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From decadent palaces visited by Marie Antoinette to the Arcadian beach resorts safe from prying eyes, here’s where royals – past and present – go to get away from it all
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INSTAGRAM: @TRIANONPALACEVERSAILLES
1/18
Trianon Palace Versailles Waldorf Astoria
Out of all the palatial wonders of the world, nowhere compares to Louis XIV’s Versailles. The perfect place for a treat weekend, The Waldorf Astoria Versailles just outside Paris is the dream country house, sitting opposite the famous 17th century palace. Here fling open the bedroom windows, look out over the ravishing setting of Versailles and Marie Antoinette’s Arcadian paradise, and wholeheartedly embrace a life of indulgence. From the Guerlain spa to the bedrooms that ooze high-octane French glamour, everything here is ‘Luxe, calme et volupté’ after a day spent taking in the surrounding sights. But to really imbibe the grand theatricality of the hotel, its ballroom, the Salon Clemenceau (where the Treaty of Versailles was prepared before being taken to the Hall of Mirrors to be signed), is the epicentre of Ancien Régime glamour. waldorfastoriaversailles.fr -
2/18
Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid
Cesar Ritz’s original hotel was built at the command of King Alfonso XIII, which is a riot of marble, crystal chandeliers and silk draperies, not to mention the gardens, a poem of lovelines, facing the Prado and Thyssen Bornemisza museums. Now, the Mandarin Oriental have got their hands on this fabled property. The illustrious group will breathe young life into this palatial grande dame when it reopens next spring, where the terrace and gardens will hum again, the regal suites will be refreshed and all will be right with the world. No minimalist nonsense, just heavenly antiques and the best General Manager Greg Liddell (who comes straight from the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok). mandarinoriental.com -
3/18
Soukya, India
Few places in the world can be as nurturing as Dr. Mathai’s International Holistic Health Centre in Bangalore, an oasis of birdsong, rippling water and shaded verandas at this 30-acre organic farm, where the Duchess of Cornwall brought the Prince of Wales for a six-day programme last year. Here they also helped plant champa, a medicinal plant, tried the spa’s impressive organic vegetarian menu (here most of the food is grown on site), and experienced Dr Mathai’s seriously impressive and extensive treatment programme. The Duchess of Cornwall is a devotee of SOUKYA, a place that delivers serious results for medical problems, general rejuvenation and an intense detox. For those seeking AAA: ayurveda, astrology and acupuncture, it is nirvana. soukya.com
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Courtesy of Montpelier
4/18
Montpellier Plantation Inn, Nevis
Quietly elegant Nevis is the secret gem of the Caribbean, where you come when you want perfect stillness and a refuge from the outside world. So no wonder then this is where Princess Diana chose to run to with the young princes when things started to go awry. Here at the legendary Montpelier Plantation, a family-owned hotel romantically set within a 300-year old sugar plantation, days drift by hanging out in the gardens draped in jasmine and bougainvillea, playing tennis or croquet, or just hiding out by the secluded pool and soaking up the old world charms of this glamorous and historic hideaway. montpeliernevis.com -
5/18
The Mark, New York
This Upper East Sider never fails to disappoint, where, truly, nothing seems too much trouble. Over the years, this powerhouse pleasuredome has developed quite the roll call of regulars, including the 1st Earl of Snowdon, the husband of Princess Margaret, who was a devoted Mark-ist. Today, it continues to draw a stylish crowd, particularly from the glamorous environs of The Mark’s Penthouse Suite, now the fabled backdrop to the Duchess of Sussex’s OTT baby shower, a lavish affair worthy of a modern-day Marie Antoinette, complete with pyramids of Ladurée macaroons, naturally. Arrive in style by chopper and hole up and enjoy the spectacular space and roof terrace, where there are spa therapists, Frederic Fekkai hairdressers and chauffeurs on hand. Here discretion and luxury are paramount. themarkhotel.com -
Courtesy of Rutundu Log Cabin
6/18
Rutundu Log Cabin, Kenya
Perched dramatically on the shores of Lake Rutundu, this charming storybook cabin is a WiFi void and blissfully unsaturated by tourists, and became the Cambridges’ hideaway of choice, where Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton. Sail on the lake, have wonderful picnics on a nearby hilltop – the views are huge and have that big-sky feel – horse ride or hike through heather forests and relish sharing quality time in this remote retreat. rutundu.com -
