Here are five new hotels in historic spaces where you can delight in the architecture of vanished days even as you indulge in the latest luxuries.
Fans of fictional British spy James Bond may recognise its Edwardian Baroque-style exterior from some of the films, and indeed Ian Fleming, creator of Bond and a former naval intelligence officer, is said to have visited the building. Strategic planning taking place nowadays involves when to book an appointment at the hotel’s spa, which spans four floors.
The property opened in April with 44 rooms and suites, some in the castle and others in villas. All have an airy feel, thanks to linen curtains, rattan light fixtures, hardwood floors and views of the Bay of Cannes. If you can bear to leave your lounge chair, explore the area’s hiking trails, swim in the pool or visit the hotel spa for a massage or body treatment.
These days, guests can benefit from his ambitions with bird’s-eye views from some of the soft-hued contemporary rooms and suites. Many have balconies with outdoor showers and spots overlooking Buenos Aires and the Río de la Plata. In the early 1900s, the building was sold, eventually becoming the Second National Bank, a five-storey Renaissance palazzo-style structure designed by McKim, Mead & White, the architectural firm behind New York’s original Pennsylvania Station and the Brooklyn Museum.