Grand 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. 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 a major railway station, as they were often constructed to house railway travelers – or close to major outdoor attractions. For this article, we also include numerous mid-20th century hotels that are iconic and historically significant.

Understand

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

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.

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.

Sleep

Grand old hotels tend to have a 4- or 5-star rating. Due to their legacy, they can cost more than newer hotels with similar amenities.

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Hotel Memling. colonial luxury hotel inaugurated in 1937

Egypt

Cecil Hotel.
Marriott Hotel. originally the "Al Gezira Palace" built to house Napoleon's wife, Empress Eugenie of France
Mena House Oberoi.
Winter Palace (Sofitel Winter Palace). The discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb was first announced on their bulletin board.
Cataract Hotel (Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan).

Asia

East Asia

The Peninsula](https://www.peninsula.com/en/hong-kong/5-star-luxury-hotel-kowloon). 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.
Beijing Hotel.
Shanghai has several fine hotels built in the Art Deco style in the city's glory days, the 1840s to the 1930s:
- The Peace Hotel](http://www.fairmont.com/peace-hotel-shanghai/).
- Park Hotel](https://en.bestwehotel.com/hoteldetail?hotelId=JJ1062).
Astor Hotel](http://astortianjinhotel.com).
Centre Hotel.
Westin Chosun, 37.564444°, 126.980083°.
The Grand Hotel](http://www.grand-hotel.org/taipei/en/). Built in the early 1950s, mainly so that Chiang Kai Shek's government would have a suitable place to accommodate visiting dignitaries.
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:
- The Imperial Hotel](http://www.imperialhotel.co.jp). 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.
- Hotel Okura](https://theokuratokyo.jp/en/). 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 interior still very much preserves the feel of the original.
- Hotel New Otani](https://www.newotani.co.jp/en/tokyo/). Completed in 1964, it was the tallest building in Tokyo at that time. The only one of the three to still keep its original building.
Tokyo Station Hotel](https://www.thetokyostationhotel.jp/en).
Hotel New Grand.
Nara Hotel](http://www.narahotel.co.jp/en/).

Middle East

Hotel Palmyra.
American Colony Hotel.
King David Hotel.
The Drisco, 32.056856833724474°, 34.762595879978264°. — 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

India

Taj West End.
Taj Connemara.
The Great Eastern Hotel. built in 1841 and historically known as 'the jewel of the east'.
The Grand Hotel.
The Imperial Hotel.
Maidens Hotel.
The Taj Mahal Palace.
The Cecil.

Pakistan

Faletti's Hotel. built in late 18th century by an Italian, and now renovated.

Sri Lanka

Galle Face Hotel.
Queen's Hotel.

Southeast Asia

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:

Eastern & Oriental](http://www.eohotels.com/main.php).
Raffles](http://www.raffleshotel.com). With the bar where the Singapore sling was invented.
Hotel Majapahit](http://www.hotel-majapahit.com/).
Strand Hotel](http://www.hotelthestrand.com/).

Of course, there are some other very classy options as well:

Savoy Homann](https://savoyhomannbandung.com/).
The Oriental](https://www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/chao-phraya-river/luxury-hotel).
The Metropole](https://all.accor.com/hotel/1555/index.en.shtml) (Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi).
Continental Hotel](http://continentalsaigon.com/). Cheap for this class of hotel.
Majestic Saigon](http://www.majesticsaigon.com).
Morin Hotel](https://morinhotel.com.vn/vi/).
Centara Grand Beach.
Hotel Indonesia](https://www.kempinski.com/en/jakarta/hotel-indonesia/).
Hotel Majestic](http://www.majestickl.com/).
The Manila Hotel.
Le Royal](http://phnompenh.raffles.com/) (Raffles Le Royal).
Grand Hotel d'Angkor](http://siemreap.raffles.com/).
Goodwood Park Hotel](http://www.goodwoodparkhotel.com/).
Settha Palace Hotel](http://www.setthapalace.com/).

Europe

Northern Europe

Hotel D'Angleterre](http://www.dangleterre.com/).
Rannahotell Pärnu. Resort hotel built in 1937.
Hotel Kämp](http://www.hotelkamp.fi).
Kviknes Hotel.
Dalen Hotel. 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.
Grand Hotel](http://www.grand.no).
Hôtel Eggers](http://www.hoteleggers.se/). This location at the central station has hosted a hotel since 1861, and has had its current name and appearance since 1894.
Hotel Saltsjöbaden](http://www.grandsaltsjobaden.se). Famous for the 1938 "Saltsjöbaden agreement" (Saltsjöbadsavtalet) which has been the framework for the Swedish labour market for generations to come.
Grand Hôtel](http://www.grandhotel.se). The preferred accommodation for state visits and Nobel laureates.
Hotel Knaust](http://www.elite.se/sv/hotell/sundsvall/knaust). Opened in 1891 following the 1888 fire that destroyed most of the city. Famous for its fan-shaped marble staircase.
Haparanda Stadshotell. 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.

