabody today. Photo courtesy of The Peabody Memphis.
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The Peabody as it looked when it opened in 1925. Photo courtesy The Peabody Memphis.
Last week, our very own Peabody Hotel was ranked #1 in a list of the top 10 Best Historical Hotels in America by readers of USA Today for the second consecutive year.
Readers voted on the top hotels from a poll of 20 properties that were hand-picked by a panel of experts and USA Today editors.
Curators of the top 10 list had this to say about The Peabody: “The grande dame of Southern hotels, the historic Peabody is a treat for the senses; opulence abounds, a dynamite restaurant pleases the palate, and the famed ducks entertain both adults and children at this hotel dating back to 1869 (it's been at its current location since 1925). The old-timey pool area is a throwback to the glamour days of indoor hotel pools.”
The Peabody is in good company here. Some 200 miles to the east, the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville joins this list. The other eight historical hotels that ranked in the top 10 are: Mission Inn Hotel & Spa (Riverside, California), Historic Hotel Bethlehem (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania), Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa (Point Clear, Alabama), Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island, Michigan), French Lick Resort (French Lick, Indiana), The Jefferson Hotel (Richmond, Virginia), The Francis House (Calistoga, California), and Wentworth Mansion (Charleston, South Carolina).
The Peabody’s top ranking comes just in time, as the hotel celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Official celebrations include an anniversary five-course dinner prepared by Executive Chef Andreas Kisler and Executive Pastry Chef Konrad Spitzbart, special room packages beginning at $150, a handful of anniversary-themed food and beverage offerings (how about a very special hamburger for $150?), and anniversary merchandise for sale.
