As you would have known by now, I am a sucker for medieval age buildings around the world. But one of my specials are the ones which have been converted into luxurious hotel. As we have shown you the Fort Hotels of Jaipur, this time it is a list of Heritage hotels that you must stay in to experience abject luxury.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Penang Malaysia
Jyotsna Ramani from Wander with Jo. Follow her on Twitter
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Read more about the Blue Mansion here
The Corinthia Hotel, Budapest Hungary
Shandos Cleaver from Travelnuity. Follow her on Twitter.
Wandering through the grand reception area today, it’s a must to wander through the exhibition of the hotel’s history and view the many old photographs. Enchantingly, the façade is still nearly the same as it was all those years ago. And what would a luxury hotel in Budapest be without its own baths? Of course the Corinthia Hotel has its own spa and baths, which fittingly date from 1886, pre-dating even the hotel.
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Emerson Spice Hotel, Tanzania
Cameron from The World Pursuit. Follow them on Instagram.
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Bela Vista Hotel
Punita Malhotra from 100 Cobbled Roads. Follow them on Twitter.
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Royal Ambarrukmo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Darlene Madrid from Point and Shoot Wanderlust. Follow her on Twitter.
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Narendra Bhawan, Bikaner
Sonal Kwatra Paladini of Drifter Planet. Follow her on Instagram.
Narendra Bhawan in Bikaner was once the grand residence of the last reigning Maharaja of Bikaner but is now a boutique hotel. From the outside, it looks like a palace but the interiors are contemporary and inspired by the Bombay Art Deco movement. A lot of things inside this hotel are inspired by how the Maharaja lived his life and the restaurant even offers a “museum dinner”. As a guest, I received a Maharaja style treatment and a memorable welcome with drums.
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The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas.
Yulia Dyukova of The Foodie Miles. Follow her on Twitter.
The oldest operating hotel in Austin, TX, and one of the most well-known hotels in Texas in general, The Driskill was built in 1886 by Col. Jesse Driskill, a successful cattle baron.Located right in the heart of the city, on historic Sixth Street, the hotel boasts magnificent columned lobby, marble floors, and stained glass dome. Col. Jesse Driskill spent a whopping $400,000 to complete the building but, unfortunately, there was no clientele who could afford to stay at such luxurious hotel at the time. Driskill was forced to close it down less than a year after the opening.
The hotel changed hands multiple times during the 20th century until in 2013 the Hyatt Hotel Corporation purchased it. Today it remains one of the most recognized Texas landmarks not only because of its lavish decor but also because of the many ghost stories surrounding the hotel.
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The Durham Marriott Hotel Royal County, England
Alexa From 52 Perfect Days. Follow her on Twitter
The Durham Marriott Hotel Royal County is located in a medieval town with windy cobblestone streets and overlooks the River Wear. This isn’t your average Marriott, as the building dates back to the 17th century. The Durham Marriott Hotel Royal County is situated on Old Elvet which was has an even older history and was part of the ancient Borough of Elvet. The current hotel is a series of town houses linked together that are believed to have been built in 1630. There are many tales of infamous guests who have stayed at the hotel including King Charles I, who hid on the premises before his arrest for treason in 1645 and in 1650 Oliver Cromwell stayed on his way to the Battle of Dunbar. The hotel recently went through a £3.5 million refurbishment of the 150 rooms adding modern amenities while preserving the historic charm.
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Apa Villa Illuketia, Sri Lanka
Suruchi Mittal from All Gud Things. Follow her on Facebook.
Apa Villa Illuketia, a 200 year old property in Sri Lanka, is a perfect example of the island’s colonial past. It is a blend of both contemporary as well as traditional design. The villa lays 5- 7 kilometres inland in the forests from Galle Fort. The resort’s huge verandhas with side sittings, pond facing suites, lotus flowers and exotic plants, pool amidst the canopy of thick trees, flowering shrubs and variety of reptiles, birds makes the whole place more earthy, serene and close to nature.Currently, this magnificent estate house is owned by Hans Johannes Hofer, a German photographer and owner of Travel Insight Guides.
So, if you want to free yourself, get tranquilized and spend some romantic moments together in the lap of nature, then this is a perfect place for you.
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The Galle Face Hotel, Sri Lanka
Mar Pages From Once in a Lifetime Journey. Follow her on Twitter.
