Back in the early 1980s, we wrote The Great Castle Hotels of Europe, a hard-cover, coffee-table travel book with color plates for Icarus Press/Harper and Row. It sold over 16,000 copies before Icarus went out of business. We retained the rights to this book and have been collecting information and photos (some samples on this page) for a new guide to Europe and the UK that includes not only castle hotels but historic hotels as well. We currently have the largest collection of hotel/castle hotels in the world! We've been traveling around Europe looking for new discoveries and updated information and now have a fantastic collection of hotel interior and exterior slides, transparencies and prints. Castle and historic hotels never go out of business - that's why they''re called "historic", so this new book will never become obsolete. Rates? Readers can contact the reservation, web sites and contact sources listed, many of which are here in the U.S. and have toll-free numbers.
Suprisingly, readers will find that many of these properties cost no more than a first-class hotel in a nearby city. This guide will introduce millions of travelers to Europe the opportunity to experience something different in the way of accommodations.
The format of the book is flexible, based on what the publisher feels will make the best-selling book. This could be another coffee table book or a soft-cover edition. Currently, the format is the introduction (see below), explanation of terms, and a list of agencies offering reservations and representing these hotels. The main portion of the book is country after country listings, starting with Austria and including France, German, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the Scandanavian countries, Switzerland. etc. There are well over 100 listings. We can also include eastern Europe if the publisher feels this will make a more interesting, better selling book. A sample listing and some photos are show below.
Introduction
Scattered around Europe are hundreds of castles, palaces, monasteries, manor house, and historic buildings that have been converted into hotels for the traveler looking for something different. For not much more than you'd pay for a sterile room in a glass and brick, modern hotel in a nearby town, you can take that imaginary step back in time when European royalty slept in palatial suites high above a castle's moat and dined at night to the strains of a 15th century string quartet in a Victorian dining room.
Built hundreds of years ago as the residences of Europe's royalty or as fortresses against opponents of the church and throne, these hotels have maintained their old world atmosphere, yet still provide most of the modern conveniences. Rooms decorated in 14th century antiques might have private baths, telephone, and television but if getting away from modern conveniences is more appropriate, you can choose a room in a private wing with nary a modern appliance in sight. Many hotels offer rooms with or without private baths (the facilities are down the hall) and almost all include a complimentary continental breakfast. Others offer demi-pension (two meals daily) or full-pension (all meals) and the opportunity to dine out at some of Europe's best restaurants. Many of the chefs have been awarded top honors in culinary arts.
You can choose from a stately, 17th-century Venetian palace hotel overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice; a 1700 hunting lodge hotel located high in the hills of Bavaria; a monastery hotel located a half hour's drive from Rome, surrounded by Roman headstones dating back to the 3rd-century or an elegant, 50-room French chateau hotel, once the summer residence of the King of France. In Switzerland, you can sleep in a bedroom that once hosted Queen Victoria, dine where Napoleon dined and stroll through spacious gardens once patrolled by Roman warriors. In Spain, you can reserve a Spanish Cardinal's suite with massive black marble columns, a black marble tub large enough for two and a private chapel. Try an old Scottish castle hotel, build in the 16th century as a retreat fro Bonnie Prince Charles or a moated German castle hotel tucked in the foothills near the base of the Alps. In France, drive across an ancient wooden drawbridge into a cobble-stoned courtyard alive with flowers where you are personally greeted by the descendants of a 16th century count and countess.
Many of the owners of these historic hotels are direct descendants of the original builders, so it's not uncommon to be hosted in England by an authentic duke or in France by a titled baron, prince or contessa. In renovating these buildings, most have retained the original style and furnishings, so you'll find bedrooms decorated in Louis XIV, elegant sitting rooms displaying family coats of arms over massive fireplaces and wide range of room optionssingle rooms converted from former monk's cells to sprawling suites with terraced balconies overlooking the nearby village.
Lunch might be served in the inner courtyard behind stone walls, the former meeting place of Norman warriors and king's knights. Dinner is usually a more formal affair, served in a spacious room decorated with crystal chandeliers and 14th-century, hand-painted murals. The fare ranges from simple to elegant with an emphasis on regional dishes and (of course) continental cuisine. In addition to a special bedding-down experience, the properties also offer a variety of diversions ranging from hikes to tennis and horseback riding.
Exactly where these historic hotels are located and what they have to offer is the purpose of this book. In contains information on the best Europe has to offer: locations, histories, facilities and rates. If you find yourself in the southern corner of France of the northern borders of Austria (among other places) and are ready for a special experience, just thumb through the pages, call ahead, make a reservation and check in.
Once located well of the beaten tourist path, these hotels were often built on strategic locations: high atop a mountain range overlooking the surround valley; in the quiet countryside miles from the nearest town and village or along the banks of a river or lake. Ideally, you'll have an automobile at your disposal and a good local map (Michelin makes the best) pinpointing the smaller towns and villages. Many vacationers prefer traveling by rail which is fast, efficient and reasonably priced. In that case, many of the hosts will send a car down to the local station to pick you up.
Rates vary with the type of accommodations and the time of the year. When rates vary by season, they're included in the writeup. Reservations are always recommended, so we've included addresses, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses when available.
France
Chateau de Marcay
37500 Chinon (Indre-et-Loire)
France
Telephone: (47) 93 03 47
Fax: (47) 22 98 45
Open: March 5 to January 5
Owner/Manager: Philippe Mollard and J. Luc Hatet
Association: Relais et Chateau
Number of rooms: 26 with bath in the main building, 11 in the annex, two suites in the north wing.
Rates: Single room with bath from 225E and up
Suites with bath and sitting room from 325E-450E
E=Euros
Set in the middle of farmlands and vineyards, the Chateau de Marcay was built in 1590 as a military fortress. Connected to the nearby chateaux by underground passages, it was partially destroyed during the 1534 Religious Wars by the Huguenots. Rebuilt after the War, it was partially destroyed again by soldiers of the Geoffroy de la Tremoille, then rebuilt for a third time. It managed to survive the French Revolution in 1789 and stands today much as it did hundreds of years ago except for all of the modern conveniences. Monsieur Luc Gilbert de Fontenay bought the chateau and the surround land in the late 1800s. In 1968, the Chateau de Marcay opened as a hotel. All rooms have TV, sitting alcove and single, double or queen-size beds. Rooms with no bath room use a public bath down the hall. Continenal breakfast (served from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.) is included in the room price. Honfleur is a three-star, Michelin restaurant on-site, supervised by Charles Denleuve and serving elegant French fare. Lunch and dinner are served daily except Mondays. Reservations highly recommended. Dinner Menu: 170F-330F
