WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Celebrated New York Times bestselling author Luke Barr has been named the recipient of the Historic Hotels of America 2018 Historian of the Year Award. Luke will be honored with this distinguished award on November 1, 2018 at the Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony & Gala at The Broadmoor (1918) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year Award is presented to an individual for making a unique contribution in the research and presentation of history and whose work has encouraged a wide discussion, greater understanding, and enthusiasm for history, historic hotels, and culinary heritage.
“Luke Barr is a champion of culinary and hospitality history,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “He is a treasure and a resource for understanding the origin of many fine hospitality traditions and approaches to legendary service, as well as identifying the culinary heritage of many recipes we take for granted.”
Luke Barr was for many years the features editor at Travel + Leisure magazine. A grandnephew of M.F.K. Fisher, he grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Switzerland. He wrote Ritz & Escoffier: The Hotelier, the Chef & the Rise of the Leisure Class (published April 3, 2018 by Clarkson Potter/Penguin Random House). His first book was the New York Times bestseller, Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, architect Yumi Moriwaki, and their two daughters. Ritz & Escoffier, The Hotelier, the Chef & the Rise of the Leisure Class tells the story of the people behind some of the most iconic “grand dame” hotels in history.
“I am delighted to accept the Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year Award,” said Luke Barr. “The history of the London Savoy and Paris Ritz hotels is remarkable, and absolutely relevant today. So much of modern hotel-keeping—and indeed the very idea of modern luxury—has its roots in these places. Cesar Ritz and Auguste Escoffier were seminal figures.”
Luke Barr joins a list of distinguished prior year recipients of the Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year award including:
- 2017 Walter Staib, Celebrity Chef, Author, and Culinary Historian, 12-time Emmy Award Winner for his A Taste of History on PBS
- 2016 Jamie Ford, Author, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (two years on the New York Times Bestseller List)
- 2015 Stanley Turkel, Author, Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York; Built To Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi
- 2014 Stanley Turkel, Author, Hotel Mavens: Boomer, Boldt and Oscar of the Waldorf; Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry
- 2013 Dr. Andrew Sandoval-Strausz, PhD, Author, Hotel: An American History
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. Historic Hotels of America was founded in 1989 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation with 32 charter members. Today, Historic Hotels of America has more than 300 historic hotels. These historic hotels have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States of America, including 46 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated historic hotels. More than 30 of the world’s finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been 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 historic significance. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org.
The 2018 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala Dinner will be held at The Broadmoor (1918) in Colorado Springs, Colorado on November 1, 2018 at 7 pm. Tickets for the 2018 Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner are $350 for one seat and $2,800 per table (for 8 seats). To register for the ceremony and gala, please contact Stephanie Calhoun scalhoun@historichotels.org or +1 202 772 8336.
