Best B&B Castle Hotels - 2020

Most famous former guest: Orson Welles. Parador de Cardona is a towering, 9th century era, hilltop fortress near Barcelona now converted into a beautifully atmospheric, modern luxury hotel. It is seen as the most important medieval fortress in Catalonia and one of the most important in Spain, the strategic setting allowing jaw dropping views and the castle itself still retaining Read more...

The 5 Star Villa Crespi Hotel, on the shore of Lake Orta, near Milan, Italy, is a unique and spectacular sight. Built in 1879 as a residence for a local wealthy cotton merchant, its eye-catching Arabesque architecture and minaret were inspired by its founder’s many business trips to the Baghdad of the 19th century. THE ACCOMMODATION: They have a range Read more...

The four star 19th century Château Hotel Grand Barrail lies among some beautiful countryside near to Bordeaux and nearer still to Saint-Emilion in the heart of South West France‘s Aquitaine Dordogne. The estate is surrounded by beautifully tended gardens and acres of vineyards, and is particularly known for two things, its food; the kitchen, run by Chef Romain Gondras serves up Read more...

The Manor House in Castle Combe is a quintessentially English, luxury castle hotel next to what is undoubtedly Wiltshire’s, and the Cotswold’s, loveliest village. The Manor dates all the way back to the 14th century but the present building and the general ambience lie firmly in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The hotel has extremely high levels of service and Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Richard Wagner, Jean Cocteau, Marlene Dietrich, The Dalai Llama, Though the name Beau Rivage Hotel tends, these days, to be more associated with Lausanne than Geneva, Switzerland, and indeed though the name has spread its special concept of luxury all around the world, those in the know are fully aware that the very first Beau Rivage was, and Read more...

Château de Mathod, near Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, is a very charming and special place. A recognized historical monument, it was once the home of the Swiss artist Louis Rivier and has been in the same family for seven generations now. They have a luxury B&B guest suite at the chateau which is beautifully renovated and decorated, and though having all modern Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Catherine the Great, Alexander von Humboldt.  A very special hotel in a very special location; Castle Hotel Mönchstein sits, fairy tale like, atop the Hill of Mönchsberg in old Salzburg, is surrounded by its own wooded parkland and has stunning views of Mozart’s city below, and the glorious Alps. It has excellent spa facilities, massage, beauty and wellness treatments, an infinity Read more...

Aficionados of Italian wine, particularly Brunello, will be well aware of Castello Banfi near Montalcino, Tuscany. The 7,100 acre estate has been producing quality wines since 1978, offers a full compliment of eno-tourism activities and a range of elegant, 5 star boutique accommodation. The centre piece of the estate are the enchanting 12th century era castle and 17th century era Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Manuel Teixeira Gomes, François Mitterand, Rudolf Nureyev. The 5 Star Avenida Palace is regarded as Lisbon, Portugal’s very first, and still grandest, luxury hotel. It was built in 1892, at the height of the Belle Epoque era, and its lavish art nouveau interiors have been wonderfully preserved. It stands at the corner of Lisbon’s main avenue, Avenida Read more...

The Lanesborough, on Hyde Park Corner, has perhaps London’s most prestigious address and consistently appears near the top of any sensible list of that city’s finest luxury hotels, with its double Michelin Starred Céleste Restaurant being an added bonus. A Grade II listed, Neoclassical building, it was built in 1827 during the reign of George IV to replace the previous Read more...

A very grand 4 star Castle Hotel near Dublin Airport, Ireland, Cabra Castle is a beautiful sight both inside and out, and a place where luxury and old world elegance is complimented by friendly, hospitable staff, good food and drink and the acres of ancient woodland of the surrounding Dun A Ri Forest Park. THE ACCOMMODATION: In the castle itself Read more...

Château de Bagnols, near Lyon, France, is a really quite magnificent 800 year old Beaujolais château now serving as a 5 Star luxury hotel. It has some terrifically opulent rooms and suites, beautiful gardens, top of the range spa facilities and a terrific fine dining, Michelin Star awarded, restaurant. Those factors alone would make it a wonderful place to stay Read more...

Most famous former guests: Queen Mary, Gertrude Jekyll.  The 400 year old Gravetye is a gorgeous 17 room boutique manor house hotel near East Grinstead, Sussex, Gatwick Airport and just 30 miles from central London. It is surrounded by more than 1,000 acres of peaceful countryside including some deservedly famous Victorian era gardens, and it has one of Sussex’s very Read more...

Château de Fonscolombe is a magnificent 18th-century château built in the Italianite Quattrocento style, now a 5 Star boutique hotel in Provence, France. It has wonderfully elegant accommodation, beautiful botanic gardens, a vineyard and winery, spa facilities and an excellent restaurant. THE ACCOMMODATION: They have a 50 B&B rooms and suites at the château, from doubles to quadruples, with the rooms Read more...

Most Famous Former Guests: King Edward I (Longshanks), Oliver Cromwell, Queen Victoria. Dalhousie Castle Hotel in Bonnyrigg, near Edinburgh, has the distinction of being Scotland’s oldest continually inhabited castle, and one which, in recent years, has been transformed into a tremendous luxury castle hotel & spa. With 29 plush B&B rooms, a top class restaurant, excellent spa facilities and a Read more...

A little corner of the Loire Valley to be found in Wales; Château Rhianfa is a very unique Grade II listed French style villa in Beaumaris on the Island of Anglesey. Dating back to 1849, it was architecturally inspired by the original owner’s travels through the Loire region of France and is now a place to enjoy one of Britain’s most Read more...

A strong candidate for Florence’s best hotel, the 5 star Four Seasons Gherardesca Palace Hotel is a veritable oasis in the heart of one of the world’s most visited cities. It has 11 acres of peaceful walled gardens to separate you from the tourist masses and, though the exteriors are relatively unassuming, the lavish interiors are an incredible, Renaissance era, Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Marlene Dietrich, Alfred Hitchcock, Audrey Hepburn. Long a St Moritz, and Swiss Alps, landmark, the 5 star luxury Badrutt’s Palace Hotel is a splendid building and a legendary hotel. Built in the grand, Neo-Gothic style popular in the late 19th century its historical elegance is still very much intact, and has now been wedded with modern facilities Read more...

Schloss Schadau is a wonderfully elegant 200 year old manor house which offers old world charm and atmosphere, friendly staff, a lovely restaurant and a very romantic setting by Lake Thunersee, just south of Bern in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland region. THE ACCOMMODATION: It has a choice of accommodation from small double rooms to suites ranging in size from 18 to Read more...

The Alchymist, Prague Castle is a quite splendid boutique hotel set in a restored 15th century mansion house just below the castle and it offers a sense of history, culture and romance that few other hotels can match. Having just seven rooms and one suite to choose from the place also feels very exclusive and you will have more the Read more...

The 5 Star Lympstone Manor Hotel in South Devon is a Georgian era manor house turned exclusive contemporary hotel that has realistic ambitions to become one of South West England’s very finest. It describes itself as a ”new generation’ country house hotel and it oozes style and class; the superb interior design blending old and new with great panache. The Read more...

Most Famous Guest: Czar Peter the Great of Russia. Schlosshotel Münchhausen is a classically beautiful 5 Star Castle Hotel near Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, with extremely high levels of comfort and service. It comes with top of the range facilities too; a spa & beauty treatment centre, a swimming pool, a Michelin Star winning restaurant, and its own park which has Read more...

Carberry Tower Castle Hotel, Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, Scotland, is an award winning, luxury 4 star hotel with a history going back to the 15th century and connections to the infamous Mary, Queen of Scots. There is a superb bistro restaurant here and you can enjoy a drink at the Champagne Terrace, or some aristocratic style afternoon tea, all in beautifully elegant surroundings. Read more...

A former 12th century Knights Templar castle, Château Saint Martin is now a magnificent, 5 Star luxury hotel retreat set high in the hills above Saint Paul de Vence and the French Riviera. It has magnificent views, spacious, comfortable rooms and suites, over 30 acres of beautifully tended gardens which include a swimming pool and tennis courts, a Michelin Star Read more...

One of the most unique and special of our castle hotels, and proudly ‘in the middle of nowhere’, 13th century Mingary Castle has a huge history but had been lying in ruins for 150 years before some very delicate renovation work was undertaken in 2014. Two years of great craft and care was needed to preserve the integrity of the Read more...

The 15th century era Château de la Motte is an authentic and charming French castle B&B near Châtellerault where Poitou-Charentes meets the southern Loire Valley. It is a special property, with a rich local history and a carefully maintained old world atmosphere. At first glance the interior design barely seems to touch the 21st century, such is the authenticity of Read more...

The Napoleon III era Château de Sacy is now a sophisticated boutique hotel near Reim in the heart of France’s Champagne region and just over an hour from Paris. With just 12 rooms and suites it is a homely, intimate place, which has friendly, helpful staff, an excellent restaurant and sweeping views over the surrounding vineyards. THE ACCOMMODATION: Your choices Read more...

Just outside the town of Tralee, County Kerry’s only castle hotel is the 4-star Ballyseede Castle which has a history dating back to the 16th century and pleasingly blends its many modern comforts with historical grandeur and elegance. It has award winning food, beautiful grounds, and a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere throughout. THE ACCOMMODATION: It has a choice of rooms and Read more...

Most Famous Residents/Guests:  Charles I & Zita, Last Emperors of Austria. The family friendly & pet friendly, Schloss Wartegg/Wartegg Castle Hotel has comfortable accommodation in a lovely setting by the shores of Lake Constance in North Eastern Switzerland. The castle dates back to 1558 and was the birthplace of Zita, the last Empress of Austria & Queen of Hungary, in Read more...

Staying within the walls of one of Europe’s most iconic historical sites, Granada’s Alhambra fortress, and being able to stroll around the grounds after the tourist hordes have left feels like an exclusive experience and that it certainly is. The only way to do this is to stay in the luxury Parador de Granada, something which makes it one of Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Meghan Markle, Mahatma Gandhi, John Profumo, Christine Keeler. Meghan Markle left Cliveden House, near Windsor, on the morning of Saturday 19th May, for her wedding to Prince Harry having spend her last night as a single woman there. We can’t be sure how much time she spent considering her accommodation options in the area but whichever way Read more...

Most Famous Residents & Guests: Grace O’Malley (Grainneuaile), Daniel O’Connell, U.S. President Gerald Ford. Consistently rated as one of Ireland’s best luxury hotels, the first thing to recommend about the four star Ballynahich Castle in Galway is the superb location: It has 350 acres of peaceful, mature woodland that sit below the Twelve Bens Mountains like a green oasis in what is very Read more...

Parador de Alarcón is a truly stunning 8th century Moorish fortress turned luxury castle hotel, in the village of Alarcón, near Cuenca, Spain. The setting is spectacular, the hotel has a wonderfully authentic historical ambience and it has one of the finest restaurants in the region. THE ACCOMMODATION: Parador Alarcon, though quite a large structure, has only 14 bedrooms and Read more...

Most Famous Former Guests: Queen Anne Boleyn, Queen Anne of Cleves. Hever Castle Hotel near London in the Garden County of Kent, was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife and the mother of Elizabeth I, putting it right in the top league of England‘s historically meaningful properties, and perhaps at the very top of historically meaningful properties Read more...

Schloss Kapfenstein is a charming, family owned boutique hotel with a thousand years of history, an excellent gourmet restaurant and a gorgeous hilltop setting over-looking the vineyards of Volkanland in Austria’s green and picturesque eastern Styria region. The castle estate also produces its own wine, wine which many consider to be among the best in the region, and a full Read more...

Castillo de Arteaga is a fabulous Neo-Gothic castle hotel near Guernica in the rolling hills of the Basque Country. The present day structure was built in honour of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Imperial of France, in the mid 19th century, on the site of a ruined castle dating from the mid 15th century. Its four grand towers now make a very Read more...

Most famous former guests: Emperor Napoleon III. Of all Manor Castle’s historic hotel suites the Napoleone Suite at the 16th century Residenza Napoleone III in central Rome, Italy, is possibly the most lavishly beautiful. The interior design is an incredible feast for the eyes and, apart from the obligatory electric lights, as you scan the rooms almost nothing from the Read more...

The 400 year old Château de la Pommeraye is a wonderfully atmospheric boutique hotel near Caen, and the D-Day landing beaches, in Normandy, France, with an intimate, friendly atmosphere and a gorgeously peaceful rural setting. It is a relatively informal place and in common with many great boutique hotels, a stay at the chateau feels more like being in the Read more...

Known as one of the most beautiful chateaux in Deux-Sevres, Aquitaine, the majestic Château de Saint Loup, which was commissioned in 1609 to honour Good King Henry; Henri IV of France, is now an intimate boutique hotel. It is a majestic sight, it still has a wonderfully medieval atmosphere and, though you may be paying for the pleasure, feels quite Read more...

Château de Sédaiges near Aurillac, Auvergne, France is a gorgeously rustic property with an interesting mix of medieval and neo-gothic architecture, and a history going all the way back to the 12th century. It is situated in 17 acres of parkland with its own pond and woods and, in the neat gardens, a swimming pool. The hotel is family run, Read more...

The 4 Star Château de Labro is a luxury vineyard hotel & spa near the town of Rodez in central France’s Occitanie region, previously known as Midi-Pyrénées. The medieval château oozes old world elegance and the grounds have charming gardens, a swimming pool, orchards and vineyards. There is a very fine restaurant at the château too and the food and Read more...

The 5 Star Parador de Santiago – Hostal de Los Reyes Católicos is an integral part of the historic core of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, and one of the world’s very oldest hotels. It is located on Obradoiro Square beside the cathedral which marks the end of the infamous Camino de Santiago something the hotel is intrinsically linked with. Read more...

Most Famous Guests: King Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn. Thornbury Castle Hotel is a true luxury B&B retreat at the edge of the South Gloucestershire Cotswolds, and one of the finest examples in England of a genuine, immaculately preserved, Tudor castle. You can soak up history with a stroll through the castle itself and its beautifully tended grounds which include, Read more...

Most Famous Former Guest: Louis XIII of France. Château de Brissac, near Saumur and Angers, is one of the Loire Valley’s, and indeed France’s, best known chateaux and sees many day visitors both French and international. With seven floors it is the country’s tallest, and its sheer scale alone makes it quite a jaw dropping sight. It is also though Read more...

The 5 Star Schloss Bensberg Hotel, near Cologne & Düsseldorf, Germany, is a quite majestic, and quite enormous, 300 year old Baroque Palace with gorgeous gardens, a host of superb facilities and what many consider to be Germany’s very best restaurant; the 3 Michelin Star winning, Vendôme. Everything about Schloss Bensberg is of the highest quality, it is an extremely Read more...

Ireland’s oldest inhabited castle, the very imposing, 12th century Kilkea Castle, in Kildare, near Dublin is now one of Ireland’s very finest luxury hotels. It has an abundance of historical character and is surrounded by a 180 acre estate which includes some beautifully tended gardens, much wild parkland and woodland, and even its own 18 hole golf course. THE ACCOMMODATION: Read more...

Most Famous Guest: U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower. In the lovely old spa town of Kronberg, and conveniently near Frankfurt Airport, Germany, Castle Hotel Kronberg is a beautifully romantic building, both inside and out. Though only dating back about 130 years it has plenty of 19th & 20th century historical intrigue and big connections to both the Prussian and British Royal Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev.  The very exclusive Dolder Grand, long regarded as one of Europe’s best hotels, sits on hill overlooking Zurich, Switzerland, a city in which it is very much an iconic building. It first served as a Curhaus or health spa in the late 19th century and still does today though with much more modern Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Laurel & Hardy, J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, The Queen Mother, Elizabeth Taylor. For over a hundred years the imposing 5 star Balmoral Hotel has sat at Edinburgh, Scotland’s most prestigious address; No. 1 Princes Street. The historic building and its grand clock tower are city landmarks and the hotel’s reputation here, as the ultimate in old fashioned Read more...

Roch Castle is an early Norman era castle turned luxury B&B hotel with a lovely hilltop setting overlooking St. Brides Bay and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales. The impressive exteriors testify to the castle’s 12th century origins but, though they display suitably demure colour schemes, the interiors are contemporary chic. This modern style not be to the liking of Read more...

Most Famous Residents: Ferdinand II of Aragon, Isabella I of Castile. Castillo del Buen Amor/Buen Amor Castle near Salamanca, Spain, and less than two hours from Madrid, is a splendidly atmospheric place with a history going all the way back to 1227, and the reign of King Alfonso IX. The property is huge, with a great amount of common space; Read more...

The 4 Star Château de la Caze is a very romantic, Renaissance era chateau hotel with a fairy tale like setting in the Gorges du Tarn near Rodez, a canyon gorge that is one of this area of France’s most well known natural wonders. The chateau has an intimate, boutique hotel feel and a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere. It also some Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Victor Hugo, Charlie Chaplin, Coco Chanel. The 5 star Beau Rivage Palace sits in 10 acres of its own private gardens on the shores of Lake Geneva, Lausanne, and has stunning views across the lake and of the French Alps beyond. The hotel itself, including its spacious and elegant rooms and suites, is equally stunning and the Read more...

Schloss Schönburg is a luxury castle hotel on the Rhine River by the medieval town of Oberwesel, near Frankfurt, Germany, and is a quite stunning sight from near or far. There are also gorgeous views from the castle itself, of the famous river and of the surrounding rich, green, Rhineland countryside. You can expect consistently high levels of service and Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Grace Kelly, Jacques Chirac, Queen Elizabeth II. The magnificent walled city of Carcassonne, France, is certainly a wondrous sight. The words ‘walled city’ can be used to refer to a huge number of cities around the world but in Carcassonne’s case the ‘walls’ are more castle ramparts than walls and so, rather excitingly, it could be said Read more...

Most famous former guests: King Henry VIII, King Charles II, Queen Elizabeth II. The 12th century era Amberley Castle is a unique luxury hotel just south of London, in West Sussex, England with an impeccable historical pedigree. Some of England’s most famous historical figures have passed through its doors and it still retains a huge amount of historical features, including Read more...

NOTE: ACKERGILL TOWER HOTEL IS, AS OF 2019, PERMANENTLY CLOSED. You can view other nearby castle hotels by clicking here   Standing sturdy and tall near John O’Groats on the most northern part of the Scottish and British mainland, the 600 year old Ackergill Tower Hotel offers splendid isolation but with five star luxury, award winning levels of service, and Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Oliver Cromwell, George Frideric Handel. The nearest castle hotel to the centre of Ireland’s capital, Dublin, the 4 star Clontarf Castle has luxury accommodation in what is now a blend of 12th-century castle site, 18th-century manor house and 21st century hotel. It takes a lot of good design to get the balance right and Clontarf Castle manages Read more...

Most Famous Former Guests: Prince Imperial Napoléon, Lilly Langtry, Christopher Lee. Perhaps Windsor’s most famous hotel, the luxury Oakley Court is a fabulous Neo-Gothic castle hotel on the banks of the River Thames. It has a quite palpable, brooding Gothic atmosphere, something that lead to it being the set of many movies and TV series; The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Read more...

Most Famous Guests: Oscar Wilde, Ronald Reagan, John Lennon. The most renowned of all Ireland’s Castle Hotels, 5 star Ashford Castle in Co. Galway, is an extremely impressive property, with an extravagant setting, an imposing exterior and very lavish interiors. Those factors combined with a great range of modern facilities, fantastic food and extremely high levels of service, make Ashford Read more...