John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images
7/18
Treetops, Kenya
It was at this Kenyan institution that Princess Elizabeth became Queen back in 1952. A glorious fantasy in the Aberdare National Park, this 1930s lodge lies in the path of an ancient elephant migratory route between the Aberdare Ranges and Mount Kenya National Park. It’s eco-living in a lodge built from natural materials and old trees, designed to bring the outside in, with large windows and a huge deck to take in those panoramic views of elephants yawning below. Treetops is marinated in pure nostalgia,with its books and photographs, pictures and weathered antiques, it is not grand, or humming with staff, but serenely peaceful. www.treetops.co.ke
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8/18
Inverlochy Castle Hotel, Scotland
Queen Victoria got it right when she wrote in her diary that she ‘never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot’ than Inverlochy Castle when she came to stay in 1873 and proceeded to paint a handful of the resplendent vistas. Her observation still rings true today, positioned just up from the 13th century castle ruin that goes by the same name, and beyond the undulating mountains of Glencoe. The Scottish Baronial masterpiece – complete with four storey tower – sits at the foot of legendary Ben Nevis, girdled by a ring of highland peaks, visible as the weather dictates, and loveliest with a headdress of snow. inverlochycastlehotel.com -
9/18
Hôtel du Palais, Biarritz
Biarritz has always been the most aristocratic of locations for a seaside holiday, and this swathe of beach remains as glorious today as it was in the era when kings and queens frolicked on its golden sands, from Queen Victoria to Edward VII. It all began when Napoleon III fell in love with the area’s wild beauty, entranced by its incomparable views over the Bay of Biscay. So much so, he decided to build a summer home for his wife, the Empress Eugénie, in neo-Louis XIII style grandeur with huge Corinthian columns and reliefs of crowned eagles. Today, it remains fabulously luxe, calme et volupté, especially in the old-school beachfront brasserie bar where crispy, oozy little croque monsieurs float onto tables with glasses of chilled champagne. hyatt.com -
10/18
The Carlyle, New York City
This was home away from home for Diana, Princess of Wales whenever she was in Manhattan, as well as for the ultimate Upper East Side queen, Jacqueline Kennedy, who lived at The Carlyle with Caroline and John Jr after her husband’s assassination. It remains a quiet kingdom, scented by lillies, where log fires burn in the hotel lobby and guests sip tea to the click of high heels on the chessboard marble floor. Here, the doormen spin you around the revolving doors and into the best lifts in New York: creaking, thick-carpeted and manned by bellboys. It’s all timeless and elegant, from the pillows embossed with your initials in your room, to the Bemelmans Bar’s martinis and murals of a fantastical Central Park, painted by the artist Ludwig Bemelmans, of the Madeline children’s book fame. The cheeseburgers in Café Carlyle are not to be missed, and the whole experience adds up to the real regal New York, New York. rosewoodhotels.com -
Instagram: @royalmansour
11/18
Royal Mansour Marrakech
The ultimate in glamour, luxury and excess. This palace hotel designed by King Mohammed VI himself is so grandly well done, it looks as if it has been there for 500 years. It’s a world within a world, with 53 stately private riads that look out onto courtyards and beautiful Moorish gardens, and suites so vast that come with private pools, nurtured by discreet butlers. The Royal Mansour exists to spoil guests – lie back and enjoy it, guilt-free. Eat the most refined pastilla at teatime; have your bath strewn with rose petals and be pummelled, scrubbed and steamed to perfection in the hotel’s hammam, the show-stopping hand carved white marble centerpiece of the spa, as intricate and delicate as a piece of lace from the Chanel Métiers d’art show. royalmansour.com/en
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Stefan Irvine / LightRocket via Getty Images
12/18
The Georgian House, Hampton Court Palace
For the most sceptered and storied escape, nothing beats this magnificent 18th century Landmark Trust property, set within the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. With its long gabled front of red brick, clustered chimneys and manicured lawns, the house (which sleeps eight) has a relaxed atmosphere and is elegantly furnished. Once the kitchens that fed George, Prince of Wales, it sits tucked away on the alley leading to Henry VIII’s tennis court; after closing hours, the palace grounds become yours alone. At sunset, drift through Tudor history with a meander around the maze, or wander down to the river for a twilight picnic. landmarktrust.org.uk -
13/18
Hôtel de Crillon, Paris
All hail the Queen of the Parisian palace hotels. Old-world glamour drips from every corner of the sumptuous former home of the Duke of Aumont, which has drawn sighs of pleasure since 1758, with its Versailles-worthy interiors (it was designed by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, who worked on the palace). It has stood proud through the reigns of two French kings, the French Revolution, the rise and fall of the Napoleonic Empire and the birth of the League of Nations, which was formed in the mansion’s very own ballroom. Today, curl up in one of the vast, cloud-like beds or soak in a bath carved from a single slab of Carrara marble, foaming to the brim with bespoke Buly 1803 bath oil, like a modern-day Marie-Antoinette (whose suite guests can stay in, too). It remains a cherished classic and is still the place to come for lunch or a drink – and have a ball. rosewoodhotels.com -
Schloss Elmau
14/18
Schloss Elmau, Bavaria
On a three-hour hike through Bavaria’s rolling fields and valleys of wildflowers, you can’t help but gasp out loud at the sight of King Ludwig II’s fairytale palace, Neuschwanstein Castle, as it rises out of the landscape, with its turrets and imposing facade swaddled in cloud. There are swan lakes and fantasy grottoes to explore, not to mention the Linderhof Palace and Herrenchiemsee royal residence, and the lesser known architectural wonder that is King Ludwig’s more low-key retreat at Schachen, which sits across from the incomparable Schloss Elmau hotel. Home to a state-of-the-art concert hall and the most marvellous spa, the hotel is the most cultured and cultural sanctuary and discreetly hidden in the Wetterstein Mountains, making it the perfect base from which to explore this most romantic corner of the world. schloss-elmau.de/en/ -
15/18
Château Eza, Côte d’Azur
Hugging the cliffside above the bay of Èze-bord-de-Mer, this 400-year-old castle once belonged to Prince William of Sweden. Enjoying a birds-eye view of the Côte d’Azur, the hotel is so high that, for that final climb, guests continue on foot, while donkeys carry their luggage up to reception. The reward at the top is one of the best views from any restaurant anywhere. The signature risotto and old school cheese trolley draws kings and tsarinas for long languid lunches and formal dinners; no doubt Princesses Caroline and Stephanie of Monaco, who are regulars, would happily stay in one of the hotel’s charmingly rustic suites if home weren’t so near. chateaueza.com
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16/18
Tivoli Palácio de Seteais, Sintra, Portugal
Even before you walk through Tivoli’s show-stopping triumphal arch, there’s something of the fairytale about this retreat in the misty mountains of Sintra. Once the summer retreat of the Portuguese royal family and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, at this elegant, 18th-century Baroque palace, birdsong and the soft strains of piano and harp music floats through the air. Many of the rooms afford views of the Castle of the Moors and the Pena Palace, and the palace is usefully in walking distance of the fantasy garden of Quinta da Regaleira. Strolling back up the carriage drive to the hotel never loses its magic, however long you stay; somehow it feels like home, albeit a home heightened by romance at every turn. tivolihotels.com -
Jonas Bendiksen
17/18
Hotel Union Øye, Norway
This exquisite grand dame hotel, perched on one of Norway’s most remote fjords, was made for tweed-clad mountain adventures. It’s an enchanting 19th century lodge with a royal seal of approval – Queen Wilhelmina of Holland, Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany, King Oscar II and Queen Victoria all retreated here to take the Sunnmore air. This traditional, sumptuous refuge is part of a fabulous collection of hotels owned by 62°Nord, and will reopen this July for its annual summer season. Hotel Union Øye’s 30 rooms will no doubt feel even more gloriously cocooning after an Alpine trek, with their deep sofas, warm rugs, crackling fires and rolltop baths. The hotel food is as fresh as the air, with particularly superb seafood. unionoye.no/en -
Matthias Hamel
18/18
Hotel Imperial, Vienna
Duke Philipp of Württemberg commissioned this grand confection of a palace in 1863. The palace was converted into a hotel for the 1873 Vienna’s World Fair, and since then, everyone from Richard Wagner to Emperor Akihito of Japan has stayed in its marble-rich environs. There are 138 rooms in total, almost half of which are suites, as well as a fine restaurant, and elegant coffee house, Café Imperial – once frequented by Freud, Brahms and Anton Bruckner, and which now specialises in a particularly scrumptious Imperial Torte. Even sweeter than the torte is the feeling of being enveloped in the stately old-world ambience. The sheer elegance of the place makes this one of Europe’s best hotels. marriott.com
