Summer is the perfect time to dig into your budget for a luxury hotel experience. If you’re having trouble picking where to wait out this summer heat, no one does luxury like the five-star hotels scattered across Europe. Here are some of the best European hotels to escape to this summer.
Rome // The First Luxury Art Hotel Roma
This small 29-room boutique hotel in the middle of Rome offers a discrete luxury experience to contrast Europe’s tradition of huge, expensive villas. What makes the First Luxury Art Hotel Roma truly unique is that it’s also a functioning art gallery. Paintings and sculptures by artists from Italy and around the globe fill its common and private areas. Each room is literally a private art gallery, which can be yours for at least a couple days. As a former nobleman’s palace, the fully restored interiors are both homely and aesthetically luxurious. Some of the small rooms even have fireplaces to complete their cosy, homely feel. If you do decide to visit here, make sure to first check out our Travel Guide for Rome here on Sincerely Amy.
Paris // Hôtel Le Bristol
Located in the heart of Paris, this hotel is the first French establishment to be awarded the title of palace – a step up from the previously highest rating of five stars. According to The Standard, Hôtel Le Bristol attained this distinction by combining the warmest staff in the world with intensely luxurious decor and furnishings. Each of the hotel’s 190 rooms are uniquely decorated with genuine antiques including Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture. Its flower-bedecked garden is 13,000 square feet in size and its flagship Epicure restaurant boasts three Michelin stars. As an added bonus, you might even get to know the notoriously snobbish Fa-Raon, Le Bristol’s resident white Burmese cat.
Lisbon // Altis Belém Hotel & Spa
This sleek and modern hotel lies on the banks of the Tagus River in the suburbs of historic Belém in Lisbon. The Altis Belém combines bold and minimalist design with decor that’s inspired by ancient Portuguese colonies. Each of its rooms has one wall that represents a different period of the Portuguese Golden Age. One room will be decorated with designs such as brown and green leaves with long-necked giraffes for West Africa, while another will have tropical birds in the jungle for Brazil. They also offer a wide range of dining and drinking choices, including the Cafetaria Mensagem, an oyster and sushi bar famous for its Portuguese version of classic Japanese sushi.
Scotland // Carnoustie Hotel Golf Resort and Spa
The Carnoustie Golf Links in Angus, Scotland is a historic venue that dates back to the 16th century. Today, it’s a certified Championship Course in the regular rotation of the Open Championship. Right beside its first tee is the Carnoustie Hotel Golf Resort and Spa, which offers unparalleled views across the gorgeous golf course towards the Angus coastline. The low-key luxury hotel also offers full spa services to complement your morning/afternoon of playing golf on one of the most prestigious courses in the world. While most people won’t have a chance to stay in places like Carnoustie Hotel, it’s become a favourite vacation spot for some of the world’s rich and famous. Included in its list of clients are 2012 British EuroMillions jackpot winners Adrian and Gillian Bayford.
Bayford and his then wife were the recipients of £148 million in prize money, which is one of the highest jackpots ever won through the popular lottery. To put things into context, Lottoland details how the current EuroMillions jackpot is only £24.6 million compare to the total Adrian Bayford won. While you certainly won’t need to win the amount the Bayfords won, it puts things into perspective the sort of clientele the Carnoustie Hotel Golf Resort and Spa accommodates on a regular basis.
However, if you ever do win the lottery, or just land a huge bonus at work, now you have some ideas about where you can spend some of that extra cash. After all, everyone deserves a little luxury once in a while.
