The Cotton Sail Hotel Inducted Into Historic Hotels of America

Staff Report From Savannah CEO

Tuesday, January 16th, 2018

The Cotton Sail Hotel, Savannah’s hottest boutique hotel overlooking the Savannah River, was recently inducted into Historic Hotels of America. The inducted historic hotels represent independent hotels, brands, and collections from across the U.S. from 13 different states.

“We are pleased to be recognized by Historic Hotels of America for our commitment to historic preservation and revitalization,” said Kris Patel, CFO of HOS Management, the company that owns the hotel. “This places the Cotton Sail among an elite group of hotels and gives our guests just one more reason to visit us.”

Historic Hotels of America inducted 20 historic hotels into membership in 2017. The oldest historic hotel inducted dates to 1771. Hotels nominated and accepted into the prestigious National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Hotels of America program range in age from 246 years to 52 years old. Seven of the 20 historic hotels are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and one has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark.

“Each of these legendary historic hotels has contributed to our nation’s history,” said Lawrence Horwitz, executive director, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “Each is unique and has a history worth exploring and experiencing. We are delighted to recognize these wonderful historic hotels. We applaud their community leaders, owners, management, and associates for making these hotels excellent examples of historic preservation and for being great stewards of the stories about world leaders, celebrities, and other luminaries that stayed in these hotels or was involved in the original use of these historic icons.” 

When local hospitality and development company HOS Management first acquired the iconic Ryan Building, a former late-1800s cotton warehouse, it was in need of dire repairs. The second-generation hospitality and development company painstakingly preserved and revitalized the neglected building, threading as much of the original structure and historical accents into the new modern design. Today, the popular boutique hotel effortlessly blends traditional Savannah charm with understated nautical appeal and features a long list of upscale modern amenities for its guests. 

In April 2015, HOS Management was honored by the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation for “Excellence in Rehabilitation” for The Cotton Sail Hotel, as well as awarded the IAHA Independent Hotel of the Year by the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) for The Cotton Sail Hotel’s high standard of excellence in quality, service and guest satisfaction. HOS was also a 2015 Historic Savannah Foundation Preservation Award recipient for excellence in historic preservation for The Cotton Sail Hotel. 

For a full list of inductees, visit www.historichotels.org