Western Europe

Hotel Metropole](https://www.metropolehotel.com).
Shelbourne Hotel](https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/dubdt-the-shelbourne-autograph-collection/overview/).
La Cardinale.
Hôtel Ritz](http://www.ritzparis.com).
Hôtel de Crillon](https://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hotel-de-crillon).
Le Grand Hôtel](https://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/gb/en/paris/parhb/hoteldetail) (Intercontinental Paris Le Grand).
Hôtel Lutetia.
Hôtel Negresco](https://www.hotel-negresco-nice.com/en).
Amstel Hotel.
Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky. As central as anything could be, right on Dam Square.
Kurhaus](https://www.amrathkurhaus.com/).
Hotel des Indes](https://www.hoteldesindesthehague.com/).
Claridge's](https://www.claridges.co.uk).
Savoy Hotel](https://www.fairmont.com/savoy-london/).
The Ritz](https://www.theritzlondon.com). Perhaps the most famous place in the world for high tea. Reservations are required many months in advance.
The Langham](http://london.langhamhotels.co.uk/en).
St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel](https://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/lonpr-st-pancras-renaissance-london-hotel_St._Pancras_Renaissance_Hotel]-->_(opened_as_the_Midland_Grand_Hotel)).
Hyde Park Hotel (Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London).
The Midland](http://www.qhotels.co.uk/our-locations/the-midland-manchester/).
The Randolph](https://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/south-england/oxford/the-randolph-hotel) (Macdonald Randolph Hotel).
The Balmoral.

Central Europe

Hotel Imperial](https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/vieil-hotel-imperial-a-luxury-collection-hotel-vienna/).
Hotel Sacher](http://www.sacher.com).
Grandhotel Pupp](http://www.pupp.cz/en/).
Hotel Imperial](https://www.spa-hotel-imperial.cz/en/).
Hotel Paris.
Art Nouveau Palace Hotel](http://www.palacehotel.cz/en/).
Grand Hotel Bohemia.
Hotel International](https://internationalprague.cz). The largest Stalinist building in Prague, inspired by the Seven Sisters of Moscow.
Hotel Adlon](http://www.hotel-adlon.de/en/hotel/index.htm).
Frankfurter Hof](https://www.steigenberger.com/hotels/alle-hotels/deutschland/frankfurt/steigenberger-frankfurter-hof).
Hotel Atlantic](https://www.kempinski.com/en/hamburg/hotel-atlantic/) (Hotel Atlantic Kempinski).
Grand Hotel Heiligendamm](https://www.grandhotel-heiligendamm.de/).
Bayerischer Hof](http://www.bayerischerhof.de/en/hotel/index.php).
Hotel Gellért](http://www.danubiushotels.com/en/budapest-hotels/danubius-hotel-gellert-budapest).
Corinthia Hotel](http://www.corinthia.com/en/hotels/budapest) (Grand Hotel Royal).
Grand Hotel](http://www.grand.pl).
Hotel Europejski.
Hotel Monopol](http://monopolwroclaw.hotel.com.pl/en/Home).
Beau Rivage](http://www.beau-rivage.ch/fr/).
Hotel Métropole](https://www.metropole.ch).
Grand Hotel National](http://www.national-luzern.ch).
Badrutt's Palace Hotel](http://www.badruttspalace.com).
The Dolder Grand](http://www.thedoldergrand.com).
Hotel Widder](http://www.widderhotel.ch).
Hotel Moskva. Good prices for this class of hotel.

Southern Europe

Hotel Grande Bretagne](http://www.grandebretagne.gr).
Royal Victoria Hotel](http://www.royalvictoria.it/).
Hôtel de Paris](http://www.hoteldeparismontecarlo.com).
Hotel Phoenicia](https://www.phoeniciamalta.com/).
Reid's Palace](http://www.belmond.com/reids-palace-madeira/). Has a Michelin starred restaurant.
Pestana Palace Hotel](http://www.pestana.com/hotels/en/hotels/europe/lisbonhotels/palace/home).
Hotel Avenida Palace](http://www.hotelavenidapalace.pt).
El Palace](http://www.hotelpalacebarcelona.com/).
Hotel Ritz.
The Westin Palace.
Hotel Alfonso XIII](http://www.hotel-alfonsoxiii-sevilla.com/).
Pera Palace](http://perapalace.com). Built in 1892 for the purpose of hosting the passengers of the Orient Express service.
Splendid Palace](http://www.splendidhotel.net/), 40.87288°, 29.12634°.

Eastern Europe

Grand Hotel Yerevan. Opened in 1926 as the premier state-owned hotel of the former Soviet Armenia.
Hotel National](http://www.national.ru/).
Hotel Savoy.
Hotel Ukraina. This was the world's tallest hotel from its opening in 1957 until 1976, and is still Europe's tallest in 2022. One of the "Seven Sisters", a group of seven Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow.
Hotel Leningradskaya. Completed in 1954, and one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of seven Stalinist skyscrapers in Moscow.
Hotel Sovietsky. Moscow's premier hotel during Soviet times, and today regarded as one of the finest surviving examples of Stalinist architecture.
Hotel Moskva. Originally built in a Stalinist architectural style in 1935, it was demolished in 2004 and rebuilt in 2014, albeit with the facade being architecturally faithful to the original.
Hotel Metropol.
Grand Hotel Europe](http://www.grand-hotel-europe.com).
Hotel Astoria](http://www.thehotelastoria.com/).
Hotel d'Angleterre.
Hotel George.
Bristol Hotel.

North America

Canada

The grand old hotels in Canada, also referred to as railway hotels, have a unique place in Canadian history. Most of them were built during the first quarter of the 20th century by the Canadian Pacific Railway or Grand Trunk Railway to provide elegant accommodation while viewing the natural beauty along the rail line. Canadian Pacific, which purchased the former Grand Trunk (Canadian National) hotels in 1988, spun off all non-rail subsidiaries (including Fairmont, its hotel group) in 2001.

These hotels are popular with tourists and locals alike and though overnight stays are expensive; they represent a fine piece of Canadiana worth visiting even if you only have time for a walk through the lobby. Three – Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper- are major tourist resorts in their own right, located amid stunning Rocky Mountain scenery. Listed approximately east-to-west, they are: