Vermont’s 120-year-old Castle Hill Resort and Spa is among the 315 Historic Hotels of America. Photo courtesy of Historic Hotels of America

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Have you ever wanted to go back in time? Try checking into a historic hotel.

The hallways of Vermont’s Middlebury Inn are wide enough for ladies wearing hoop skirts to gracefully glide through. This Federal-style hotel, in continuous operation since 1827, has period molding, high ceilings and the original front desk.

Another historic hotel, the Athenaeum Hotel in Chautauqua, New York, has light fixtures that date to its 1881 opening, when the price of a room was $3 a day, and guests used chamber pots.

In Richmond, Virginia, the 1895 Beaux-Arts Jefferson Hotel has its original gold-leaf Corinthian columns, Tiffany stained-glass panels and grand marble staircase.

Historic hotels tout their distinctive features, authenticity, architectural integrity and commitment to historic preservation. Many are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Staying in a historic hotel “is a cultural experience,” said Katherine Orr, spokesperson for Historic Hotels of America (HHA). “No two are alike, which is remarkable today in a world where many hotels all feel the same and have the same wall colors and furniture.”

In the footsteps of icons

Some historic hotels are sites of historic events and have hosted luminaries. Thirteen U.S. presidents have visited The Jefferson in Richmond, for instance, and many entertainers have stayed there, too, including Elvis Presley and James Earl Jones. In fact, Frank Sinatra spontaneously played a tune on the hotel’s baby grand piano once.

Chicago’s Palmer House, built in 1871, was a venue for Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Liberace. President John Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth, Judy Garland and Lucille Ball stayed at the Yosemite Hotel in Yosemite National Park. And the Plaza in Manhattan has hosted more stars than anyone can count.

Around 300 hotels, resorts and inns are members of HHA, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that includes buildings dating as far back as 1651. These hotels opt to join and commit to preserving their architecture and historical relevance. Of course, not all famous historic hotels are members of this program.

A form of time travel

Many travelers choose historic hotels to support the preservation of historic resources. They like to be immersed in history, not just collapse in front of a TV in a nondescript room.

“People feel like they are going back in time in old hotels,” said Patricia McCarthy from Arlington, Virginia, who books older hotels as often as possible.

According to Orr, many travelers who seek out historic hotels “are interested in learning about the culture, history and aesthetics of the larger region. These places have aged along with the area and are often keepers of the history, art and traditions of the local area.”

Some guests like to pore over details like antique furniture, chandeliers, old telephones and fine wood craftsmanship. In a way, their stay becomes a museum visit.

And intriguing quirks attract curious visitors. For instance, the Omni Mount Washington in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, promotes its Cave Bar, a once-secret basement speakeasy built for sipping illegal spirits during Prohibition.

Virginia’s Tudor-style Hotel Roanoke has a “rail cam” for watching the nearby trains come and go, honoring the Norfolk and Western Railroad and the city’s railroading heritage.

The Peabody Hotel in Memphis is famous for its mallard ducks that paddle around in the lobby’s marble fountain, dutifully take the elevator to the roof every night and come back down the next morning.

Many old hotels have spacious, inviting common areas, like a wide wraparound porch with rocking chairs to encourage community and conversation. The Athenaeum’s 200-foot-long porch has a panoramic view of Chautauqua Lake, for instance.

“This was built for a community. You are not supposed to be in your room,” said Cindy Hinsdale, the property’s sales manager.

As for room cost, many of the HHA hotels tend to be upscale, but the prices vary, just like the chains. Orr cited the Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, Arizona, where a room can cost less than $200 per night, and the most expensive, a suite at Fairmont San Francisco, where rates can soar to $10,000 per night. Many offer packages and discounts, including AARP and AAA rates.

Possible lack of perks

Older guests may face a few challenges at an older hotel. If original floors are in place, they may be uneven. High-ceilinged, spacious rooms can make hearing difficult. Noise through thin bedroom walls can disturb sleep (earplugs always help).

Some historic hotels lack elevators. At Vermont’s Middlebury Inn, when guests want the elevator, they must summon an operator from the front desk. But all of the hotels in HHA are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Orr said.

In many rooms, there’s no coffee maker, microwave or mini-fridge. There may be fewer outlets for electronics, which can be a hurdle if two people share a room. (Often the front desk staff can provide a power strip on request.) Don’t count on a pool or fitness center.

But many travelers don’t miss the modern perks; they love the history, décor and architecture. Supporting historic preservation in a throwaway society can be a powerful motivator. By staying in a historic hotel, one realizes that Faulkner was right: The past is never dead. It’s not even past.

For a list of Historic Hotels of America, visit historichotels.org.