These Are the 22 Best Historic Hotels Around the World

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in history is to literally sleep in it. Afar’s latest installment of Hotels We Love focuses on hotels around the world that offer guests a living piece of a place’s history, in addition to guaranteeing a good night’s sleep. From a ranch with log cabins and a repurposed seminary building to an 18th-century château, this selection of the world’s most transporting historic hotels will take you back in time.

The Beverly Hills Hotel

When the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel first opened for business in 1912, Beverly Hills was a suburb of Los Angeles, and the hotel provided people with a place to stay when they were looking at parcels of land to live on in the area. But as the city of Beverly Hills developed, the hotel—nicknamed the Pink Palace—became a perennial favorite among the Hollywood set, ranging from Golden Age stars like Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn Monroe to modern-day celebrities like the Kardashians, Saweetie, and Mark Wahlberg.

Today the hotel is run by the global luxury hotel group Dorchester Collection, and the famous cursive sign, whose font was created by architect Paul Revere Williams, one of the few Black architects at the time in L.A., still greets guests upon arrival.

Related: The 19 Best Luxury and Boutique Hotels in Los Angeles

The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel

This Upper East Side legend opened its doors in 1930 and, since then, has offered big-city accommodations to a legion of luminaries, from John F. Kennedy and Ingrid Bergman to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The hotel‘s famed restaurant Café Carlyle is where much of the action—and long-standing history—exists, having consistently hosted top talent like Woody Allen, Alan Cumming, and Rita Wilson since opening in 1955.

The property’s famed Bemelmans Bar is another favorite, especially for nightly live jazz, masterful cocktails, and, during the holidays, a Madeline tea (inspired by Madeline author Ludwig Bemelmans, who was commissioned in 1947 for the bar’s iconic large-scale murals). More R&R is available at the hotel’s Sisley-Paris Spa, an urban retreat offering an array of decadent facial and body treatments. Once back in their rooms, often with postcard-worthy views of Central Park, guests can luxuriate in the interiors designed by Alexandra Champalimaud, many with art deco flourishes, deep soaking tubs, and wall murals depicting city life.

Related: The 15 Best Hotels in New York City

Chable Yucatán

Set deep in the Yucatan jungle, Chablé is built around a 17th-century sisal plantation. While most of the glass-fronted suites are new additions, the bones of the historic buildings, such as crumbling stone archways and a beautifully restored hacienda, are scattered around the property. There’s no better place to enjoy a margarita than on the terrace of this historic building, where fans whiz above.

The spa is also tied to history and is centered around a cenote, a sinkhole surrounded by rocks. Today, guests can opt for treatments facilitated by Mayan healers and wellness masters using traditional techniques and native plants such as chaya.

Château de Théoule

From the outside, you might think Château de Théoule is a castle because of the building’s castle-like turrets (it’s not). But that doesn’t make it any less historic—set in a former soap factory dating back to the 1600s, the property, which has undergone many iterations, was recently turned into a hotel with marine-inspired rooms in shades of turquoise and pearl, overlooking the Bay of Cannes. Set along the ocean on the French Riviera, a short ride from hot spots such as St. Paul de Vence and Cannes, the property’s location is also spot on.

Copacabana Palace, a Belmond Hotel

Set directly across from Rio de Janeiro’s famed Copacabana Beach, wedged between Ipanema Beach and Sugarloaf Mountain, the Copacabana Palace, a Belmond Hotel, has been drawing guests with its unparalleled location, superlative service, and legendary Carnival parties since 1923.

The building itself is a marvel: a gleaming white art deco structure with 243 guest rooms, designed by French architect Joseph Gire. Over the years, it’s welcomed such high-profile guests as Brigitte Bardot, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole. And 100 years later, this beachfront legend still exudes glamour: Beach-facing rooms have French doors opening onto balconies, and a picturesque turquoise pool is fringed with sun beds.

Domaine de Primard

Upon seeing this 18th-century château, set on a 100-acre estate with both wild and manicured gardens, you may wonder why Catherine Deneuve ever sold it. (The story goes that it was simply too big.) Now owned by a French couple (founders of Domaine De Fontanille, which has numerous hotels), the property has been carefully restored with 39 guest rooms; some have duck-egg blue paneled walls and French windows.

The couple also added contemporary elements: a Susanne Kaufman spa set in a barn and a one-Michelin-star restaurant, Les Chemins, which serves seasonal veggie-forward plates in a glass-encased room overlooking the garden.

