When is a hotel more than a place to sleep? When it’s in a building with a storied past, guests can step back in time to the Golden Age or Edwardian era just as easily as they can go to the gym or spa.
These days, you can check into a former 17th-century soap factory on the French Riviera, part of the Old War Office in London, or a Renaissance palazzo-style building that was once a bank in New York. Here are five new hotels in historic locations where you can experience the past and present and enjoy the architecture of days gone by while indulging in the latest luxury.
Theoule-sur-Mer, France
Once a 17th-century soap factory, this seaside retreat on the Côte d’Azur looks like a castle thanks to a Scottish lord who added towers and crenellated ramparts in the early 20th century. Near the Massif de l’Estérel mountains, the property opened this month with 44 rooms and suites, some in the castle and others in villas. They all feel airy thanks to linen curtains, rattan lights, hardwood floors, and views of Cannes Bay.
While the building invites exploration, soft sand and sunshine are the order of the day – and the hotel has its own beach, La Plage Blanche, with 90 sunloungers. The Château de Théoule is about 20 minutes from Cannes. However, if you feel hungry, you don’t have to leave the sand. A beachfront restaurant and lounge offer cocktails – like Strambery Fields (elderberry gin, vanilla syrup, strawberry puree, tonic and egg white) – and menu items that include salads, pissaladière (think focaccia with confit onions, anchovies and black olives) and grilled octopus with citrus fennel and chimichurri. If you can bear to leave your lounge chair, explore the area’s hiking trails, swim in the pool, or visit the hotel’s spa for a massage or body treatment.
As evening falls, head to Mareluna to the castle’s terrace overlooking the bay and enjoy Mediterranean food and wine with dishes like octopus tagliatelle with avocado and smoked herring eggs. Prices from 360 euros or around 390 US 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 20th century) has long been a site of intrigue. Fans of James Bond may recognize the Edwardian Baroque style–It is reminiscent of the exterior facade in the style of some films, and in fact 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 the UK.
Within the large space, some of the offices of political and military leaders have become suites, including one named after 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 activists such as Vera May Atkins, a spy 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 centennial restoration of the Statue of Liberty, who died last year.
Today, strategic planning is about when to make an appointment at the hotel Spa that extends over four floors. Historic spaces have new purposes, such as a former library converted into a restaurant, Saison by Mauro Colagreco, featuring Mediterranean dishes from the chef perhaps best known for his Michelin-starred restaurant Mirazur in France. At Mauro Colagreco, another chef’s restaurant in the hotel, the tasting menus focus on seasonal British fruits and vegetables.
Visit the Drawing Room, a wood-panelled lounge with a Steinway piano, for afternoon tea or something stronger, which can be enjoyed overlooking the Horse Guards at Buckingham Palace. Or grab a drink in the underground Spy Bar, formerly used by MI5. Prices start at 922 pounds, or about $1,162.
Buenos Aires
Once one of the tallest buildings in Latin America, the Edificio Mihanovich was commissioned in the 1920s by Nicolas Mihanovich, a shipping entrepreneur, and is now home to this new hotel with 142 rooms and suites. Inspired by the shape of a lighthouse, the building was among the first things sailors could see when entering port, according to Casa Lucia, and Mihanovich wanted it to be tall enough so he could see his own ships.
These days, guests can benefit from his ambitions and get a bird’s eye view of some of the soft-toned contemporaries Rooms and suites. Many have balconies with outdoor showers and spots with views of Buenos Aires and the Río de la Plata.
Not only will you be close to the river, but you’ll also be right in the middle of everything the chic Recoleta district has to offer: French-inspired architecture, Boutiques, galleries and tourist destinations like the 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, an atmospheric cocktail bar with a wide selection of Argentinian wines. Later this spring, you should have the opportunity to check out the completed fitness center or spa, which will feature a heated pool. Prices start at $670.
new York
Housed in a more than century-old building as well as a new 24-story glass space called the Tower, this 153-room and suite hotel in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood is reminiscent of the Gilded Age, when it was a home and carriage house. The building was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century Was sold and eventually became the Second National Bank, a five-story Renaissance palazzo-style building 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 shimmering lobby with chandeliers, walls paneled with antique mirrors, marble floors, and cabinets full of curios. The interior design by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio is playful and lush at the same time, with tapestries and walls full of colors and patterns. Guest 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 Chef Andrew Carmellini, a James Beard Award winner known for restaurants such as A Voce, Café Boulud and Locanda Verde, invites guests to linger. The hotel’s Café Carmellini is its take on modern Italian and French cuisine, with a menu that includes dishes like black bass forestière and cannelloni of lobster and golden osetra. Afterwards, visit the art-filled, wood-paneled Portrait Bar with an atmosphere inspired by Italian villas and enjoy a drink by the fireplace. prices from $895.
Charleston, SC
This stylish boutique hotel’s 25 rooms, suites and residences are spread across three buildings in downtown Charleston, including two from the Victorian era. And they’re ideal if you want the amenities of a hotel and the flexibility of a vacation rental. All rooms have fully equipped kitchens and washers and dryers. Some have French doors leading to private balconies and terraces. However, you probably won’t want to hide in your room. An outdoor terrace off the main lobby features a fireplace perfect for lingering after exploring the neighborhood’s romantic streets full of gas lamps, historic architecture, boutiques, and restaurants.
Alternatively, stroll to the hotel’s Lequeux-Williams House, a Greek Revival-style building that the hotel says dates back to 1834. It used to be a private residence. It was converted into restaurants under the direction of chef Jason Stanhope. the winner of a James Beard Award for Charleston’s popular Fig Restaurant. These include Quinte, an oyster bar and cocktail bar (you can also order seafood towers, soups, sandwiches and ice cream) named after a 1918 billiards hall that was on the same site. Or attempts Lowland, a tavern with inviting dining areas over two floors, including an outdoor dining area on century-old cobblestones. Wherever you sit, you can enjoy comfort foods like a farmer’s cheese and pepper jelly biscuit or a burger and fries. Prices start at $399.
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2024-03-27 09:02:57
www.nytimes.com
