The Oldest Hotel in the World Is Not What You’d Expect

The world’s oldest hotels will indulge almost anyone’s curiosity. And that’s for good reason: Most jet-setters enjoy staying in places steeped in history. Certainly, while few openings are as highly anticipated as new hotels, there’s something nostalgic about a resort, inn, or B&B that’s been open for so many years. It’s the idea of staying in a place that’s witnessed everything from life-changing inventions in their infancy to empires growing and crumbling right on their doorstep. What’s more, centuries-old hotels have played host to more than a few of the world’s most recognized names, including dignitaries, artists, and movie stars.

Though the decor may have changed a few times over the decades, the world’s oldest hotels tend to be some of the most stunning. After all, no matter how many antiques or reclaimed materials a new hotel is filled with, it can’t replicate the history that has walked across Gritti Palace’s 15th-century palazzo floors or glided through the waters in front of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. Here, AD traverses the globe in pursuit of the oldest hotels with dapper interiors.