Want the ultimate peaceful night’s sleep? Then book a bed in a restored monastery. And forget the hair shirt. The modern take on religious retreats is seriously luxe.
Opening this month is the new Rocco Forte in Prague. The Augustine (roccofortecollection.com), in Mala Strana, consists of five historic buildings dating back as far as 1285, including the still-in-use Augustinian St Thomas’s Monastery which houses seven monks in their own quarters. Its design, like all Rocco Forte properties, has been overseen by Olga Polizzi and has retained the cloistered gardens, wooden ceilings, wine vaults and stone arches. A glass-covered courtyard has become the restaurant and the grotto bar has real exposed stalactites. Doubles from £300 per night. Watch out for opening offers.
In the same city is Mandarin Oriental Prague (mandarinoriental.com/prague), which was once a 14th-century Dominican monastery. The hotel has a secret courtyard garden, vaulted ceilings and a Baroque dining room. Plus the spa is on the site of a small Renaissance church – the perfect place to recharge the soul. From £300 per night.
The Kruisherenhotel in Maastricht (chateauhotels.nl) was originally built for the Order of the Holy Cross, or Crutched Friars, who arrived in the Netherlands in 1438. Truly stunning, the complex was turned into a design-led hotel (to save it from ruin after it was left in disrepair) in 2005. A mezzanine area allows guests to dine under original stained-glass windows and murals, which are contrasted against ethereal modern light installations by German artist Ingo Maurer. Doubles from £100 per night.
Abbaye de la Bussiere (abbayedelabussiere.fr), near Dijon in France, is another lovely example of a restored Abbey. Following a recent £5m revamp, it offers one of the most romantic retreats in the world. If the location fulfils the spirit, then the body will be taken care of by the gastronomic delights on offer in the Michelin-starred restaurant. Doubles from £176 per night.
In Venice, meanwhile, the Bauer Palladio Hotel and Spa (bauerhotels.com) was originally a convent, built in the 1500s by Renaissance maestro Andrea Palladio. Located on Giudecca Island, many original details have been kept intact – Murano glass lanterns, antique furniture, open brickwork walls and Venetian terrazzo floors. Doubles from £262.
Recently opened is Couvant D’Herepian (mrandmrssmith.com), a restored 17th-century convent in the heart of High Languedoc in France. The tiny hotel is full of period features and has enchanting gardens. Doubles from £130.
Further afield is the Convento do Carmo Hotel in Salvador, Brazil (lhw.com/conventocarmo). It once housed the First Order of Carmelite Friars, but these days opens its doors to travellers exploring the Bahia region of Brazil. Doubles from £550.
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