Heritage that lasts: How historic hotels are turning legacy into loyalty
For many historic hotels, legacy has shifted from a nostalgic asset to a strategic one. “Restoring the past” is now about making it emotionally meaningful for today’s guests, using legacy as brand capital that builds loyalty and a sense of belonging.
Across the U.S., hotels with deep local roots are redefining what it means to preserve history. These properties aren’t just restoring vintage architecture or reviving old menus—they’re finding new ways to make heritage resonate with modern travelers. Consider The Tiger Hotel in Columbia, Mo., and its longtime dining partner, Glenn’s Café, which illustrate how the past can be reimagined as a living part of today’s guest experience.
A modern loyalty driver
The Tiger Hotel opened in 1928 as Columbia’s first skyscraper and a Jazz Age landmark. For decades, it was where visiting alumni, families and travelers gathered to mark life’s milestones. Over time, as ownership and design trends shifted, much of that identity risked fading.
Recent years have seen the property’s leadership pursue a different kind of restoration, one that focuses on emotional relevance as much as physical renewal. In a university town where generations of guests return for reunions, weddings and community events, the team saw heritage as a natural foundation for long-term loyalty.
That approach extended to Glenn’s Café, a local restaurant founded in 1943 and now located on the hotel’s ground floor. For many Columbia residents, Glenn’s represents continuity—a place where family traditions span decades. Together, the hotel and café have built a sense of belonging that can’t be replicated through design trends or digital personalization tools alone.
Softening up
For historic properties, modernization often raises a familiar tension: how to stay relevant without erasing character. Our leadership team at the Tiger tackled that challenge by joining a soft brand under a global hospitality group, gaining access to technology, sustainability programs and loyalty infrastructure while retaining operational independence.
That balance between flexibility and support has helped us update back-end systems and guest experiences without losing the hotel’s distinct voice. Locally sourced amenities, restored terrazzo flooring and vintage-inspired décor maintain the building’s integrity, while digital conveniences and sustainability standards align it with contemporary expectations.
It’s a model that reflects a growing pattern across the industry. Many heritage hotels are aligning with soft brands that provide distribution power and operational consistency without imposing a standardized look or feel. The result is an evolution of independent hospitality, where authenticity becomes an advantage rather than a constraint.
The art of continuity
If the hotel embodies architectural preservation, Glenn’s Café captures the culinary side of heritage. Known for its blend of Southern and Midwestern comfort dishes, from catfish étouffée to the signature Breakfast Burger, the café has evolved while staying rooted in its original character.
Menu updates, sourcing improvements and staff storytelling training have kept the experience current without losing familiarity. Guests often return for a taste of memory, and new visitors discover a sense of place that feels instantly genuine.
As one of the members of our staff put it, Glenn’s isn’t just a restaurant inside a hotel: it’s part of the city’s collective memory. Hotel traditions—such as the Tiger’s century-old mailbox and the practice of delivering every check with a postcard staff will mail for guests—reinforce that sense of continuity across the property. These small heritage touchpoints strengthen brand affinity in ways that modern travelers increasingly value.
Lessons in adaptive heritage
The Tiger and Glenn’s are part of a broader movement showing that historic properties can evolve successfully without compromising their origins. Their experience underscores several lessons emerging across the industry:
- Treat legacy as brand capital. Heritage isn’t static décor; it’s an emotional differentiator that builds guest loyalty.
- Choose partnerships that preserve identity. Flexible brand models can provide essential support systems while allowing properties to retain local voice and design.
- Modernize with intent. Upgrades in technology and sustainability should enhance a property’s story, not overshadow it.
- Integrate community relationships. Collaborations with local artisans, producers and event organizers strengthen authenticity and deepen engagement.
As travelers seek experiences that feel grounded in place and history, heritage-driven hospitality offers a form of credibility that can’t be manufactured.
The Tiger Hotel and Glenn’s Café are examples of how honoring the past doesn’t mean staying still. In the right hands, history becomes a renewable resource—one that continues to shape identity, inspire loyalty and connect generations of guests.
Portman reported more than $680 million in hospitality financing activity executed during 2025, reflecting a year that included acquisitions, refinancing and loan modifications across its hotel portfolio. According to the firm, this activity reduced the portfolio’s weighted average interest rate by more than 150 basis points.
A major transaction during the year was the $237.5 million refinancing of the 700-key Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, which opened in 2022 and is connected to the Salt Palace Convention Center. The refinancing replaced the original construction loan with a SASB CMBS loan while retaining the existing CPACE loan from the initial financing structure. The five-year fully extended loan was priced at SOFR +286.1 basis points and generated a return of equity to partners.
Portman also completed the acquisition of the Westin Cincinnati during the summer. The 456-key full-service hotel is located in downtown Cincinnati. This transaction represented the firm’s first hotel acquisition and marked the launch of its value-add acquisition strategy.
“Last year’s financing activity is a direct result of Portman’s focus on its hotel investment management capabilities,” said Kaunteya Chitnis, managing director of Hospitality at Portman. “This execution further reinforces our position of long-term hotel ownership to achieve long-term returns. Portman has a 70-year legacy in hospitality, and our team is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the hotel space, whether we are enhancing returns on existing assets, pursuing ground-up development, or executing value-add hotel acquisitions.”
Over the past 12 months, Portman expanded its hospitality platform through new hires focused on acquisition, strategic operations and asset management. The firm’s hospitality portfolio consists of seven hotels across five markets with more than 3,000 rooms and over $1 billion in assets under management. Portman stated that it is seeking additional acquisition opportunities in major U.S. markets as part of its current strategy.
“Hotels are resilient,” added Chitnis. “Despite short-term macro headwinds, we continue to see upward trends in consumer spending and a growing demand for the experiential economy, which, coupled with a favorable long-term supply story, are positive bellwether for the future growth of the industry. Looking ahead, we will focus on growing Portman’s hotel portfolio by making strategic acquisitions that leverage our team’s unique capabilities and add long-term value.”
NYC leads projections for new US hotels in 2026
NATIONAL REPORT —New York City and Phoenix are set to open the most U.S. hotel rooms in 2026, according to pipeline data from CoStar.
The top markets by projected 2026 room openings include: New York City (4,852 rooms), Phoenix (3,650 rooms), Dallas (3,558 rooms), Orlando (1,988 rooms) and Miami (1,954 rooms).
“For a second consecutive year, New York City leads the nation in expected new-build openings,” said Isaac Collazo, senior director of analytics at STR. “This shouldn’t be a surprise, given that the market has also led the country in occupancy for the last three years. That said, both room supply and room demand are still lower today than they were in 2019, showing there is still opportunity for further growth.”
“While U.S. hotel development has been slow, there is still optimism around the industry based on the record number of projects in the pipeline,” Collazo said. “It’s not surprising that 2025 saw the largest number of new openings since 2021, and 2026 openings are expected to be back to the pre-pandemic level.”
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