B&B Bedroom Boutique Country Historic Hotels Romance Romantic Trip Ideas indoor wall bed room property building estate floor cottage farmhouse wood interior design Villa Suite furniture stone
Hotels

9 Historic Hotels With Interesting Past Lives

If these historic hotels could talk, we're sure they'd have a whole lot to say. From converted Neolithic caves in Italy to a female-run brewery turned boutique stay in San Antonio, here are 9 properties with ultra interesting past lives.

A Brooklyn-based writer and editor, Chelsea's work has appeared in Matador Network, The Huffington Post, the TripAdvisor blog, and more. When not planning her next trip, you'll usually find her drinking way too much iced coffee (always iced—she’s from New England) or bingeing a Netflix original series.

See recent posts by Chelsea Stuart

Bedroom Design Historic Hotels Lobby Lounge Luxury Modern Scenic views indoor building retail library bookselling interior design Bar shopping mall estate
1

The Liberty Hotel, Boston, MA

Ask a local and they’ll probably be able spill a whole lot about the historic Liberty Hotel. The Boston Granite style building was an operating jail until 1990, after all. Built in 1851, the Charles Street Jail imprisoned some pretty high-profile felons – including Malcolm X – within its 220 cells. But by 1990, after decades of complaints from prisoners over poor living conditions, the jail was shuttered, and by 2001, it was being converted into a 298-room luxury hotel with Charles River views. Pop by today and you’ll find that the Beacon Hill stay has done much to preserve its past. You’ll still find the jail’s iconic rotunda, soaring atrium, wrought-iron bars, and exercise yard – a manicured courtyard, in its current incarnation.

Hotels building outdoor Architecture facade art window statue
Hotels indoor room property window bathroom interior design home real estate cottage ceiling Design estate window covering several
Hotels wall indoor room living room ceiling bed interior design floor lighting home Design dining room furniture estate window covering decorated Bedroom
2

LIFE Hotel, NYC

Later this year, the LIFE Hotel will be giving LIFE magazine’s former Herald Square HQ a second chance at Golden Age glory. The NoMad boutique will open in April and feature 90-something rooms done up in 1920s-style decor, honoring the Beaux-Arts building’s past. Prior to becoming the LIFE Hotel, the former office also functioned as writers’ and editors’ apartments, a speakeasy, and the Herald Square Hotel.

View All NYC Hotels
basketball basketball court Boutique court gym Hotels interior quirky Road Trips tables Trip Ideas unique indoor floor building ceiling auditorium Lobby interior design headquarters convention center hall wood furniture
Boutique Hotels interior staircase stairs handrail Architecture iron baluster art interior design wood step
airy Bar Boutique Dining Hotels interior Lounge natural light restaurant windows floor window indoor room dining room property Living home interior design hardwood living room estate cabinetry wood real estate Design office window covering furniture flooring area several
airy artistic artsy Boutique charming cozy homey Hotels interior living area living room Lounge Luxury natural light Road Trips Suite Trip Ideas window floor indoor wall room property Living furniture hardwood dining room table home interior design office real estate flooring Design wood flooring wood laminate flooring window covering apartment
3

Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, PA

The Ace Hotel brand has a thing for locally-inspired design – just ask its 9 outposts, all of which capitalize on their building’s rich history and architecture. One of the more recent additions, Ace Hotel Pittsburgh, remains true to the brand’s ethos by cozying up in a five-story former YMCA building. Working off of the boys' club’s existing foundation, it features original terrazzo flooring, a grand wrought-iron and marble staircase, original wainscoting and moulding, and a three story gym (two indoor track levels hover above the main floor) replete with restored murals.

Hip Hotels Living Lounge Luxury Modern Pool building outdoor condominium Architecture vacation estate marina dock facade cityscape Resort apartment several
Bar Dining Drink Eat Hip Hotels Modern Romantic plaza restaurant scene condominium interior design dining room
Hotels tree outdoor building landmark house estate vacation Architecture tourism condominium palace home Resort mansion
4

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore has quite the consequential history. Previously the Fullerton Building – which housed Singapore’s General Post Office, the exclusive Singapore Club, and the Chamber of Commerce – the monolithic structure harbored British soldiers during World War II and bore witness to discussions between generals of surrendering Singapore to the Japanese. In converting the enormous space into a heritage hotel in the late 90s, architects retained and restored nearly all of the stately building’s Neo-classical touches. Guests will still find interior and exterior colonnades, soaring verandas, and a portico which dons the original Royal Coat of Arms.