The Galle Face Hotel opened in 1864 and has a long list of accomplishments, from being the best hotel east of the Suez Canal to being featured in the “1000 Places to See Before You Die” book. It was also the first hotel in Sri Lanka to be featured on a postage stamp and is well known for having had the longest serving hotel employee who died in 2014 after serving for seven decades. The hotel hosted personalities like Rockefeller, Nixon, Gaggarin, Pope John Paul II or Ghandi. At the hotel’s museum you can see fine pieces such as Prince Philip’s first car which He bought for 450 Rupee in the 1940s. The Galle face Hotel was at the center of many firsts in Sri Lanka, including ordering the country’s first case of Pimm’s. who died in 2014 after serving for seven decades. It hosted personalities like Rockefeller, Nixon, Gaggarin, Pope John Paul II or Ghandi. At the hotel’s museum you can see fine pieces such as Prince Philip’s first car which He bought for 450 Rupee in the 1940s. The Galle face Hotel was at the center of many firsts in Sri Lanka, including ordering the country’s first case of Pimm’s.
Check out Mar’s Blog Post
Hotel Heritage in Bruges
Gabor Kovacs From Surfing the Planet. Follow him on Facebook.
Bruges is one of the most picture perfect towns in Europe. It is a place that seems to come out of a fairy tale, and when you visit Bruges, it is worth staying in one of those hotels that fit in this fairy tale milieu. The beautiful, Victorian-style Hotel Heritage, located at only a hundred meters from the Market Square definitely fits this purpose. The building that stood in the place of Hotel Heritage was first mentioned in 1390. Centuries later the famous architect, Louis Delacenserie, designed the current building in 1869 and the decoration above the main door was added in 1922. It’s interesting to know that part of a wine cellar from the 13 th -14th century located below the house has been preserved. All the rooms and common spaces in the hotel reflect the Victorian style, which makes us feel ourselves in a late 19th-century environment.
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The Hollywood Roosevelt, Los Angeles
Leah Smileski From The Kid Bucket List. Follow her on Twitter
With our first visit to Los Angeles confirmed I only had one wish when it came to hotels: to stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt. Located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, it must be the most well known in the city. It is most certainly the oldest continually operating a hotel in Los Angeles having opened its doors back in 1927. By some incredible twist of fate, we found ourselves booked into a suite for a bargain tariff. I must admit I pinched myself a few times. It has been renovated a number of times to maintain the Hollywood glitz and glamour that one expects from such a prestigious hotel.
Historically speaking, the Hollywood Roosevelt is a mecca for celebrity spotting. It is the very place where the Academy Awards was first hosted, was the home of Marilyn Monroe for over two years, and was the very place that Shirley Temple learned her famous stair-step dance routine. Some even say that Errol Flynn haunts the hotel.
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Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, Italy
Ryazan Tristram From Everything Zany. Follow her on Twitter.
Located at the heart of the charming town of Bellagio in Lombardy region in Italy. Bellagio is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Italy. The hotel is right next to the Lake Como with a fantastic view of the Swiss Alps. A family owned luxury boutique hotel that was built in 1850 and converted to a hotel in 1873 with 95 ensuite luxury rooms. The Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has been a popular hotel in Europe for more than a hundred years. There were few occasions where the royalties of Europe and other political dignitaries like Sir Winston Churchill stayed here to enjoy the stunning view of Lake Como and Lake Lecco. Some of the famous Hollywood films were also filmed in the area so the hotel became the luxury home away from home of various Hollywood personalities like George Lucas and the cast of Star Wars and Ocean’s Eleven to name a few.
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Tijara Fort Palace, India
Salt And Sandals
Set atop a hill, narrow road snakes it’s way through the surrounding villages to welcome you the opulence that Tijara Fort is. Located about a 100 kms from Delhi, it started in early 19th century by Maharaja Balwant Singh was never completed until 13 years later when the Maharaja passed away in 1845. Unsuccessful attempts by his descendants and the stifling rule of the Britishers meant that the fort fell into ruins. Tijara Fort was discovered to have three standing structures,The Massive Hawa Mahal which was a common meeting place, the bold Mardana Mahal with thick walls and a combination of Afghan and Rajput architecture and the Rani Mahal.One of the most endearing features of the rooms of Rani Mahal is that each of the 21 rooms is adorned by art by a famous Indian female artist.Tijara Fort Palace is a perfect blend of old rustic charm and modern complexities set this “non-hotel” Hotel apart from others. Be prepared for lush green gardens, old architecture of the fort, tight stairways and some resplendent luxury.
Next time you visit India, take away some history with you at Tijara Fort Palace.
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