The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Baldwin County has beaten out five other finalists to be named America’s “best historic hotel.”

The honor was bestowed by Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide at the 2019 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence gala on Thursday night. The event was held at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

The Grand, known as “The Queen of Southern Resorts,” is now king of the country.

The beautiful gem on Alabama’s gulf coast was named the top hotel for the loftiest category — hotels with over 400 guest rooms.

The Grand opened in 1847 and, as such, was the oldest hotel named a finalist in its category.

Lawrence Horwitz, executive director of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide, said in a statement, “Congratulations to the recipients of the 2019 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence. These 2019 winners represent more nearly 500 years of history and include the finest legendary and iconic historic hotels from across the United States of America and from around the world.”

“We are delighted to recognize these magnificent historic hotels and their historic hoteliers for their dedication, enthusiasm, stewardship, and leadership in preserving these iconic treasures and their stories for future generations,” he added.

Additionally, the Grand’s Susan Stein was one of six finalists in the “hotel historian of the year” category across hotels of all sizes.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn