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Ever stayed in a hotel that doubles as a local landmark? Wanderlust magazine has just rounded up some of the planet’s greatest heritage stays, from hilltop castles to convents. Staying at any one of these spots certainly makes for a more memorable experience than a Travelodge, that’s for sure (no offence to Travelodge, of course).
It’s part of the publication’s WanderSleeps series, where readers were asked to nominate where they believe to be the world’s ‘most authentic, distinctive and meaningful places to stay’, the nominees of which were then screened and selected by editors.
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Claiming first place on the ranking was the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, India, which has functioned as a hotel since the 1960s but retained lots of references to its past life. Originally, it was built as a place for ‘moonlit picnics and royal gatherings’ by Maharana Jagat Singh II, who was banned by his father for inviting romantic interests to Jag Mandir palace.
Today, the suites are laden with intricate latticework, furnishings made of teak wood and plenty of silk, and according to Wanderlust magazine, some of the butlers are descendants of the palace’s original retainers (aides to the royal family).
Also on the list are JW Marriott El Convento in Peru, built inside a sixteenth-century Augustine convent, and The Xara Palace, a seventeenth-century palazzo inside the walls of Valletta’s Mdina in Malta. Scroll on for the full top 10.
The world’s 10 best historical stays, according to Wanderlust magazine
- Taj Lake Palace, India
- JW Marriott El Convento, Peru
- Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul, Türkiye
- Esplanade Zagreb Hotel, Croatia
- Alvear Palace Hotel, Argentina
- The Xara Palace, Malta
- Burg Colmberg, Germany
- Three Tree Hill, South Africa
- InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel, France
- Casa Gangotena, Ecuador
Did you see that this world-famous ‘seven-star’ hotel is closing for a year?
Plus: These two culture-packed European capitals are now finally connected by direct train.
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