Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India

The interiors of the Taj Falaknuma Palace brim with antiques sourced from around the world. Dating from 1884, the Taj Falaknuma Palace was once the private residence of the Nizams family, who welcomed such illustrious guests as King George V and Tsar Nicholas II to their hilltop palace overlooking Hyderabad.

Today, following a meticulous ten-year renovation by Taj Hotels, the palace is open to visitors, and the regalia of its stately past is on sparkling display. Built from Italian marble with unique Tudor-meets Italian architecture, the palace resembles a scorpion when seen from above, its two stings housing the Historic Suites. The interiors brim with museum-quality antiques from around the world: French tapestries adorn the walls and hallways of the public spaces, original frescoes provide Baroque flourishes, and forty Belgian-cut Osler chandeliers are suspended from the ceilings. It is a palatial enclave fit for royalty.

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Çirağan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul, Turkey

In a previous life, the grandiose Çırağan, which overlooks the Bosphorus, was a residence for Ottoman sultans.

The numerous royals and heads of state staying at the Çırağan Palace are continuing a long tradition: in a previous life, this grandiose property on the European side of the Bosphorus was a residence for sultans.

The regal feeling is most pronounced in the Palace suites, whose vaulted ceilings, elegant antiques and textiles evoke the opulence of the Ottoman Era. Guest rooms overlook either the Bosphorus or Yıldız Park, formerly a hunting forest for the sultans. On-site dining options include Tug˘ra, whose classic Turkish cuisine is considered among Istanbul’s finest (the terrace is a favorite spot for romantic meals). All restaurants and many rooms have sweeping views of the Turkish metropolis and stretch out across the Straits toward Asia.

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Grand Hotel Continental, Siena, Italy

A haven with priceless artifacts that offer an ideal base in Siena, this hotel earned the appellation grand in 1904, when the queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoia, chose it as her residence in Siena.

Today the 17th-century palazzo continues to attract elite visitors with its Renaissance architecture adorned with original frescoes and priceless antiques. Located in Siena’s center, the fifty one-room Grand Hotel is an ideal base from which to explore the pedestrian-only city’s cultural and culinary delights, including the hotel’s 3,000-bottle wine cellar, discovered in the base of a medieval tower during a renovation. The guest rooms have Carrara-marble bathrooms and Chinese porcelain lamps, while the interior courtyard and bar area are covered with glass dome that lets in natural light.

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