Historic Hotels of America® is pleased to announce that Andrew N. Todd, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xanterra Travel Collection®, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Historic Hotels of America Legacy of Innovation and Inspiration Award.

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Old Faithful Inn (1904) Yellowstone National Park, Montana. Photo courtesy of Xanterra Travel Collection.

Old Faithful Inn (1904) Yellowstone National Park, Montana. Photo courtesy of Xanterra Travel Collection.

Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels in the United States of America. The program honors the nation’s finest historic hotels, hoteliers, and historians through the Historic Hotels of America Annual Awards of Excellence.

This year, the 2026 Historic Hotels of America Legacy of Innovation and Inspiration Award recognizes the extensive accomplishments of Andrew N. Todd, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xanterra Travel Collection®, whose leadership has helped shape the modern hospitality and travel industry. For over 30 years, Andrew N. Todd has guided Xanterra through significant growth and diversification, expanding its portfolio to include historic hotels, national park lodges, the Grand Canyon Railway, cruises, adventure travel, and destination experiences.

The 2026 Historic Hotels of America® Legacy of Innovation and Inspiration Award will be presented to Andrew N. Todd at the Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Gala during the 2026 Historic Hotels Annual Conference at the Williamsburg Lodge, Autograph Collection in Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 15, 2026, in front of an audience of owners, general managers, and other senior decision makers representing many of the finest historic hotels from across the United States of America and from around the world.

Andrew N. Todd has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Xanterra Travel Collection® since 1994, guiding one of the hospitality and travel industry’s most respected organizations through more than three decades of growth, diversification, and innovation. Under his leadership, Xanterra has evolved from its historic roots as a national park concessioner into a diversified hospitality company with a portfolio that includes celebrated historic hotels, legendary national park lodges, the iconic Grand Canyon Railway, cruises, adventure travel, and memorable destination experiences. His career reflects a deep belief that preserving extraordinary places and delivering exceptional hospitality are mutually reinforcing goals.

Among Andrew N. Todd’s enduring accomplishments is his commitment to Xanterra Travel Collection’s “Twelve Values Fundamental to Our Success,” principles that have shaped the company’s culture and inspired associates across its family of brands. His leadership has also advanced A Softer Footprint®, Xanterra’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability, demonstrating that responsible stewardship, historic preservation, operational excellence, and long-term business success can work together to protect irreplaceable places while creating extraordinary guest experiences. The timing of this recognition is especially meaningful as Xanterra marks the 150th anniversary of its hospitality heritage through the founding of the Fred Harvey Company in 1876, along with the 100th anniversary of Historic Route 66 and the 125th anniversary of the Grand Canyon Railway.

“Historic Hotels of America is pleased to recognize Mr. Todd for his visionary leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and enduring commitment to stewardship,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “For more than three decades, his leadership of Xanterra Travel Collection has demonstrated how historic preservation, environmental responsibility, and exceptional hospitality can work together to protect America’s treasured destinations while creating meaningful experiences for generations of travelers.”

“I am deeply honored to receive the 2026 Historic Hotels of America Legacy of Innovation and Inspiration Award,” said Andrew N. Todd, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xanterra Travel Collection®. “Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with extraordinary people who understand that the places we care for are more than buildings or destinations — they are part of America’s story. The legacy of Fred Harvey, the historic hotels and lodges we are entrusted to operate, and the remarkable national parks that surround them remind us that stewardship is both a privilege and a responsibility.”

For more than three decades, Todd has been a steward of historic hospitality properties connected to the legacy of the original Fred Harvey Company, whose pioneering hotels, restaurants, and visitor services helped define travel in the American West beginning in 1876. In recent decades, Xanterra has become widely recognized for its progressive environmental stewardship and related innovations in the hospitality industry. Todd’s establishment of company-wide environmental standards has led to numerous industry and peer-reviewed awards for Xanterra.

Previous recipients of this award include hospitality business leaders Philip Anschutz, Horst Schulze, Stephanie Stuckey, and Peter Strebel.

Photos courtesy of Xanterra Travel Collection.

About Historic Hotels of America®

Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels across America. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was chartered by U.S. Congress in 1949 and is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is leading the movement to save places where our history happened. 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 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their sense of authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity.

About Xanterra Travel Collection®

Known for its “Legendary Hospitality with a Softer Footprint®,” Xanterra Travel Collection® provides A World of Unforgettable Experiences® through its operations in national parks, including lodges, restaurants, tours, and activities, as well as through its ownership of resorts, a cruise line, a railway, and tour companies. Xanterra has operations in Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain National Parks, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Xanterra Travel Collection® also owns and operates Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel in Williams, Ariz., The Grand Hotel and The Grand Canyon Hotel & Suites in Tusayan, Ariz., The Oasis at Death Valley in Death Valley Calif., Windstar Cruises, Holiday Vacations, VBT Bicycling Vacations, and Country Walkers. Xanterra is also affiliated with two Forbes Five-Star Resorts, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO and Sea Island on the coast of Georgia.

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