EUROPE is chock-full of castles, but there aren’t many where you can have a real sleeping beauty experience. We’ve picked out these majestic buildings where your clients can stay the night. All these castles are part of the Relais & Chteaux brand, so you know that any stay at them will be luxurious as well as rich in history.
Amberley Castle, England
Located in the Sussex countryside, Amberley Castle offers 19 luxurious rooms for guests to stay in. The castle is steeped in 900 years of history, first owned by a bishop who turned the lodge into a fortified manor house with crenellations, battlements and a portcullis. The castle changed hands several times after the reformation, before being transformed into a luxury hotel in 1989. As well as the guest rooms, the grounds include a restaurant in the Queen’s Room and high tea served every day in the lounges or on the terrace. Two of the rooms even have private access to the portcullis and its machinery. Prices to stay start from £265 per night.
Chateau de Bagnols, France
If you’ve always dreamed of living in a French castle overlooking vineyards, then a stay at Chateau de Bagnols can make that a reality. The castle is classified as a historical monument and was built in 1217 by the Lords of Oingt. It has been owned by many different people over the years before becoming a four-star luxury hotel in 1998 and later earning a fifth star. The hotel has suites in the chateau, garden and repurposed cellars. There is also a Michelin-starred restaurant called 1217, with a massive Gothic fireplace, and a spa with sauna and treatments. Prices start from €200 per night.
Burg Wernberg, Germany
Burg Wernberg was transformed into a luxury hotel in 1998, but before that it spent time as a prison, garrison, and home to the Duke of Bavaria. The castle was built in the 13th century and has a real drawbridge and moat. Today’s hotel has a range of different types of rooms located throughout the castle, along with a sauna in the vaults and a range of beauty treatments. The on-site restaurant, Kastell, offers a menu with a farm-to-table philosophy focusing on fresh regional cuisine and guests can also book private dining at the historic Castle Pub. Prices to stay start from €105 per person.
