Worlds best Castle hotels
Castle hotels allow us to experience ultra-luxurious getaways in places where kings and queens once laid their heads. If you have ever thought of spending time in “Beauty and the beast” type castle, then you need not own one! Here is the list of such extraordinary castle hotels.
1. Ashford Castle, Cong, Ireland :
The Ashford gives you the ultimate chance to stay in one
overnight. From your entrance through
the impressive gate and wall, the Ashford separates itself from other castle
hotels by its sure size alone. This
massive castle was built over a number of centuries, starting with the first
mansion built here in 1228. Many
changes were done in the property after that.
Perhaps the biggest change came it the 1900s, when it was turned into a
hotel, was doubled in size, and became a true 5-star property.
2. Castelo de Óbidos,
Óbidos, Portugal :
The city thrived under Moorish control for over 400 years
until they were pushed out in 1158AD.
Shortly after construction began on the first Royal Castle built right
into the highest point of the protective wall.
The Castle and City Wall were enhanced to its current form by King Dinis
I in the late 1200s and the Keep was later added in the 1300s by King
Fernando. All of these dates are quite
remarkable as it took until 1492 for Spain to finally drive the Moors off the
peninsula.
3. Castello di Pavone, Pavone, Italy :
The coolest Tuscan-style castle hotel actually sits in the
mountains 1 hour West of Milan in Pavone and nowhere near Tuscany at all. The complex was originally built in the
mid-800s as a Romanesque church with a fortified wall added in 900AD. Large parts of the wall and the church’s
original central courtyard were incorporated into the current castle when it
was built in the 1300s to protect to
surround village and estate.
4. Skibo Castle, Dornoch, Scotland :
Parts of the Castle date back to 1186 when it was built as a
watchtower to house Bishops, but the first fortified Palace wasn’t until
1545. A majority of what you see today
was added starting in 1897 when Skibo became the home of American steel magnate
Andrew Carnegie. Since being turned into an exclusive hotel resort, the giant
castle has become a hotbed for the rich and famous.
5. Dromoland Castle, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ireland :
While the castle has been rebuilt a few times over the
centuries, its roots go back to the first structure which was owned by the
family of Irish King Brian Boru in the early 1000s. The property remained in the ancestral
ownership of the King all the way until 1962 when it was bought and renovated
into a high-end hotel. The interior is just as impressive as you can imagine
since it was owned by such an important family for so long.
6. Luttrellstown Castle, Castleknock, Ireland :
Norwegian born Robert Luttrell came to Ireland in the 1400s
where he was not only given land for helping Ireland fight in a number of different
battles but was also named the treasurer of St Patrick’s Cathedral. Luttrell used his new land and influence to
build his castle estate in 1420 just 4 miles outside of Dublin which his family
then controlled until the 1800s. With
the last of the Luttrell bloodline dying out, the beer baron Ernest Guinness
bought the castle in 1927 as a wedding gift for his eldest daughter Aileen in
1927.
7.Culzean Castle, Maybole, Scotland :
The amazing sea-side Culzean Castle (pronounced Cull-ane)
clings to a cliff in the Scottish countryside.
The property was started with a central tower in the 1500s by the
Kennedy family who descended from Robert the Bruce. This tower was expanded over 20 years
starting in 1772 to the current grand castle you see today and grew into a
600-acre estate.
8. Aldourie Castle, Loch Ness, Scotland :
Located on the shores of fabled Loch Ness, Aldourie Castle
is less than five miles from Inverness, the capital of the Scottish
Highlands. The 500-acre estate has been
used as a sporting retreat for hundreds of years. There has been a grand manner the estate
since 1626 which was vastly expanded to the current castle in 1903. After serving as a stately home, the castle
was turned into a high-end resort hotel with activities catering to the rich
and famous. Most guest rent the entire
castle at once, fly in dramatically by helicopter and have actives from private
fireworks displays to Robin Hood-style tournaments..
9. Castell de Cardona, Cardona, Spain :
The Parador Hotel chain is a good one to know in Spain as
they specialize in turning historic castles into hotels such as the Castell de
Cardona near Barcelona. The 1st fort was
built on this hilltop back in 800AD and is very much incorporated into the
massive Medieval castle. Complete with
53 guest rooms, the castle I also attached to the Church of Sant Vicenç and
Minyona Tower which were built around 1000AD adding even more history to the
property. The views of the valley’s
rolling hills and the quaint village of Cardona below the Castle add to its
historic beauty making it a must visit.
10. Thorngrove Manor, Stirling, Australia:
With very creative architecture, the Country Castle in 1980s is run as a hotel by its actual owners. Although it is by far the youngest castle on our list, its unique style makes it feel like you are stepping back into the 1600s. Helping to blend it into the country feel they built Thorngrove Manor directly between 3 existing stone homes from the 1880s, one of which has a cool bell tower. Located in one of South Australia’s premier wine regions, the Castle offers many great day trips including Kangaroo Island.