Historic & HeritageSleeps
A step into (and sleep in…) the past
Instead of allowing centuries-old sites to fall into disrepair, cities are choosing to transform landmark buildings like castles and palaces – or even prisons – into spectacular hotels you can book now.
Reviewed by
Jacqui Agate, Oliver Berry, Nicola Brady, Gareth Clark, Laura Field, Lyn Hughes, George Kipouros, James March, Chris Moss, Tebogo Pin-Pin and Qin Xie
Asaba Ryokan
A two-hour drive south-west of Tokyo takes you to the rugged Izu peninsula and one of its oldest onsen towns, Shuzenji. Here lies the 500-year-old Asaba, a jewel of a ryokan (inn) perched on the edge of a large pond wrapped by an emerald forest.
Floating in the water is a stage (brought from Tokyo in the 19th century) where special performances of noh theatre and bunraku puppetry are put on for guests. Everything here feels a little like a period drama, except you’re simultaneously the star, audience and director.
Asaba has been in the same family for five centuries. The minimalist rooms are pristine, with tatami floors, shoji screens and antiques scattered throughout. Some open onto small gardens; most come with their own private springs, though the pick of the onsen lies beside the pond, separated by a curved stone wall.
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Ashford Castle
Once home to the Guinness family, this 800-year-old castle offers a historic stay in County Mayo.
Rooms from around £599 p/n
Its 83 rooms and suites are decked out with lavish touches, such as silk wallpaper and antique writing desks, while the 140-hectare estate is home to a falconry centre and archery range. Inside the castle walls, you can opt to watch a movie in the cinema or just lounge in the spa, which is set within a striking bronze conservatory.
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Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Beit Jokhdar
The former merchant houses of Jeddah’s UNESCO-listed historic district are being sensitively returned to their former glory, with some of them being converted into Heritage Hotels. Built from coral stone and teak, their distinctive latticework balconies (known as rawashin) remain intact, offering a real taste of Old Jeddah.
Rooms from around £410 p/n
Indeed, the original features of the buildings have all been carefully preserved, while plumbing and electricity have been added in an unobtrusive way. Nineteenth-century Beit Jokhdar is the jewel in the crown, with nine individually designed rooms and suites, including a two-bedroom Royal Suite with a private hammam. The building’s wonky floors, original tiling and green woodwork transport you back in time to its glory days.
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Jaipur, India
Rambagh Palace
Once the residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur, Rambagh Palace is a breathtaking display of Rajput grandeur. The 19th-century palace exudes royal charm, with its marble corridors, grand domes and intricate jali windows. The hotel’s peacock-dotted gardens and regal courtyards transport guests to an era of opulence.
Rooms from around £310 p/n
Each suite, decorated with antiques and hand-painted frescoes that reflect Rajasthan’s vibrant heritage, tells a story. The Polo Bar, a nod to Jaipur’s aristocratic sporting history, and the candlelit outdoor dining at Suvarna Mahal (serving authentic Rajasthani cuisine) deepen the immersive experience.
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İstanbul, Turkey
Four Seasons Sultanahmet
Shining in the heart of Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district, the Four Seasons Sultanahmet is a masterclass in heritage hospitality. Formerly a prison, this century-old boutique luxury hotel now serves as an intimate retreat just steps from the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, plus all the unparalleled treasures of the city’s Sultanahmet district.
Rooms from around £850 p/n
Its Neoclassical architecture pays homage to its past with intricate tilework, arched walkways and Ottoman-inspired design. The serene courtyard and rooftop terrace, as well as a number of its suites and rooms, offer unparalleled views of Istanbul’s Hagia Sofia Museum, creating a deep sense of connection to the city’s Byzantine legacy.
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Marrakech, Morocco
La Mamounia
An icon of Moroccan hospitality, La Mamounia blends Andalusian, Moorish and Art Deco influences to create a palatial oasis in the heart of Marrakech. Originally a gift from Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah to his son in the 18th century, the estate’s lush gardens still whisper its history.
Rooms from around £400 p/n
The hotel’s richly decorated interiors feature intricate zellige tilework, hand-carved cedar ceilings and luminous lantern-lit courtyards. A stay here is a deep dive into Morocco’s heritage, with scents of jasmine and orange blossom filling the air.
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Spain
Parador De Santiago De Compostela
Back in the late 1920s, Spain had an inspired idea. It began refurbishing and opening up historical buildings whose upkeep proved too costly for the state, turning them into impressive hotels.
