( CNN ) -- Throughout the world , but mainly in Europe and parts of Asia , numerous palaces , castles and chateaus have been carefully converted into deluxe lodgings -- rich in history and , understandably , often in cost . Some of the finest include the newly opened Four Seasons Lion Palace in St. Petersburg and the recently renovated Gritti Palace in Venice -- both among the selection featured below . Excluded in this list are the well-known palace hotels of India in order to highlight similar-ish accommodations available in other countries . Please let us know other great stays you 've experienced . La Posta Vecchia , Rome . Located 30 minutes outside of the Italian capital , La Posta Vecchia was built in the mid-17th century by the Renaissance Prince Orsini . In the 1960s , oil tycoon J.P. Getty bought and restored it , salvaging many original artifacts while simultaneously reinvigorating the palace with pieces from his own art collection . Today , the hotel balances ancient and contemporary themes , with priceless antiques alongside modern features such as an indoor pool and a helipad . Highlight : The hotel 's private museum , housing ruins dating back to the second century B.C . La Posta Vecchia , Strada Ciclabile Palo Laziale , 00055 Ladispoli , Rome , Italy ; + 39 06 994 9501 ; standard rooms from US $ 350 a night . Hotel Vestibul Palace , Split , Croatia . Part of Diocletian 's Palace , an immense bastion built by the Roman emperor in the fourth century A.D. , the Hotel Vestibul Palace is located within the Peristile square , a place once reserved for the gods . The hotel teems with history outside but inside things are mostly modern and the contrast of contemporary furnishings sitting next to 1,500-year-old walls allows one to appreciate the surroundings all the more . Highlight : Figuring out which era parts of the palace are from , with the hotel merging Romanic , Gothic and Renaissance periods . Hotel Vestibul Palace , Ulica Iza Vestibula 4 21000 , Split , Croatia ; +385 21 329 329 ; standard rooms from US $ 150 a night . Aman at Summer Palace , Beijing . Beijing 's grand Summer Palace is one of the most popular sights of the Chinese capital and only a group like Aman Resorts would dare try match it , let alone exceed it , with a hotel . The Aman at Summer Palace is near the East Gate of the palace and comprises a series of 100-year old pavilions that were previously reserved for guests of the Empress Dowager . Imperial Chinese intricacies are abundant , including Ming Dynasty-style furniture and a number of private pavilions in the suites . Highlight : The Reflection Pavilion , a peaceful setting with a lotus pond where guests can enjoy drinks and cigars . Aman at Summer Palace , 1 Gongmenqian Street , Summer Palace , Beijing , PRC 100091 ; +86 10 5987 9999 ; standard rooms from US $ 1,050 a night . Mamaison Suite Hotel Pachtuv Palace , Prague , Czech Republic . Once Mozart 's temporary home in the Czech capital , the Pachtuv Palace was the residence of Earl Hubert Karel Pachta , who purportedly locked the composer in a room until he finished Don Giovanni . To be fair , there are worse places you can be imprisoned , with each of the hotel 's 50 suites restored : frescoes line the ceilings , fireplaces roar in the corner , four-poster beds offer a noble sleep . Highlight : The two gorgeous Baroque-style courtyards , which allow you to escape the city . Mamaison Suite Hotel Pachtuv Palace , Karoliny Světlé 34 , 110 00 Praha , Czech Republic ; +420 234 705 111 ; standard rooms from US $ 180 a night . Hotel Imperial , Vienna , Austria . Built as the Vienna home of Philip of Württemberg , the Hotel Imperial originally housed the prince from 1863 to 1865 , until a city planning problem saw him move on . In 1873 , an investor bought the property in time for that year 's Vienna Expo , converting the numerous halls into individual hotels rooms while retaining many regal touches . Little has changed since , with the palace 's 150-year history available to all who stay at the hotel : ornate 19th-century chandeliers , crest-embossed drapes and endless relics . Highlight : The traditional personal butler service , which comes with every suite . Hotel Imperial , Kärntner Ring 16 , 1015 Vienna , Austria ; +43 1 50 1100 ; standard rooms from US $ 630 a night . Hotel Gritti Palace , Venice , Italy . Venice has an endless number of `` palaces '' converted into hotels , but few match up to the opulence of the Gritti . Constructed in the 16th century for the city 's `` Doge '' ( Duke ) , it was later used to welcome Vatican ambassadors , before finally being turned into a hotel in the late 1800s . Following a 15-month renovation , the hotel re-opened this spring , with each of its 82 rooms restored with the Renaissance in mind . Highlight : The Explorer 's Library , paying homage to the hotel 's many literary guests , including Ernest Hemingway and W. Somerset Maugham . Hotel Gritti Palace , Campo Santa Maria del Giglio , 2467 30124 Venice , Italy ; +39 041 296 1222 ; standard rooms from US $ 1,300 a night . Chateau de Saint-Loup , Loire Valley , France . The year is 1356 and the Hundred Years ' War ravages on -- the Battle of Poitiers has just taken place and Edward the Black Prince has captured the King of France , Jean le Bon , imprisoning him in a castle keep in the Loire Valley . Jump forward nearly 700 years and that keep still stands as part of the privately owned Chateau de Saint-Loup hotel . Guests are treated to a truly medieval experience , with accommodation choices in the gorgeous 17th-century chateau , in the 12th-century tower square or within the keep itself . Highlight : The appropriately named Black Prince suite , with such medieval touches as his-and-her baths and a granite fireplace . Chateau de Saint-Loup , 79600 Saint-Loup-Lamairé France ; +33 5 49 64 81 73 ; standard rooms from US $ 150 a night . Amberley Castle , Sussex , England . Dating back more than 900 years , Amberley Castle was once owned by Queen Elizabeth I . Today , the castle incorporates 19 spacious yet traditional suites , a tennis court and a golf course . Battlement towers previously used to keep watch on the numerous conflicts in the area still keep watch , and an 18-meter high wall still stands . Highlight : The still-working portcullis , which is closed every night just past the stroke of midnight . Amberley Castle , Amberley , Arundel , West Sussex BN18 9LT ; +44 017 9883 1992 ; standard rooms from US $ 830 a night . Ciragan Palace Kempinski , Istanbul . Considering Istanbul 's strife-torn history , it 's almost a miracle the Ciragan Palace has survived . It housed two separate sultans during its lifetime , before a great fire destroyed much of the site in the early 1900s . A 1989 effort restored its original architecture as a hotel complex . It 's now run by the Kempinski Hotels group and a recent 2007 renovation has seen even more palatial features reinstated . Highlight : The Sultan Suite -- at more than US $ 41,400 ( plus 8 % VAT ) a night -- is one of the most expensive suites in the world . Ciragan Palace Kempinski , Yıldız Mh. , Çırağan Cd , Beşiktaş , Turkey ; +90 212 326 46 46 ; standard rooms from US $ 540 a night . Tivoli Palacio de Seteais , Lisbon , Portugal . Built in the late 1700s exclusively for a powerful Dutch consul , before being sold to the Marquis of Marialva , Lisbon 's Palace de Seteais is a grand escape located in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Sintra . Considered a national monument , the entire first floor of the palace is open to the public , with reception halls , salons and other areas containing a number of frescoes and tapestries . The second floor holds the 30 guest rooms , each retaining the palace 's 18th-century style through antique furnishings and immense space . Highlight : The Classic Suite is a huge room designed in a number of styles , including Louis XVI , Imperial and Neo-classical . Tivoli Palacio de Seteais , Rua Barbosa Du Bocage 8 , 2710-517 Sintra , Portugal ; +351 21 923 3200 ; standard rooms from US $ 310 a night . Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace , St. Petersburg , Russia . A true sign of Russia 's luxurious dreams , the Lion Palace is the Four Seasons ' first hotel in Russia . Originally built in the 19th century for the exquisitely named Princess Cleopatra Lobonova-Rostovskaya , it spent much of its life as upscale apartments for her royal friends and family , before falling into a state of disrepair in the 1900s . Re-opened just last month , the hotel has regained its palatial status , with its central location and majestic rooms transporting guests back to Tsarist Russia . Highlight : The granite grand staircase , which leads to the Presidential suite and has been recreated with the nearby Hermitage and Winter Palace in mind . Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace , Voznesensky Ave , 1 , St Petersburg , Russia , 190000 ; +7 812 339 8055 ; standard rooms from US $ 300 a night . Xara Palace , Mdina , Malta . The Maltese city of Mdina is itself a historic wonder : a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose history was influenced by the Knights of St. John . Built by the Knights in the 17th century as a residence for the royal Moscati Parisio family , the Xara Palace was reopened in 1999 as an exclusive 17-room Relais & Chateaux hotel . Rooms are simple yet refined , paying tribute to the order through numerous antique paintings . Highlight : The award-winning de Mondion restaurant , offering traditional dishes with 180-degree views of the city . Xara Palace , Misrah il-Kunsill , Mdina MDN 1050 , Malta ; +356 2145 0560 ; standard rooms from US $ 410 a night .
Venice has many `` palaces '' converted into hotels . Few match the opulence of the Gritti . Beijing 's Aman at Summer Palace includes 100-year old pavilions previously reserved for guests of Empress Dowager . The Sultan Suite at Ciragan Palace Kempinski in Istanbul costs $ 15,000 a night .