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Dromoland Castle

Dromoland Castle, located in Ireland’s County Clare, was built in the early 1800s and served as the ancestral home of the Irish Gaelic O’Brien clan for eight generations. Today it’s a luxury hotel offering a range of refined experiences across its stately grounds—from hawk walks and boating on Dromoland Lake to golf, archery, and sporting clays lessons. Inside, original oil paintings, stained glass, antique furnishings, and the historic Ornamental Walled Garden evoke the castle’s storied past.

Recently refurbished rooms, such as the Grania O’Brien Suite, offer charming details like a hidden bookcase that opens into an adjoining room. The octagonal cocktail bar, once the O’Brien family library, now serves drinks named for Celtic deities. New to the 500-acre grounds is Dromoland Lodge, a five-bedroom private residence along the golf course for those seeking extra seclusion. If you’re looking for a royal stay that whisks you back in time, Dromoland is a great option, located a mere 20 minutes by car from Shannon Airport. —Julia Cosgrove

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze

Palazzo della Gherardesca was home to Florentine nobles for 500 years before becoming a Four Seasons hotel, so it’s no wonder that a stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Firenze tends to make its guests feel like royalty. Original frescoes and period furniture set the scene, but that’s just the beginning. From the luxurious spa with products by the city’s centuries-old Santa Maria Novella pharmacy to the Michelin-starred restaurant, Il Palagio, which features such regionally sourced Italian dishes as lamb with sheep’s milk ricotta, on-site experiences immerse visitors in Tuscany’s rich history and culture.

The hotel’s 116 guest rooms and suites are spread over 710,000 square feet. Some are in the Palazzo della Gherardesca while others are in the Limonaia or the Villa. Some feature original frescoes or ceramic floor tiles; all have marble bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling curtains, and plush furnishings, such as oversize wingback chairs.

Related: These Are the 15 Best Hotels in Italy

Galle Face Hotel, Sri Lanka

In 2015, the Galle Face Hotel, located on the island’s west coast, underwent a complete restoration of its North Wing, which included 72 rooms and suites and prominent public spaces, such as the Sea Spray restaurant, and a new L’Occitane spa. Learn more about the property’s history with new Heritage Tours, which take guests on a guided stroll through the hotel’s on-site museum—from Prince Philip’s first personal car to a cannonball that hit the hotel in 1845. The tour also includes behind-the-scene looks at spaces unavailable to the public—such as the office where Arthur C. Clarke finished 3001: The Final Odyssey.

Gleneagles Hotel

Set on 850 acres of manicured countryside in Perthshire, Gleneagles feels like a refined Scottish summer camp for adults—complete with falconry, horseback riding, archery, and Highland cattle encounters. The iconic estate, which turned 100 in 2024, blends country-house elegance with an adventurous spirit. Rooms evoke old-world charm with brocade curtains, antique furnishings, and heated marble floors, while a newly opened Sporting Club adds padel courts, equestrian facilities, and a climbing wall to the mix.

Evenings are as lively or laid-back as you want them to be: dine on lobster under chandeliers at the Strathearn, unwind with tandoor-baked naan at the Dormy, or indulge in house-made shortbread with a proper Scottish tea. It’s a place where you can try your hand at falconry in the morning and soak in the spa’s vitality pool by afternoon—all under the warm, kilted welcome of a staff that makes everyone feel like a regular.—Jennifer Flowers

Related: The Scottish Resort Where You Can Try Falconry, Spot Highland Cows, and Sleep in a Grand Country Manor

Hotel del Coronado

Fresh off a $550 million overhaul, the Hotel del Coronado has returned as the Southern California beachfront grande dame where movie stars mingled with presidents. The six-year restoration of a National Historic Landmark preserves the building’s iconic red turret and stained-glass windows, while refreshing nearly every corner of the 136-year-old property.

Today, the resort comprises 938 guest rooms spread across several distinct “neighborhoods” along the sandy shores of Coronado Island: the Victorian (the original landmarked building); Beach Village Cottages and Villas (a gated enclave with private pools); the Cabanas (beachfront rooms and terraces); the Views (a glass-railed high-rise); and Shore House, a newer cluster of residential-style suites anchored by its own pool.