Hotels Trip Ideas indoor wall room bed floor property living room house building home estate interior design cottage farmhouse Villa Suite Bedroom real estate apartment
Hotels art altar colorful mural interior design modern art decorated painted
Hotels indoor floor Living room window property living room home estate interior design dining room furniture mansion Design window covering
Hotels tree outdoor sky building landmark Town house night urban area evening cityscape château estate dusk castle surrounded
5

Hotel Emma, San Antonio, TX

Hotel Emma’s namesake was pretty badass. But in order to fully appreciate that, first you have to know that the property used to be Pearl’s Brewhouse – a business that took up operations in a circa-1894 Second Empire style building under the direction of Otto Koehler. When Koehler passed in 1914, his wife, Emma, assumed CEO responsibilities and successfully led Pearl’s through Prohibition – the only San Antonio brewery to pull of such a feat – by putting the hush-hush on beer production and the full-steam-ahead on dry cleaning and auto repair. Following the brewery’s closure in 2001, more than 68 years after Emma relinquished her post, accommodations reflect the original brewhouse’s industrial design while throwing in some San Antonio style.

B&B Boutique Country Drink Eat Historic Hotels Romance Romantic Trip Ideas Wine-Tasting building stone chair house Town Fireplace old brick Courtyard cottage home Village furniture hacienda ancient history alley area
Architecture B&B Boutique Country Cultural Historic Hotels Mountains Romance Romantic Scenic views sky outdoor grass geographical feature tree landmark Town hill Ruins human settlement mountain landscape rock Nature cliff rural area Coast plateau aerial photography cloudy Sea flower terrain mountain range valley panorama clouds pasture hillside lush day
B&B Bedroom Boutique Country Historic Hotels Romance Romantic Trip Ideas indoor wall bed room property building estate floor cottage farmhouse wood interior design Villa Suite furniture stone
6

Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, Italy

When we say that Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita’s history goes way back, we mean back to the prehistoric period. What now makes up the luxe hotel are remnants of one of the oldest Neolithic settlements in Italy, a remote cliffside collection of limestone caves that sit on the fringe of Matera village, in Sassi area. Over the centuries – from the Stone to Bronze age – the caves of Sassi have housed generations of monastic orders and farming communities. When Sextantio came along in 2009, designers wisely allowed the dramatic setting takes precedence which meant outfitting the caves with super minimalist furnishings (opting for pieces made of recycled materials) and hiding light fixtures from view.

Boutique Hotels Hotels Trip Ideas indoor building Architecture place of worship palace Church cathedral chapel facade interior design synagogue basilica
Hotels building indoor floor Architecture arch room estate Living stone Fireplace interior design tourist attraction palace facade mansion arcade place of worship chapel Lobby hall synagogue furniture colonnade
Hotels wall indoor
Hotels outdoor sky landmark building tourism cityscape cathedral tower evening place of worship Church day
7

Nashville Union Station Hotel, Nashville, TN

While the 19th-century Union Station railway terminal first debuted as a luxury hotel in 1986, it re-wowed everyone last year as it came fresh off of a $15.5 million renovation. The Victorian Romanesque Revival style station, which had originally opened in 1900, had been a doozy of Italian marble, ornate interiors, and stained glass. Coming out of its various revamps – including the most recent – designers always ensured that guests stepping foot in the hotel would be brought back to the once-glamorous nature of train travel. Need evidence? Just check out the oak doors, limestone fireplaces, and 65-foot vaulted atrium done up in century-old stained glass and gold-leaf detailing.

View All Nashville Hotels
Hotels indoor building Lobby estate restaurant interior design palace Bar hall
Hotels building outdoor landmark plaza palace estate facade City altar several
Hotels Trip Ideas building palace place of worship basilica chapel Church ballroom synagogue shrine altar
8

The Merchant Hotel, Belfast, UK

In it’s second life, the High Victorian building at 16 Skipper Street – in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter – may be a luxury hotel, but in its heyday, it was the headquarters of Ulster Bank. Quick to reveal the hotel’s commercial past are surviving architectural accents like ornate Corinthian columns, an imposing central dome, and a sculptural facade. Today, rooms are split design-wise between Victorian (located in the original building) and Art Deco (in the 2010 addition).

View All UK Hotels
Hotels indoor floor room ceiling wall window chair property living room interior design estate home real estate Suite Bedroom Design furniture window covering hotel area
Hotels indoor ceiling property room Living estate living room home interior design real estate recreation room mansion Design furniture
Hotels sky outdoor leisure Resort amusement park vacation walkway park estate boardwalk
Hotels sky outdoor road building commercial building tower block metropolitan area Architecture urban area neighbourhood residential area facade Downtown tall headquarters plaza real estate City mixed use condominium
9

21c Museum Hotel Oklahoma City, OK

Flit along downtown OKC’s Film Row – once home to some of Hollywood’s biggest studios (think MGM, Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures) – and you’ll happen across the sixth edition of 21c Museum hotels. Set in the original Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, when the boutique property (and free to the public exhibition hall!) was no more than a blueprint, it was decided that the space would do more than preserve the defining architectural characteristics of the factory, but incorporate nearly every original detail including the original, light-filled open floor plan, enormous windows, untouched terrazzo flooring (formerly in the Model T showroom), freight elevator doors, and authentic marquee.

Want more?

Comments

comments

All products are independently selected by our writers and editors. If you buy something through our links, Jetsetter may earn an affiliate commission.