World's coolest converted hotels

Former aristorcrat's home...Hotel del Casco San Isidro Buenos Aires, Argentina. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Fancy staying beside a former bullfighting ring? Quinta Real Zacatecas, Mexico. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

In pictures: World's most lavish hotel suites

WANT to stay somewhere a little bit different on your next holiday? Travel website Virtual Tourist has compiled this list of some of the best converted hotels around the globe.

1. Hotel del Casco, San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Originally built in 1892 and located 22km north of Buenos Aires, Hotel del Casco is a restored neoclassical palazzo. Formerly an aristocrat's summer home and later a warehouse for stored goods, the palazzo has been meticulously renovated. The builders tried to keep the original structure and preserve the building's unique neoclassical details, such as its traditional marble entrance staircase and large columns. The interior patio is a distinctive feature of the building.

2. Quinta Real Zacatecas, Mexico

While many have stayed in a refurbished factory or a renovated palace, few travelers can say they stayed adjacent to an authentic bullfighting ring. The Quinta Real Zacatecas, in Mexico, hasn't seen any action of that kind since 1975, but the architecture of the building and various levels allow for a communal space rarely achieved in hotels today.

3. Mandarin Oriental, Prague, Czech Republic

Housed in a converted Dominican monastery from the 14th century, the Mandarin Oriental Prague is one of the city's treasures. The hotel offers a holistic spa experience, with a vitality pool and two saunas. The spa's entry - a glass walkway - displays and preserves the remnants of a Gothic church found during the hotel's renovation.

Hotel Mandarin Oriental Prague

Hotel Mandarin Oriental, Prague. Picture: Supplied

Source: Supplied

4. Wanderlust Hotel Singapore

Located in Singapore's Little India neighborhood, Wanderlust Hotel is housed in a former schoolhouse. The hotel is part of the Unlisted Collection, which also includes other converted hotels - Singapore's New Majestic Hotel and Shanghai's The Waterhouse at South Bund. Each of the four floors was assigned to a local design firm, resulting in four different themes.

5. Hospes Palacio, Cordoba, Spain

Hospes Palacio is housed in a 16th century palace, with the building's architecture providing an insight into the city's Moorish influence. The hotel embraces its architecture and history while providing guests with modern amenities, like internet and Korres bath products.

6. Montpelier Plantation, Nevis, Caribbean

The history of the Caribbean is often lost among its luxurious resorts and water activities. But some properties in the region are finding ways to incorporate the history of the area into the guest experience. On the island of Nevis, a British holding that is often reached by travelling to nearby St. Kitts, the Montpelier Plantation provides a ritzy retreat on a former 18th century sugar plantation. Though it is no longer producing much sugar, it still attracts quite a bit of buzz. Princess Diana stayed there in 1993.

Montpelier Plantation, Nevis, Caribbean

Montpelier Plantation, Nevis, Caribbean. Picture: Supplied

Source: Supplied

7. The Liberty Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts

The former home to the Charles Street Jail, the Liberty Hotel is a grey stone structure at the Boston side of the Longfellow Bridge. It has a nightclub in the former drunk tank, cocktail areas occupy the surviving catwalks and two eateries can be found in rooms with original jail cell details.

8. La Purificadora, Puebla, Mexico

The city of Puebla, 100km east of Mexico City, was once one of the most important colonial cities in Mexico. The structure housing La Purificadora was built in 1884 as an ice factory where water was bottled and purified for ice production. The archeologists and architects kept the building's original use in mind when designing the hotel, incorporating clear glass and pools.

9. The Conservatorium Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The Conservatorium Hotel has been open the shortest amount of time of any of the hotels on this list, but its building has been in use much longer. The hotel has kept the historic facade of Amsterdam's former music conservatory, but there is nothing student budget about this five-star offering.

10. Four Seasons, Istanbul, Turkey

The ochre exterior is just the first of many signifiers that the Four Seasons Hotel at Sultanahmet is a unique experience. The building, a former Turkish prison, is not only an astounding neoclassical structure, but it is also conveniently located between two of Istanbul's greatest treasures - the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. The hotel has a landscaped courtyard, which once served as the prison's exercise yard.

Four Seasons Istanbul Turkey

Four Seasons Istanbul, Turkey. Picture: Supplied

Source: Supplied

 

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