Stanley Turkel has been named the recipient of the Historic Hotels of America 2014 Historian of the Year Award. Turkel will be honored with this distinguished award on October 2, 2014 at the Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner at The Hotel Hershey® (1933) in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

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 of greater understanding and enthusiasm for American History.

Stanley Turkel is one of the most distinctive and widely-published authors in the hospitality field. More than 275 articles on various hotel subjects have been published in the leading hotel magazines and websites. Two of his hotel books, Great American Hoteliers: Pioneers of the Hotel Industry and Built to Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels East of the Mississippi, have been promoted, distributed, and sold by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute. A third hotel book, Built to Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York was called "passionate and informative" by The New York Times. His fourth hotel book Hotel Mavens: Boomer, Boldt and Oscar of the Waldorf will be published by the end of 2014.

In addition, Stanley Turkel is a well-recognized authority and consultant in the hotel industry. Prior to forming his hotel consulting firm, Turkel was the Product Line Manager for Hotel/Motel Operations at the International Telephone & Telegraph Co. overseeing the Sheraton Corporation of America. Before joining IT&T, he was the General Manager of the Summit Hotel (762 guestrooms), General Manager of the Drake Hotel (680 guestrooms), and Resident Manager of the Americana Hotel (1842 guestrooms), all in New York City, New York.

Turkel serves as a Friend of the Tisch Center and lectures at the NYU Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management. He is certified as a Master Hotel Supplier Emeritus by the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. He served for eleven years as Chairman of the Board of the Trustees of the City Club of New York and is now the Honorary Chairman.

"We are pleased to name Stanley Turkel as the recipient of the Historic Hotels of America 2014 Historian of the Year Award," said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. "Turkel stimulates significant interest in Historic Hotels. He makes you want to travel back in time to the early days of these historic hotels and feel as if you were there. He points out the importance of historic hotels in U.S. commerce and history while telling us about many inventions that we take for granted in hotels today such as indoor plumbing, elevators, indoor electric lights, and more. Turkel brings the stories of these treasured historic hotels to life."

Stanley Turkel remarked, "as Omar Khayyam, poet and prophet wrote more than 800 years ago, in the four parts of the earth there are many that are able to write learned books, many that are able to lead armies, and many also that are able to govern kingdoms and empires, but few there be that can keep a hotel." Turkel added, "I am delighted and thrilled, it is a wonderful honor to be recognized as the recipient of the prestigious Historic Hotels of America Historian of the Year."

Nominations for the 2014 Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards have been extended until August 15. Nominee submissions can be made at HistoricHotels.net/annualawardsgala. Categories include: Best Historic Hotel (ranging in size), Best Historic Resort, Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year, Best Historic Restaurant in Conjunction with a Historic Hotel, New Member of the Year, and many others. Nominations from fellow hoteliers and industry leaders are encouraged. Eligible nominees include members of Historic Hotels of America, including past award recipients. Nominations from travel writers, American historians, travel editors, and historic preservationists are encouraged.

Tickets for the Historic Hotels of America 2014 Awards ceremony and gala dinner are still available. The gala dinner will take place at the historic Hotel Hershey® on Thursday, October 2 at 7 PM. Tickets for the awards ceremony and dinner are $160 for one seat and $1,250 per table (for 8 seats). Contact the Historic Hotels of America +202 772 8000 or [email protected] to reserve tickets.

About Historic Hotels of America

Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United States of America. 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 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their sense of authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org