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ItalianoGrand old hotels
Some hotels have a heritage from the golden age of steam railways and ocean liners, before the Second World War, in the 19th or early 20th centuries. These hotels were where the rich and the famous of the day would stay. Some of them have been the accommodation of choice for foreign leaders, including monarchs and presidents, and have a VIP suite for that purpose; some have hosted important political conferences. They have an appeal all their own: old fashioned fittings, the lack of the latest amenities, and a certain graceful agedness. They are often in superb locations, either smack in the middle of cities – very often being next to or part of a major railway station, as they were often constructed to house railway travelers – or close to major outdoor attractions. Some were also located next to sea ports to serve steamship passengers. They are likely to neighbor a legacy department store or a legacy food market from the same era. For this article, we also include some mid-20th century hotels that are iconic and historically significant.
New York City, London, Paris and the Los Angeles area are known for having a particularly high concentration of such hotels.
Understand
[edit]| “ | I stayed in a really old hotel last night. They sent me a wake-up letter. | ” |
—Steven Wright | ||
Even today such places generally offer fine accommodation and are usually not cheap, though more modern high-end places may be even more luxurious and are often more expensive.
- The Leading Hotels of the World. This is an association, primarily for marketing, with over 400 member hotels in many countries. It includes many of the grand old hotels, but also many newer luxury hotels.
A traveller with piles of money might consider a round the world flight, broken up with stays in many of these hotels. Travelling around the world overland, on routes such as the one taken in Around the World in Eighty Days, would give a more authentic experience of pre-flight travel.
While the grand old hotels are usually privately owned, they sometimes accommodate visiting heads of state and other dignitaries.
Do
[edit]You need not stay in such hotels to enjoy some of their services. Many have fine dining, live music and nightlife, as they had in the days of yore, and gambling if local law allows. A visitor to Singapore, for example, might go to Raffles just for a Singapore Sling at the Long Bar where it was invented, and where Rudyard Kipling and Noel Coward once drank, and check out the Billiard Room where Singapore's last tiger was shot.
Sleep
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Grand old hotels tend to have a 4- or 5-star rating. Due to their legacy and premium location, they can cost more than newer hotels with similar amenities.
Cope
[edit]As the buildings are old, they might be less accessible for travellers with disabilities. In most cases, the staff will be helpful for guests who need assistance.
Africa
[edit]Democratic Republic of Congo
[edit]- 1 Hotel Memling (Kinshasa). colonial luxury hotel inaugurated in 1937
Egypt
[edit]
- 2 Cecil Hotel (Alexandria).
- 3 Marriott Hotel (Cairo). originally the "Al Gezira Palace" built to house Napoleon's wife, Empress Eugenie of France
- 4 Mena House Oberoi (Giza).
- 5 Winter Palace (Sofitel Winter Palace) (Luxor). The discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb was first announced on their bulletin board.
- 6 Cataract Hotel (Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan) (Aswan).
Kenya
[edit]Morocco
[edit]Mozambique
[edit]- 9 Polana Hotel (Maputo).
South Africa
[edit]- 10 Mount Nelson (Cape Town). Opened in 1899, as the first hotel in South Africa to offer hot and cold running water.
- 11 The Royal Hotel (Riebeek-Kasteel).
Tanzania
[edit]Tunisia
[edit]Zimbabwe
[edit]Asia
[edit]East Asia
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- 1 The Peninsula (Hong Kong, China). Kowloon side, by the ferry dock and right at the foot of Nathan Road, a major tourist street. Famous for serving traditional English afternoon tea in Victorian splendor.
- 2 Westin Josun (Seoul, South Korea). The oldest Western-style hotel in South Korea, founded as the Chosun Hotel in 1914. However, the original building has been demolished and the current one was completed on the site of the original in 1970.
- 3 The Shilla (Seoul, South Korea). Originally built by the Park Chung-hee government in 1967 as the state guest house for visiting foreign dignitaries, it was converted to a luxury hotel in 1979, and its today the most iconic hotel in Seoul. While the hotel guest rooms are in a modern 1970s high-rise building, the original state guest house, known as Yeong Bin Gwan and built in a traditional Korean architectural style, has been preserved on the hotel property and can today be rented for events such as weddings and conferences. It is a popular venue for South Korean celebrities and tycoons to get married.
- 4 The Grand Hotel (Taipei, Taiwan). Built in the early 1950s, mainly so that Chiang Kai Shek's government would have a suitable place to accommodate visiting dignitaries.
- 5 Hotel Central (Macau). Dating back to 1928, and originally called the President Hotel, it was home to Macau's first elevator and first licensed casinos. Although a favourite hangout spot for celebrities and diplomats when it first opened, it began to lose its luster with the opening of newer hotels in 1960s, and had become dilapidated by the turn of the 21st century. However, it was bought over by a local businessman and painstakingly restored to its former glory in 2024, with themed floors featuring rooms designed to invoke a 1920s, 1930s or 1940s aesthetic, albeit without a casino.
