Railway Hotels: La Posada Hotel, Winslow, Arizona
Developed by Fred Harvey—whose railway eatery company inspired Judy Garland’sThe Harvey Girls—La Posada houses the famed Turquoise Room restaurant. Sleeping quarters furnished with Zapotec rugs and handcrafted beds offer views of vineyards and...
Railway Hotels: Riffelalp Resort, Zermatt, Switzerland
A 20-minute cogwheel-rail journey followed by a rideon Europe’s highest tram (or, in winter, a snowy hike) brings you to a lodge at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Most of the alpine-style rooms have terraces that face the Matterhorn.
From $362. 41/(0)...
Railway Hotels: Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa, Canada
Most of Canada’s 19th-century hotels, such as this one, were built by rail companies to house passengers. The limestone landmark, furnished with Louis XV–style decor, overlooks the parliament buildings. Expect exhibits this year to celebrate the...
Railway Hotels: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London
I watch as yellow-and-white Eurostar trains snake in and out of London’s St. Pancras train shed, a vaulted Victorian masterpiece of glass panels and iron arches. My room at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel has this floor-to-ceiling view:...
Railway Hotels: The Balmoral, Edinburgh, Scotland
Adjacent to Waverley Station in the heart of Edinburgh, Rocco Forte’s Victorian hotel was Michael Palin’s stop during his Confessions of a Trainspotter television series. The tower clock is set three minutes fast to give passengers “extra time” to...
Railway Hotels: Mount Lavinia Hotel, Sri Lanka
This colonial artifact overlooks the turquoise Indian Ocean and the Coast Line train that runs along it.Sights from the ocean-view rooms stretch to the city of Colombo, 20 minutes away. Trainspotters should request a room at the hotel’s north end...
