William Wilson And abandoned tunnels have been transformed into wine cellars that could accommodate over 600 wine bottles -- also as guests for private, candlelit dinners.

And abandoned tunnels have been transformed into wine cellars that could accommodate over 600 wine bottles -- also as guests for private, candlelit dinners.

Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, Calif.. Legendary actors Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin were among the famous founders behind the United Artists studio, housed from the United Artists Building that opened in 1927. And the United Artists Theatre (pictured) which simplifies the construction exemplified Hollywood's Golden Age of glamour. Many iterations later, the building is currently home to the Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, a cutting-edge boutique which started in 2014. Since the focal point, the 1 professional wall mount tv installation .600-seat, three-story theater has been restored to its heyday, best described as a cathedral paying homage to the movie gods. The Spanish gothic interior overwhelms with gothic-style chandeliers and revived murals (of movie stars and execs, naturally), while the arched ceiling sparkles having an infinite number of miniature mirrors surrounded with a ceiling-length golden sunburst. The theatre more screens movies, though performances dominate the calendar. Either way, it's a challenge to pull off your eyes away from the venue.



Alila Fort Bishangarh, India Fortunately you do not have to become an invader to keep at the former Fort Bishangarh in Jaipur, a 230-year-old palace fortress that recently finished a virtually decade-long overhaul. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the ruined fort is currently the Alila Fort Bishangarh, but, as a heritage conservation endeavor, the hotel remains faithful to the first. For instance, everything in the turrets to the wavy arched windows were restored or recreated in keeping with Jaipur Gharana architecture. Careful thought was even given to the walls, utilizing a contemporary twist on an early plastering technique. Elsewhere, the main restaurant, Amarsar, is located in the former royal quarters, although the prior dungeon now delivers spa remedies instead of torture. Another fun fact is the turret that now houses a cigar and cognac bar, whose original musket openings were used to pour boiling oil on intruders. (They mainly function as organic air-conditioning.)



The Liberty, Boston, Mass.. It's a safe bet that the former residents of the Charles Street Jail would have favored its current iteration as the ironically named Liberty Hotel. Although when it opened in 1851, prison reform methods greatly influenced the jail's design, explaining, for example, its own 30 windows which are each 33 feet elevated. On the other hand, the expression, "The path to hell is paved with good intentions," proved true in this case, as overcrowding and inadequate living conditions finally resulted in its closure in 1990. Currently enjoying its best lifestyle as a four-star hotel, signs of its past are on full display as soon as you enter, like the maintained 90-foot central atrium and catwalk railings encircling it. Head to Clink restaurant to float in former jail cells which are far cozier today, or visit Alibi bar (a former drunk tank, of course), to imbibe prison-themed cocktails and snap selfies from the first holding cells.



Pulitzer Amsterdam, Netherlands Twenty five meticulously renovated canal homes -- all dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries -- comprise the five star Pulitzer hotel. The canal homes, part of a UNESCO website, completed a major renovation in 2016, keeping the historic aspects intact. For example, the Saxenburg House, now utilized to host weddings and special occasions, once was home to a wealthy dye salesman. The Italian marble floors, grand stairs and ornate 18th-century fireplace mantel are among the first capabilities. Meanwhile, you'll find original wooden beams from the chambers which used to be part of warehouses, and ornate plaster ceilings in the rooms that were a part of homes. And hints remain of a former apothecary that used to occupy the entry to the restaurant Jansz, together with shelves of classic eyeglasses connecting the past to the present.



Il Salviatino, Italy A walk down history lane indicates that a Roman fortress initially stood on the site of Il Salviatino, a restored palazzo that can be traced back into the 14th century. Its name is derived from the Salviati family, who owned and revived it in the 16th century. Ever since then it's transformed many hands (even belonging to Stanford University at a point), and undergone more renovations, together with the newest completed in 2010 when it debuted as a resort. Among the preserved details is that the 19th-century fresco from Augusto Bruschi (reserve the Affresco Suite to maneuver underneath the golden, angelic painting). The wood-paneled, 19th-century library has also been restored to its heyday, when it played host to high society characters such as Salvador Dali. Other historic features include the expansive entry staircase, now blanketed in red carpet; the marble flooring near the library; and also the magnificent terraced gardens dotted with fountains and manicured shrubbery.



Hotel Quinta Real Zacatecas, Mexico One of London's buzziest new openings is The Ned, a five-star resort located in the former Midland Bank. It's named after the noted architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens, or Ned, who built it in 1924 back when bank lobbies rivaled luxury hotels. Many of the original opulent attributes were luckily preserved during a multi-year restoration: vaulted ceilings, walnut-paneled counters and 92 green African verdite columns. But you are going to have to hunt to discover some of these best-preserved details. These include an Instagram-ready spiral stairs; big closets beside The Tapestry Room that once saved top hats and canes; and even a personal elevator that once carried the chairman to board meetings and private lunches. But the genuine showstopper is the prior lender vault-turned-lounge, which you access through the original 25-ton, floor-to-ceiling vault door. If it seems familiar, that's because it prompted the vault in the1964 James Bond movie, Goldfinger.



The Ned, London You can throw a stone and hit a historical hotel construction in Italy. But Monastero Santa Rosa comes with an especially intriguing history as a 17th-century, pastry-making convent. The nuns were known for baking sfogliatelle, a cream-filled pastry shaped like a shell, which were known as Santa Rosa. (Now's resort guests get to enjoy this heritage at breakfast, which is served in an outside terrace that makes the most of Mediterranean perspectives.) Lots of architectural features are preserved too: soaring vaulted ceilings, in the spa to guest rooms; an original 17th-century church that's still in usage; and the confessional, where guests can either jot down their sins, or, more likely, use their cell phone due to the place's excellent reception.



Monastero Santa Rosa, Italy This grand dame of New York Society started out as a Gilded Age home called Villard Mansion. Famous architecture firm McKim, Mead & White built the neo-Italian Renaissance palace, and books can be written concerning its landmark preservation (and its former existence as The Helmsley Palace). But in a nutshell, every historic aspect of Lotte New York Palace was faithfully restored, meaning floorboards were replaced in their original places. The Gold Room, the epitome of Gilded Age design, is gilt-covered in the walls to ceiling. It also owns a musical motif as it had been originally intended to be a music space. The jaw-dropping Madison Room maintains its first green marble walls and columns, legendary murals and chandeliers, and stained glass windows -- making for the ultimate wedding venue.



Lotte New York Palace, N.Y. Ashford Castle offers so many actions (falconry, destination spa, movie theater), which it is almost just like a castle theme park. However, this grand mansion, dating back to the 13th century, has also maintained much of its imperial heritage. It's one of the few castle hotels that truly exemplifies the castle adventure, thanks to a recent two-year, $75 million restoration project that mended over 40 battlements and historical stonework. Inside the castle, Victorian-era oil paintings were restored into their prime, as were 30 guest rooms in a 19th-century wing. And abandoned tunnels have been transformed into wine cellars that could accommodate over 600 wine bottles -- also as guests for private, candlelit dinners.