The World's Top 10 Castle Hotels
While these properties once served the lavish needs of royalty, today they are available to mere mortals like us, who greatly appreciate the pleasures once reserved for the aristocracy. From turrets and moats to spas and golf courses, these castles blend the best of past and present. It may be a cold, cruel world out there, but with GAYOT.com's list of the Top 10 Castle Hotels, it's still possible to find a place where fairy tales come true.
The Xara Palace
MALTA
Mdina
The Xara Palace was built in the seventeenth century to house the noble Moscati Parisio family. The seventeen bedrooms are decorated with period pieces and original Maltese artworks, and their views range from the internal courtyards to the majestic Vilhena Palace. Upping the authenticity factor is a portion of The Xara Palace that is integrated into the bastion walls of the fortified medieval city of Mdina.
Zamek Reszel Kreativ Hotel
POLAND
Reszel
Built in the fourteenth century, this fortified Gothic castle has experienced many an incarnation over time, from a bishop's hunting lodge to an evangelical church to a prison. Today, the castle houses 21 rustic (and comfy) rooms and suites adorned with hand-crafted furnishings, along with the on-site Gallery of Modern Art. Located in a picturesque market town, the castle is also popular with local foodies, who frequent the house restaurant for signature specialties such as mutton dumplings and roast pikeperch with almonds.
La Mamounia
MOROCCO
Marrakech
This quintessential Moroccan oasis boasts spacious suites and intricate Arabesque details, from the mosaics to the reflecting pools to the arcades. Our favorite accommodations are the private riads, each with three bedrooms, a private pool and terrace. The grounds were an eighteenth-century wedding gift from a Sultan to his son, and it is a pleasure to walk among the bougainvillea, Barbary figs and 100-year-old olive trees.
Hotel Château de Mirambeau
FRANCE
Mirambeau
Tucked into picturesque wine country between the charming towns of Bordeaux and Cognac, this Renaissance-style castle resides on the site of an ancient medieval fortress. The 22 guest rooms and suites feature such treasures as canopy beds, while the eight-hectare grounds offer a picturesque outdoor pool, two tennis courts and landscaped gardens. An earth-friendly attitude ranges from the use of organic products in wellness center treatments to a focus on local produce in the market-inspired restaurant.
Castle Hotel Auf Schönburg
GERMANY
Oberwesel am Rhein
Schönburg Castle sits above the medieval town of Oberwesel in the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley, and the first mention of it dates back to 911. With just 24 individually furnished guest rooms, this castle features a prison tower, scenic terraces and a beautiful garden. Select room highlights include four-poster beds, arched windows, tapestries, timber paneling and Rhine River views.
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