China
[edit]- The Grand Hôtel de Pékin was built by the French and completed in 1915, with new wings added in 1917 and 1954, known as Block B and Block C respectively. The original 1915 building was demolished in 1974 to make way for the current Block D, and a new wing known as Block E was built behind Block B in 2001. The different wings are now operated as multiple separate hotels.
- 6 Beijing Hotel NUO (Beijing, China). Housed in the historic 1917 French Beaux-Arts Block B and the newer Block E.
- 7 Grand Hotel Beijing (Beijing, China). Housed in the 1954-built Block C, the building's exterior is a blend of Stalinist and traditional Chinese architectural styles, while the interior draws heavily from traditional Chinese palatial architecture, including a replica of the now-ruined Haiyantang fountain of the Old Summer Palace.
- 8 Beijing Hotel (Beijing, China). Housed in the 1974-built Block D, it was the tallest building in Beijing at the time of its completion. While the exterior looks unassuming, the interior is surprisingly opulent, with heavy influences from traditional Chinese palatial architecture.
- Shanghai has several fine hotels built in the Art Deco style in the city's glory days, the 1840s to the 1930s:
- 9 The Peace Hotel (Shanghai, China). Their jazz band became famous in the 1930s and is still an attraction in the 2020s. The players have of course changed, the style not so much.
- 10 Park Hotel (Shanghai, China).
- 11 The Yangtze Hotel (Shanghai, China).
- 9 The Peace Hotel (Shanghai, China). Their jazz band became famous in the 1930s and is still an attraction in the 2020s. The players have of course changed, the style not so much.
- 12 Astor Hotel (Tianjin, China).
- 13 Centre Hotel (Nanjing, China).
- 14 Modern Hotel (Harbin, China).
Japan
[edit]The following three are regarded as the Three Great Hotels (御三家 gosanke) of Tokyo, in reference to the three main branches of the ruling Tokugawa family of the Edo Period:
- 15 The Imperial Hotel (Tokyo, Japan). The oldest of the three, tracing its history to 1890 during the Meiji era, though the current building is a modern one completed in 1970. The entrance courtyard and the main lobby of the 1923 Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building was moved to the Meiji-Mura Museum in Nagoya, where it can be viewed today.
- 16 Hotel Okura (Tokyo, Japan). Opened in 1962 and a symbol of Japan's Postwar economic boom, the original building was demolished in 2015, and the current building completed in 2019, though its main lobby was painstakingly recreated during the reconstruction to preserve the feel of the original. The Okura Museum of Art, the first private museum in Japan in a building dating back to 1927, is located on its grounds.
- 17 Hotel New Otani (Tokyo, Japan). Completed in 1964, just in time for the Tokyo Olympics, it was the tallest building in Tokyo at that time. The New Otani was built on the grounds of an Imperial prince's residence and preserves its classical Japanese gardens, which date back to the 1600s. The only one of the three to still keep its original building.
There are some other grand old hotels to be found:
- 18 Tokyo Station Hotel (Tokyo, Japan). A comparative upstart, the Tokyo Station Hotel dates back to 1915, but was only reopened as a hotel in 2012.
- 19 Hotel New Grand (Yokohama, Japan). A historic hotel in Yokohama, Japan, overlooking Yamashita Park. It opened in 1927 and was used as accommodation by American troops during the occupation of Japan; one of the suites is maintained as it was furnished when General Douglas MacArthur stayed there. The hotel is believed to be the place where the famous yoshoku dish naporitan was invented by a head chef. There is also a late eighteen-story extension.
- 20 Nara Hotel (Nara, Japan).
- 21 Nikko Kanaya Hotel (Nikko, Japan). The oldest surviving Western-style hotel in Japan, having opened in 1873.
- 22 Fujiya Hotel (Hakone, Japan). One of the oldest Western-style hotels in Japan, dating back to 1891, it was inspired by Victorian American hostelry, but it has an English feel to it.
Japan also has numerous traditional ryokan inns, some very grand and old indeed: the Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan in Yamanashi dates back to 705 AD. See Ryokan for more.
Middle East
[edit]Egypt is listed under Africa above.
- 23 Hotel Palmyra (Baalbek, Lebanon).
- 24 American Colony Hotel (Jerusalem, Israel).
- 25 King David Hotel (Jerusalem, Israel).
- 26 The Drisco (Tel Aviv, Israel). — originally called the Jerusalem Hotel when it first opened in 1866. Closed down in 1940 and sat forlorn and abandoned for decades before being painstakingly restored and reopened under its current name in 2018
South Asia
[edit]India
[edit]
- 27 Taj West End (Bengaluru, Karnataka).
- 28 Taj Connemara (Chennai, Tamil Nadu).
- 29 The Great Eastern Hotel (Kolkata, West Bengal). built in 1841 and historically known as 'the jewel of the east'.
- 30 The Grand Hotel (Kolkata, West Bengal).
- 31 The Imperial Hotel (Delhi).
- 32 Maidens Hotel (Delhi).
- 33 Taj Mahal Palace Hotel (Mumbai, Maharashtra).
- 34 The Cecil (Shimla, Himachal Pradesh).
Pakistan
[edit]- 35 Faletti's Hotel (Lahore, Punjab). built in late 18th century by an Italian, and now renovated.