Some half a dozen dining options line the space between the main building and the beach. They include the 156-seat Nobu, as well as Veranda (try the halibut, olives, capers, and lemon) and Serẽa (a standout dish: spicy lobster rigatoni with Calabian chili).—Tim Chester

Related: Poolside Cabanas, Beachfront Dining, and Gilded-Age Glam—What It’s Like to Stay at This Reborn California Icon

Imperial Hotel

With a history that dates back to 1883, the Imperial Hotel in Ginza is a Tokyo landmark, having hosted such prominent guests as Winston Churchill and Harold Wilson. First designed by Yuzuru Watanabe, the hotel was redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1923 after a devastating fire the year before. In 1968, the main lobby was dismantled and reconstructed in a different prefecture of the city. Today, the Imperial is a gleaming 659-room hotel, but elements of the original hotel still exist, notably in the Old Imperial bar decorated with murals and terra-cotta tiles from the Lloyd Wright design.

La Mamounia

Having first opened its doors in 1923, La Mamounia has been hosting A-list guests (from Charlie Chaplin and Francis Ford Coppola to Nelson Mandela) for more than 100 years. The property began in the 18th century as an orchard gifted by Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah to his son. Eventually it became a hotel designed by French architects Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio.

The 209-room hotel has undergone numerous new iterations and design overhauls; most recently it was given a refresh by Jouin and Manku, who installed a magnificent chandelier to celebrate 100 years. Despite numerous renovations, parts of the historic interior remain unchanged: Berber rugs, art deco furniture, sculpted plaster archways, hand-cut mosaic tiles, and marble floors abound.

Lone Mountain Ranch

The 1930s Lone Mountain Ranch comprises 25 log cabins on an old mountainside ranch in Montana. This is Americana at its best: While the cabins were renovated in 2016, they still feel old-timey with wood-burning fireplaces, record players, and enormous beds with wooden frames.

Dining experiences here are a highlight: Some start with sleigh rides taking guests to the hotel’s remote rustic cabin for pot pie and live music. At the main Horn & Cantle Restaurant, where diners enjoy soups and salads, there are moose heads and leather chairs galore. Upstairs is an unlikely new addition: Auric Room, a sleek members-only supper club serving caviar and champagne.

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

For decades, this iconic resort set the standard for luxury hospitality on Hawaii’s Big Island. Financier-conservationist Laurance S. Rockefeller first encountered the site above Kaunaʻoa Bay, one of the few white-sand beaches on lava-laden Hawai‘i, in the 1950s, and opened the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in 1965 as the island’s first major luxury retreat. A few years later, the American Institute of Architects recognized its open-air terraced design—the vision of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill—in its 1967 Honor Awards, citing its “restrained detailing and fine special sequences in a completely contemporary idiom.”

An extensive renovation completed this winter has transformed much of the 1,800-acre property, now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection: new pools and wellness facilities, revitalized dining, and updates to all 252 rooms and suites. But many defining elements remain, including the original blue-tile floors of the lobby and the signature circular pool overlooking the ocean. The renowned Rockefeller Art Collection remains on site, complete with a new app that catalogs the more than 1,600 historically significant works from across the Pacific Rim. —Catherine Toth Fox

Related: On the Island of Hawaiʻi, an Iconic Midcentury Resort Is Reborn

The Peninsula Hong Kong

Opened in 1928, the Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the city’s most historic properties. It’s located on the Kowloon Peninsula, just across Victoria Harbour from Hong Kong Island. Originally designed as a luxurious accommodation for passengers traveling on the adjacent Kowloon–Canton railway, the Peninsula Hong Kong has long been a gathering spot for socialites, tycoons, and celebrities.

In 1994, a 30-story tower nearly doubled its accommodations, while adding shops, a spa, and fitness center, an aviation lounge, twin rooftop helipads, and Felix—the hotel’s 28th-floor fine-dining restaurant, designed by Philippe Starck. All guest rooms and suites were renovated in 2013 with creamy colors, polished wood, and leather. New high-tech extras include a bedside control panel allowing guests to adjust the room’s light, sound, and temperature without getting out from under the covers.

Portrait Milano

Wander through the entrance of Portrait Milano in the heart of the city, and you’ll be surprised to stumble upon a huge old piazza that once belonged to one of the oldest seminaries in the world. Today it houses the 73-room hotel, which belongs to the Ferragamo Group. Historic details are everywhere, from the columns in the square to arched ceilings and the dramatic sculptural entrance. In contrast, the rooms are all contemporary classic Italian design with oversize marble baths, glossy wood paneling, and splashes of red and green.

