PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HISTORIC HOTEL BETHLEHEM

By: Victoria Durgin

The Historic Hotel Bethlehem is a local treasure of history and beauty, but it also serves as a popular destination for companies looking to bring their teams together for development, training and more.

The hotel offers several conference room setups and a unique stay right on Bethlehem’s Main Street of shops and restaurants. This includes rooms within the hotel itself and also the recently-added Hotel Bethlehem Executive Conference Center, a suite of conferencing spaces just a short walk up Main Street from the hotel. The center, which opened in 2019, can be arranged in a variety of setups to fit the needs of teams small and large.

“The whole space is outfitted with state-of-the-art AV equipment and plenty of configuration options,” said Lynn Logg, Corporate Sales Manager at the hotel. “Recently it’s been used for everything from executive strategy sessions to employee training programs. Plus, everyone gets to get out and enjoy the fresh air as they walk from the hotel up to the space.”

While the sheer amount of space available to corporate groups is an appeal, it is the hotel’s dedication to organizing additional on- and off-site opportunities tailor-made for each business that keeps groups coming back for additional stays.

“Our goal is to make sure every group that stays with us gets the experience they want and fits their needs. We spend time learning about the ages, industry and personal interests of the teams we work with and design events that suit those qualities,” said Logg.

Recent examples of these events held onsite include mixology classes, performances from magicians and mentalists and yoga.

Offsite, the hotel encourages visitors to explore the surrounding Lehigh Valley through excursions to the SteelStacks campus, the nearby National Museum of Industrial History, Lehigh Valley IronPigs games and other local small businesses.

“If I have a new group I’m working with, I’m absolutely talking to them about the Lehigh Valley. We’re proud of everything available in Bethlehem and the surrounding cities and we want to share that with our corporate groups,” said Logg.

The ability to spend time with coworkers outside of traditional work settings is one that more teams are looking for than ever before, according to Logg. The hotel saw a major uptick in corporate bookings in fall 2022 and that upward trend has continued through the first half of 2023. Many of the groups who utilize the hotel cite team-building and work-life balance as priorities in their stay.

The return to in-person gatherings has led new visitors to the hotel for business, and Logg says that many choose to add additional time to the end of their stays to further explore the area. For her and others at the hotel, that’s a welcome sign that Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley are enticing locations for those looking for a professional or personal getaway.

“I want everyone who comes here for work to want to come back for fun, and if they bring their families with them on their next stay, that’s even better. I’m excited to see many people doing exactly that.”

Teams looking to book at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem can fill out an online interest form or call the hotel at (855)-264-2598 to discuss options.