Rooms from around £194 p/n
Today, nearly 100 of these government-owned and -managed stays (under the Paradores brand) scatter Spain, offering some unique escapes. Though none match this Santiago de Compostela icon for sheer history and character. Since 1499, it has hosted pilgrims walking the Camino, operating first as a royal hospital – though it later endured stints as a poorhouse and orphanage.
Its palatial stone complex wraps four Renaissance and Gothic courtyards as well as a chapel. The interior is no less eye-catching: rooms are truly regal, equipped with marble bathrooms and strewn with antiques and religious paintings, while the vaulted Restaurant dos Reis is a feast for the eyes.
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Hesse, Germany
Schlosshotel Kronberg
This turn-of-the-century country mansion in the spa town of Kronberg, near Frankfurt, was once home to a German empress and has played host to the likes of Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II and Britain’s King Edward VII.
Rooms from around £230 p/n
Even its golf course was reputedly sketched out by former US president Dwight D Eisenhower. In such esteemed company, minimalism was never going to be its style watchword. The lavish hall is lined with Prussian antiques, Flemish tapestries and artworks by Rubens and Titian, while the park-like grounds have been laid out in a picturesque English style – all sweeping lawns and snaking paths.
The 61 rooms and suites are spacious and furnished in warm colours, but it’s in restaurants Victoria and Enrico D’Assia where guests can live their best lives, dining beneath octopus-armed chandeliers with views of the regal gardens.
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Colombia
Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena
Even in Cartagena’s Old Town, where flashes of Spanish colonial excess flicker on every corner, the Santa Clara stands apart. Converted from the remains of a 17th-century convent, many of its original features have been preserved, from ecclesiastical doors to a serene courtyard garden wrapped by arcing pink balconies.
Rooms from around £269 p/n
Everywhere you turn here, there are echoes of the past. Rooms in the older wing, where the senior nuns lived, have even kept their high windows – discreetly raised so as to preserve their occupant’s modesty – while a fine bistro lingers in the vault beneath the cloisters. Be sure to bring along a copy of Gabriel García Márquez’s Of Love and Other Demons, which was inspired by the convent.
A 30-minute in-house tour can take you to visit the crypt that sparked the author’s imagination when he arrived here as a reporter in 1949.
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Matera, Italy
Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita
Around 75 years ago, reports of a town in southern Italy where people still lived in hand-dug caves (known as sassi) became a national scandal. Matera was declared ‘Italy’s shame’ and its residents were swiftly relocated. Thereafter, the sassi lay largely abandoned until their UNESCO inscription in the ’90s sparked new interest, as bars, hotels and restaurants slowly began to materialise within the old dwellings.
Rooms from around £150 p/n
It took ten years to turn the ‘caves’ of Grotte della Civita into this secluded 18-room albergo diffuso. It was worth the wait. You can still see the marks of the tools originally used to carve the walls centuries ago, while the stone floors, flickering candlelight and standing bathtubs in the suites give the feel of living in a penthouse crypt.
Even the lobby has been converted from a medieval church. And come morning, breakfast on your own personal terrace offers unmatched views of the UNESCO-listed park across the gorge, scattered with the relics of frescoed rupestrian churches.
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Cape Town, South Africa
Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel
What is a stay in Cape Town without visiting one of its grande dames? This stately Barbie-pink hotel hails from another era entirely and has sat smuggled beneath Table Mountain since 1899. Even today, it still has the air of an Agatha Christie novel waiting to happen; a bygone glamour reflected in a list of past guests that includes the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, who used to regularly shed his security guards and drop by for afternoon tea.
Rooms from around £826 p/n
There’s certainly a dash of Old Hollywood in the decor. Each of the accommodation wings has both its own character and a private garden, though facilities are far from retro, with the addition of two pools, tennis and padel courts, a gym, a spa and even its own salon.
Afternoon tea (with a plant-based option) in the lounge sets the tone for a taste of the old world that has been fastidiously updated for the new.
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Baros
An intimate sanctuary set in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, Baros Maldives is a quintessential island escape just 25 minutes by boat from bustling capital Malé. One of the Maldives’ first luxury resorts, it recently celebrated its 50th anniversary yet has remained true to its ethos of sustainability and authentic island hospitality.
All-inclusive rooms from around £1,330 p/n (two-night minimum)
Villas are crafted from local timbers and palm-thatched roofs, seamlessly blending with the lush surroundings. The house reef, teeming with marine life, offers unparalleled snorkelling just steps from the shore. It is also the location of a coral-planting programme to encourage regeneration, and guests can learn about and participate in this during their stay.
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