SIX OF THE BEST HOTEL CONVERSIONS IN EUROPE
Monastero Santa Rosa, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Dominican nuns at this former 17th-Century convent once produced cream-filled pastries and medical remedies from the herbs and flowers grown in the gardens. With its motto, ‘At each window, the sun, from each window, the sea’, the hotel now offers unbridled luxury and one of the most dramatic infinity pools in Europe.
B&B doubles from €883 (monasterosantarosa.com).
Steigenberger Inselhotel, Lake Constance, Germany
The inventors of the Zeppelin airship converted this 13thCentury monastery into a hotel in the 19th Century, with most of the 100 rooms offering views of the lake. Inside, there are murals depicting the history of the monks and the town of Constance. B&B doubles from €241 (hrewards.com).
Katikies Garden, Santorini, Greece
Located in Santorini’s historic capital, Katikies Garden is a contemporary reworking of an 11th-Century Catholic monastery. It has 40 rooms and a renowned restaurant, Selene, with Michelin-starred chef Ettore Botrini at the helm. B&B doubles from €459 (katikies.com).
Abbaye de la Bussiere, Cote-d’Or, France
Ancient frescoes were discovered during the conversion of this 12th-Century Cistercian abbey, which sits within 17 acres of land next to the Burgundy canal. With just 20 rooms, the hotel provides a tranquil location for wine lovers. B&B doubles from €275 (abbayedelabussiere.fr).
Convento Espinheiro, Evora, Portugal
In the 15th Century, after tales of an apparition of the Virgin Mary surfaced, this chapel was built. Soon it developed into a monastery for the Order of St Jerome, visited by nobles and kings of Portugal. The hotel of 90 rooms sits 10 minutes from the town of Evora, with its Roman temple and Chapel of Bones. B&B doubles from €218 (conventodoespinheiro.com).
San Clemente Palace, Venice, Italy
This 12th-Century chapel was originally a hospice for pilgrims and soldiers headed to the Holy Land. It occupies its own small island next to Venice and is located a five-minute boat trip away from St Mark’s Square. B&B doubles from €275 (kempinski.com).