Bethlehem, PA (January 30, 2026) – Historic Hotel Bethlehem’s Managing Partner Bruce Haines announced Kelly Ronalds will be promoted to serve as the iconic property’s General Manager beginning February 1. Ronalds has served in various capacities at the hotel since 2010, most recently as Director of Room Sales and Guest Experience. Haines said, “Kelly has earned this promotion through years of hard work and creative vision. I’m confident she will lead our hotel reputation to even greater success than she already has.”
Haines himself led day-to-day operations for the past five years while rebuilding the business and management team post Covid. He personally oversaw the conversion of the Extended Stay Suites & Spa at 462 Main Street while rebranding the expanded property as a nationally recognized “Luxury Historic Destination Hotel.” He remains the Managing Partner with his continuing financial and human resources oversight along with crafting the next strategic initiatives. Before the pandemic, Dennis Costello served as the General Manager for 15 years. Costello retired in 2021. Ronalds will be the first woman to take the helm at the hotel in forty years. The only other female General Manager was Elizabeth Emslander who Bethlehem Steel (which owned the hotel at the time) appointed in 1981.
About Kelly Ronalds
As the new General Manager at Historic Hotel Bethlehem, Ronalds plans to focus on promoting the hotel and Historic Bethlehem as a national and international tourism destination. “Her destination marketing savvy is unmatched,” said Haines. “Kelly’s leadership has been instrumental in the hotel’s five consecutive USA Today #1 Best Hotel/Resort wins and in Bethlehem’s #1 Best Main Street victory.”
Ronalds’ promotion builds upon her extensive experience in hospitality, including at Historic Hotel Bethlehem. She first started working at hotels while a sophomore in college. Early in her career, she served as Director of Sales & Marketing for the Allentown Hilton, and later as Director of Sales for Discover Lehigh Valley. In 2010, Ronalds joined the Historic Hotel Bethlehem team as Director of Sales. She was promoted to Director of Room Sales & Guest Experience in 2021. That role included overseeing the front desk, bellstaff, and housekeeping. In 2022, marketing and public relations came under her purview.
She said, “I am humbled to accept this promotion. I look forward to leading the team at this iconic hotel that I love so much in this city that I adore. You won’t find a better team in hospitality than the one we have here at Hotel B. It’s truly a privilege to be a part of it.”
Ronalds has lived in Bethlehem for 12 years. She is a mother of two adult children and a grandmother to two boys.
About Historic Hotel Bethlehem
Historic Hotel Bethlehem, located adjacent to the newest US UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Historic Moravian Bethlehem, is celebrating over 100 years as a community hotel. Guests enjoy the luxury historic destination hotel’s original 1922 elegance in its 125 guest rooms, along with the grandeur of the lobby, two distinct restaurants, two elegant ballrooms and seven meeting rooms. The hotel also offers nine new Extended Stay Suites, an Executive Conference Center, Ladies Boutique Shoppe, Steel Magnolia Spa & Salon, Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop, and the Hotel B Ice Cream Parlor serving Penn State Creamery ice Cream. The hotel was closed and boarded up in 1998, destined to become senior citizen apartments/college dorms until rescued by a group of passionate investors to preserve the iconic hotel. Christmas City LLC was formed by Haines in late 1998. The hotel is affiliated with Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. USA Today named Historic Hotel Bethlehem the “#1 Best Historic Hotel in the Nation” for five straight years 2021-2025. For more information visit hotelbethlehem.com.
