When is a hotel more than just a place to sleep? When located in a building with a storied past, allowing visitors to step back in time to the Golden Age or Edwardian era as easily as going to the gym or spa.
Today, you can visit a former 17th-century soap factory on the French Riviera, or part of the Old War Office in London, or a Renaissance-style palazzo that was once a bank in New York. Here are five new hotels on historic sites where you can experience the past and the present, enjoying the architecture of bygone days, even as you indulge in the latest luxuries.
Théoule-sur-Mer, France
This seaside retreat on the Cote d’Azur was once a 17th-century soap factory but looks like a castle thanks to a Scottish lord who, in the early 1900s, added turrets and ramparts. Near the Massif de l’Estérel mountain range, the property opened this month with 44 rooms and suites, some in the castle and some in villas. All have an airy feel, thanks to linen curtains, rattan lamps, hardwood floors and views of the Bay of Cannes.
While the building begs to be explored, soft sand and sunshine are the order of the day — and the hotel has its own beach, La Plage Blanche, with 90 sun loungers. Château de Théoule is about 20 minutes from Cannes, although if you get hungry you don’t have to leave the sand. A beachfront restaurant and lounge has cocktails – like Strambery Fields (elder-infused gin, vanilla syrup, strawberry puree, tonic and egg white) — and menu items that include salads, pissaladière (think focaccia with onions, anchovies and black olives) and grilled octopus with citrus fennel and chimichurri. If you can bear to leave your lounger, explore the area’s hiking trails, swim in the pool, or visit the hotel’s spa for a massage or body treatment.
As night falls, head to Mareluna on the castle terrace overlooking the bay for Mediterranean food and wine with dishes such as cuttlefish tagliatelle with avocado and smoked herring roe. Prices from 360 euros, or about 390 dollars in the low season and from 920 euros in the high season (mid-June to mid-September). The hotel will close for the season in mid-November.
London
The former workplace of government and military officials including Winston Churchill, the Old War Office (known as the New War Office when it was built in the early 1900s) has long been a place of intrigue. James Bond fans may recognize its Edwardian baroque–Exterior styling from some of the films, and even Ian Fleming, the creator of Bond and a former naval intelligence officer, is said to have visited the building. It is now open to the public for the first time, with part of it being reborn as Raffles London with 120 rooms and suites at OWO, Raffles Hotels & Resorts’ first property in Britain.
Within the large space, some of the offices of political and military leaders have become suites, including one named for Churchill. There are also corner suites named after female spies and other women associated with the property’s history, including Viscountess Astor, the first woman to sit in the House of Commons, and World War II agents such as Vera May Atkins, a spy who recruited British secret agents.
The hotel’s interior design is by Thierry Despont, the French architect and designer known for his work on the Ritz Paris and the centenary restoration of the Statue of Liberty, who died last year.
The strategic planning that takes place these days includes when to book a hotel appointment spa, spanning four floors. Historic spaces are given new purposes, such as a former library turned restaurant, Saison by Mauro Colagreco, with Mediterranean dishes from the chef, perhaps best known for his Michelin-starred restaurant, Mirazur, in France. At Mauro Colagreco, another of the hotel’s chef restaurants, tasting menus highlight seasonal British fruit and vegetables.
Visit the Drawing Room, a wood-paneled lounge with a Steinway piano, for afternoon tea or something stronger, which you can sip while overlooking the Horse Guards at Buckingham Palace. Or go for a drink in rooms formerly used by MI5 in the underground Spy Bar. Prices from 922 pounds, or about $1,162.
Buenos Aires
Once one of the tallest buildings in Latin America, the Edificio Mihanovich — commissioned in the 1920s by Nicolas Mihanovich, a shipping entrepreneur — now houses this new hotel with 142 rooms and suites. Inspired by the shape of a lighthouse, the building was one of the first things sailors could see when they came to port, according to Casa Lucia, and Michanovic wanted it to be tall enough to be able to see his own ships.
These days, visitors can take advantage of his aspirations with panoramic views from some of the sleek modern rooms and suites. Many have balconies with outdoor showers and spots overlooking Buenos Aires and the Río de la Plata.
In addition to being close to the river, you’re within everything the chic Recoleta neighborhood has to offer: French-inspired architecture, boutiques, galleries and tourist destinations such as Recoleta Cemetery, where you can visit the grave of former first lady Eva Perón.
Back at the hotel, enjoy Argentinian cuisine and, of course, wine at the Cantina Restaurant, then head next door to Le Club Bacan, a lively cocktail bar with a wide selection of Argentine wines. Later this spring, you’ll be able to stop by the full fitness center or spa, which will have a heated pool. Prices from $670.
New York
Housed in a building over a century old and a new 24-story glass space called the Tower, this 153-room, all-suite hotel in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood harkens back to the Golden Age when it was home. and carriage. In the early 1900s the building it was sold, eventually becoming the Second National Bank, a five-story Renaissance palazzo-style structure designed by McKim, Mead & White, the architectural firm behind New York’s original Pennsylvania Station and the Brooklyn Museum.
Step inside today and you’ll see a sparkling lobby with chandeliers, walls lined with antique mirrors, marble floors and cabinets full of curiosities. The interior design of Martin Brudnizki Design Studio is both playful and luxurious, with wallpapers and walls full of colors and patterns. Rooms combine old and new with antiques, Murano glass chandeliers and wardrobes inspired by traditional Chinese cabinets.
Eating out in New York is a must. But the James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini, known for restaurants such as A Voce, Café Boulud and Locanda Verde, entices guests to stay inside. The hotel’s Café Carmellini is his take on contemporary Italian and French cuisine, with a menu that includes dishes such as black bass forestière and lobster and golden osetra cannelloni. Afterwards, stop by the art-filled, wood-paneled Portrait Bar, with its Italian villa-inspired ambiance, for a drink by the fireplace. Prices from $895.
Charleston, SC
The 25 rooms, suites and residences at this elegant boutique hotel are spread across three buildings in downtown Charleston, including two from the Victorian era. And they’re perfect if you want the amenities of a hotel and the flexibility of a vacation rental. All rooms have fully equipped kitchens, as well as washers and dryers. Some have patio doors leading to private balconies and terraces. However, you will hardly want to break into your room. An outdoor terrace off the main lobby features a fireplace that invites you to pause after exploring the neighborhood’s romantic streets dotted with gas lamps, historic architecture, boutiques and restaurants.
Alternatively, wander the hotel’s Lequeux-Williams House, a Greek Revival-style building that the hotel says dates back to 1834. Formerly a private residence, has been transformed into restaurants under the supervision of chef Jason Stanhope, the James Beard Award winner for the popular Fig restaurant. They include Quinte, an oyster bar and cocktail spot (you can order seafood towers, soups, sandwiches and ice cream too), named after a 1918 pool hall that stood on the same site. Or try Lowland, a tavern with cozy dining spaces over two floors, including an alfresco stone-paved dining room that is hundreds of years old. No matter where you sit, you can tuck into comfort food like a farmer’s cheese and pepper jelly cookie or a burger and fries. Prices from $399.