Related: This Restored Palazzo and Hotel in Milan Is a Destination Unto Itself

Raffles Hotel Singapore

The resplendent Raffles Hotel reopened in late 2019 to great fanfare after two years of restoration. Originally built in 1887 as a 10-room hotel, it now features 115 suites with oriental carpets and teak floors to complement four-poster beds and colorful Peranakan-tiled bathrooms. An in-room tablet controls everything from the mood lighting to calling your butler for a glass of bubbly. All have a private veranda to enjoy balmy evenings outside.

The building was declared a national monument in 1987, so the facade has changed little, but the hotel’s food and drink concepts have been revamped with a focus on marquee restaurant collaborations with the likes of Jereme Leung (yi) and Hawaiian-born Jordan Keao (Butcher’s Block). Not forgetting Singapore’s rich food culture, the hotel offers a self-guided Raffles Singapore Hawker Food Trail video hosted by hawker champion and Makansutra founder KF Seetoh. Raffles also offers an exclusive private tour of the Intan, a home museum filled with more than 1,500 objects from Peranakan culture.

The famous Singapore Sling continues to be a draw at the evocative 1920s Malayan-style Long Bar and its peanut shell–covered floor. The iconic drink now has sustainable twist: The hotel plants one native tree in the Kalimantan or Sumatran rainforest for every 25 Singapore Slings ordered. —Charlene Fang

Related: The 15 Best Hotels in Singapore

Ritz Paris

Following an extensive renovation that took more than three years, the iconic 1898 Ritz Paris reopened in June 2016 with all the charm and patina that such notable guests as Coco Chanel and F. Scott Fitzgerald came to know well. Architect Thierry W. Despont has updated the interiors with 21st-century touches such as retractable roofs and heated floors, while preserving the original empire style and fine wood paneling. Longtime guests will feel at home in the original L’Espadon restaurant and Bar Hemingway, while the famous École Ritz Escoffier offers a state-of-the-art culinary program that will help gourmands unlock the secrets of French cooking.

Spier Wine Farm

Founded in 1692, Spier Wine Farm is one of the oldest estates in South Africa’s Stellenbosch. Reimagined by the Enthoven family in the 1990s, the 650-acre property now operates as an interconnected system: livestock rotates to enrich the land, indigenous plants are reintroduced, and vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms are harvested daily alongside the vineyards.

That ethos carries into the hospitality offering, relaunched in March 2025, with 80 guest rooms arranged like a small village of Cape Dutch–inspired buildings, interiors clad in natural materials, and works from one of the country’s most significant contemporary art collections. Dining centers on what’s growing on the farm, whether at the main restaurant, Veld, or through more intimate experiences, while the wine program remains central, with tastings that showcase Stellenbosch producers. —Erica Firpo

Related: At This South African Wine Estate, Farming, Food, and Art Take Center Stage

The Waldorf Astoria New York

Following an eight-year closure and multibillion-dollar restoration, the Waldorf Astoria New York reopened on Park Avenue in 2025 with its legacy restored and its experience rethought for a modern traveler. Once a social hub for New Yorkers and global elites, the hotel now feels renewed: its room count reduced to 375 for a more residential, spacious feel (many starting at 570 square feet), and its art deco interiors—mosaic floors, murals, and grand ballrooms—have all been carefully preserved.

Designer Pierre-Yves Rochon has reimagined the accommodations with subtle art deco references, while modern updates like automated drapery, spa-like bathrooms, and soundproofed windows bring comfort in line with expectations. Dining offers both heritage and contemporary appeal, from the lively Peacock Alley—with its iconic clock and a strong cocktail program—to the more laid-back Lex Yard, led by chef Michael Anthony, and the newer Yoshoku, which has a kaiseki-inspired menu and has a Japanese tea service in the afternoons.

Related: A Legend, Restored: The Waldorf Astoria New York Returns to Park Avenue

The Watergate Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Reopened in May 2016 after a multimillion-dollar renovation, the Watergate Hotel is embracing its historic role in the Nixon scandal. Here, five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters, triggering the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974. The hotel preserves the 336-room hotel’s original midcentury look.

Guests can try French American cuisine at Kingbird and sip on top-notch whiskey at the Next Whisky Bar. Don’t miss the rooftop lounge, Top of the Gate, which offers 360-degree views of the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and the Potomac River.

This story was originally published in December 2024. It was refreshed with new reporting in April 2026.