Img 0871 1 Edited Scaled Alabama, Alabama History, Luxury Hotels, Mobile, Point Clear, The Battle House Hotel — Located in front of the Grand Hotel’s main entrance is a beautiful pond + fountain. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

The time to vote on another one USA Today’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards has come!

On the major media outlet’s “Best Historic Hotel/Resort” list, we were delighted to find two Alabama hotels listed as nominees among the 20 final properties — The Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa in Mobile, as well as the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa in Point Clear.

Voting, open to the public, will take place on USA Today’s website until Monday, August 4, at 11AM. The 10 winners will be announced on Wednesday, August 13 at 11AM. Voters will be able to vote once per day until the polls close.

Keep reading to learn more about the two Alabama hotels that were nominated.

The Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa

Img 5820 Alabama, Alabama History, Luxury Hotels, Mobile, Point Clear, The Battle House Hotel — In front of the Battle House Hotel is their valet station. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

Img 5822 Alabama, Alabama History, Luxury Hotels, Mobile, Point Clear, The Battle House Hotel — In front of the Battle House Hotel is their valet station. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

The Battle House Renaissance Hotel & Spa, located in Downtown Mobile, has a long (and structurally unlucky) history dating back to the beginning of the 19th century.

The site presently holding the historic hotel once housed General Andrew Jackson — before his presidency. It was, at one time, the former president’s headquarters during the War of 1812.

Location: 26 N Royal St, Mobile, AL 36602

Here’s a rundown of the hotel’s history, following the war:

1825: Hotelier Daniel White opened what he called “Franklin House” at the site, before it was destroyed by destructive floods
1829: The structure was restored by other hoteliers and renamed the “Waverly Hotel” — until a fire completely burnt it to the ground in 1850
1852: James, John + Samuel Battle decided to reconstruct the structure with the help of architect Isiah Rogers, who designed the new, four story building with Greek Revival-style architecture; it was named the “Battle House Hotel”
- Many well-known guests visited, such as: General Winfield Scott, Senator Henry Clay, U.S. President Millard Fillmore + Senator and presidential candidate Stephan A. Douglas (who stayed in the hotel on Election Day in 1860, later losing the four-way contest to Abraham Lincoln)
1905: An industrial accident, another fire, compromised the building, leading D.R. Burgess + other Mobilian merchants to raise $1.35M to rebuild the hotel
1906: Construction began + continued for the next three years, led by architect Frank M. Andrews, who redesigned the structure out of fireproof steel + concrete
- President Woodrow Wilson traveled to the building after his 1913 inauguration; Southern Commercial Congress held “Presidential Breakfast” there in his honor
1974: After changing owners several times in the 20th century, it faced financial challenges + closed; a year later, it was placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places — protecting it from demolition
2025: Today, the property is a part of Marriott International’s prestigious Renaissance Hotels brand

The Battle House Hotel’s amenities include:

Three on-site restaurants
An outdoor, rooftop pool + whirlpool
Tennis court
A fitness center
16 event venues
A hair salon + spa
Children’s recreation areas
A sky-walk connecting the hotel to the RSA Battle House Tower

Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa

Img 0864 Alabama, Alabama History, Luxury Hotels, Mobile, Point Clear, The Battle House Hotel — One of the Grand Hotel’s walking trail runs alongside their scenic pond. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

Img 0878 1 Alabama, Alabama History, Luxury Hotels, Mobile, Point Clear, The Battle House Hotel — One of the Grand Hotel’s walking trail runs alongside their scenic pond. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

The site on which the Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa currently sits on has hosted a hotel since 1822. The hotel, located on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, has hosted an array of world dignitaries + celebrities.

Location: One Grand Blvd, Point Clear, AL 36564

Here’s a rundown of the hotel’s history:

1847: F.H. Chamberlain began construction of the hotel; the original building featured two stories with 40 guest rooms, a shaded gallery overlooking Mobile Bay, a dining space, a bar + the Gunnison House (to help with housing overflow)
1863: The Grand became a makeshift field hospital for soldiers wounded during the Battle of Vicksburg, MS; a cemetery was built for 300 soldiers near the present-day 18th tee of the Grand’s Azalea Golf Course
1846: Admiral David Farragut led flotilla of 18 Union warships past Point Clear as it invaded Mobile Bay, which was Confederate-controlled
1875-1939: The hotel underwent several changes in ownership, from Captain H.C. Baldwin + Major James K. Glennon to Edward A. Roberts
1944: The U.S. Army Air Corps began training servicemen at the resort in a top-secret program called “Operation Ivory Soap,” which taught soldiers how to service aircraft at mobile air depots in the Pacific Theater
2011: The Grand Hotel joined Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation to recognize the nation’s best historic destinations
2025: For over 175+ years now, it has been known throughout the South as “The Queen of Southern Resorts.” Notable people that have stayed here are: Colin Powell, Margaret Thatcher, Patti LaBelle, Dolly Parton, Fannie Flagg, Barbara Bush, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Liam Hemsworth, Miley Cyrus, Nicolas Cage, Michael Bublé + many more

The Grand Hotel’s amenities include: