Here are some of the most impressive castle hotels around the world.
Castle Hotel in Dalian, China
Inspired by the Medieval European castles, the Castle Hotel is a fairytale-like structure on top of Lotus Mountain in Dalian, China. It consists of 292 guestrooms overlooking either the Yellow Sea, the Xinghai Bay region, or a beautiful mountain view.
Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Connemara, Ireland
Abbeyglen Castle, built in 1832 by John d’Arcy, was leased to the parish priest of the time as Glenowen House. In 1854, the Irish Church Mission Society purchased the castle to use as a Protestant orphanage. The castle continued to operate under the name of Connemara Orphan Nurseries until 1955. After the orphanage’s closure due to financial reasons, Mr. Padraig Joyce of Clifden bought the castle and started to run it as a hotel in the 1960s. The castle took its current name in 1969 when the Hughes family took over the property.
Jilong Castle in Guizhou, China
Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire, England
Built between 1511 and 1521, Thornbury Castle was a Tudor country house initially belonging to Edward Stafford, the third Duke of Buckingham. Later, King Henry VIII confiscated the castle after the execution of Edward Stafford for treason in 1521. The castle was abandoned for a while after the Civil War (1642-1651). The Howard family renovated the castle in 1824, and today, the castle serves as a 26-room luxury hotel.
Castello Di Vicarello in Maremma, Italy
Castello Di Vicarello is a 13th-century castle that currently serves as a hotel and a farm in Tuscany. Originally, it was an important defensive structure for the Republic of Siena. In the 1980s, an Italian couple, Carlo and Aurora Baccheschi Berti, bought the property and started operating it after 12 years of restoration.
Fairmont Frontenac in Quebec, Canada
Burg Wernberg in Germany
Burg Wernberg is a 13th-century Bavarian castle that is operated as a 5-star hotel today. It was the family seat of the noble Notthafft family in the 13th century. In 1647, the Electorate of Bavaria took over the property. The castle also became a military camp during the Austrian War of Succession. The functions of the castle were not so pleasing after this. In 1804, it served as a prison, then as a rescue institution for fallen women in 1861. Finally, in 1992, the Conrad family rented the castle for 99 years and started operating it as a hotel in 1998.
Castle in Clarens in South Africa
Also referred to as Rapunzel’s Tower and Aladdin’s Palace, the Castle in Clarens consists of two castles rented out as self-catering guesthouses. Thus, guests can truly experience how living in a castle would feel like.
Landoll’s Mohican Castle in the US
Building Landoll’s Mohican Castle was a dream of Jim Landoll who is now a retired Army Veteran. After selling his publishing company in 1997, Landoll started to build his dream castle without and blueprint. In 1999, Landoll’s wife, Marta, convinced her husband to operate the castle as a hotel, and finally, the castle was opened to the public in 2002.