Sri Lanka
[edit]Southeast Asia
[edit]
Several of Southeast Asia's grand old hotels can be credited to a single family, the remarkable Sarkies brothers from Armenia, who founded all of the following icons:
- 38 Eastern and Oriental (George Town, Penang, Malaysia). The oldest of the Sarkies hotels, it has played host to many famous guests over the years like Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Rita Hayworth, Rudyard Kipling and Sun Yat-sen.
- 39 Raffles (Singapore). With the bar where the Singapore sling was invented.
- 40 Hotel Majapahit (Surabaya, Indonesia). Originally founded as the Hotel Oranje in 1911, it was given its current name after the historical Javanese kingdom of Majapahit in 1969.
- 41 Strand Hotel (Yangon (Rangoon) , Myanmar (Burma)).
Of course, there are some other very classy options as well:
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- 42 Savoy Homann (Bandung, Indonesia). The Homann has been here since 1871, but the current building is a masterpiece of Art Deco from 1939. The 1955 Asian-African Conference brought an unlikely assemblage of world leaders to this (at the time) small town, meaning you might stay in a room once occupied by the likes of Ho Chi Minh, Jawaharlal Nehru, Zhou Enlai, Gamal Abdul Nasser or Tito.
- 43 The Oriental (Bangkok, Thailand).
- 44 The Metropole (Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi) (Hanoi, Vietnam).
- 45 Continental Hotel (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam). Cheap for this class of hotel.
- 46 Majestic Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam).
- 47 Morin Hotel (Hue, Vietnam).
- 48 Centara Grand Beach (Hua Hin, Thailand).
- 49 Hotel Indonesia (Jakarta, Indonesia).
- 50 Hotel Majestic (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
- 51 The Manila Hotel (Manila, Philippines).
- 52 Le Royal (Raffles Le Royal) (Phnom Penh, Cambodia).
- 53 Grand Hotel d'Angkor (Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), Cambodia).
- 54 Goodwood Park Hotel (Singapore).
- 55 Settha Palace Hotel (Vientiane, Laos).
Europe
[edit]Northern Europe
[edit]Nordic countries
[edit]
- 1 Hotel D'Angleterre (Copenhagen, Denmark).
- 2 Dalen Hotel (Dalen, Norway). Once a popular locale for European royalty, this is one of the largest wooden buildings in Norway and one of the best preserved hotels from the 1800s.
- 3 Hôtel Eggers (Gothenburg, Sweden). This location at the central station has hosted a hotel since 1861, and has had its current name and appearance since 1894.
- 4 Haparanda Stadshotell (Haparanda, Sweden). A hotspot during World War I, right at the border between the Russian Empire and Sweden. Spies, war profiteers and even Lenin himself stayed here.
- 5 Hotel Knaust (Sundsvall, Sweden). Opened in 1891 following the 1888 fire that destroyed most of the city. Famous for its fan-shaped marble staircase.
- 6 Kviknes Hotel (Balestrand, Norway).
- 7 Hotel Kämp (Helsinki, Finland).
- 8 Grand Hotel Oslo (Oslo, Norway).
- 9 Hotel Saltsjöbaden (Saltsjöbaden, Sweden). Famous for the 1938 "Saltsjöbaden agreement" (Saltsjöbadsavtalet) which has been the framework for the Swedish labour market for generations to come; see history of organized labor.
- 10 Grand Hôtel (Stockholm, Sweden). The preferred accommodation for state visits and Nobel laureates.
- 11 Hotel Tammer (Tampere, Finland). One of Finland's oldest operating hotels, built in 1929. Part of the national heritage area of the city centre.
Baltic countries
[edit]- 12 Grand Hotel Viljandi (Viljandi, Estonia).
- 13 Grand Palace Hotel (Riga, Latvia).
Western Europe
[edit]
- 14 Hotel Metropole (Brussels, Belgium).
- 15 Shelbourne Hotel (Dublin, Ireland).
- 16 Hôtel Ritz (Paris, France).
- 17 Hôtel de Crillon (Paris, France).
- 18 Le Grand Hôtel (Intercontinental Paris Le Grand) (Paris, France).
- 19 Hôtel Lutetia (Paris, France).
- 20 Hôtel Negresco (Nice, France).
- 21 Amstel Hotel (Amsterdam, Netherlands).
- 22 Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky (Amsterdam, Netherlands). As central as anything could be, right on Dam Square.
- 23 Kurhaus (Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands).
- 24 Hotel des Indes (The Hague, Netherlands).
- 25 Claridge's (London, England).
- 26 Charing Cross Station Hotel (The Clermont at Charing Cross) (London, England). One of London's grand railway station hotels, opened in 1865.
- 27 Savoy Hotel (London, England).
- 28 The Ritz (London, England). Perhaps the most famous place in the world for high tea. Reservations are required many months in advance.
- 29 The Langham (London, England).
- 30 St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel (Midland Grand Hotel) (London, England). Located within the station building of St. Pancras railway station, it was originally opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel before closing in 1935. The former hotel space was then used as railway offices until 2004, when part of it was converted back into a hotel, and another part into luxury apartments.
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