The Swedish royal family are regular visitors to Suvretta House St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Suvretta House
The Swedish royal family are regular visitors to Suvretta House St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Suvretta House
The Swedish royal family are regular visitors to Suvretta House St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Suvretta House
The Swedish royal family are regular visitors to Suvretta House St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Suvretta House

Hotels where royal families stay, from a quaint Austrian inn to Paris’s Hotel of Kings


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When international monarchs book a hotel, there are three prerequisites: comfy beds, palatial surroundings and a resort steeped in history.

And for guests looking for similar royal treatment, many of the stately resorts are open for public bookings.

Here are six hotels fit for a king or queen to inspire your next holiday.

Gasthof Post, Austria

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan have stayed at the quaint Gasthof Post in Austria. Photos: Queen Rania / Instagram, Gasthof Post
King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan have stayed at the quaint Gasthof Post in Austria. Photos: Queen Rania / Instagram, Gasthof Post

This family-owned property may have all the luxuries and amenities of a five-star boutique hotel, but the owners insist at its heart it remains “an inn”.

The 48-room property has been a firm favourite of generations of the Dutch royal family, with Queen Beatrix and Queen Juliana passing on their love of the resort to King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, who are regular visitors during ski season.

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan have also stayed at the hotel, which is home to a day spa and perfumery, as well as fine dining and traditional restaurants.

postlech.com

Hotel Hassler Roma, Italy

Queen Noor of Jordan has been a guest at Hotel Hassler Roma in the Italian capital. Photos: Hotel Hassler, Pawan Singh / The National
Queen Noor of Jordan has been a guest at Hotel Hassler Roma in the Italian capital. Photos: Hotel Hassler, Pawan Singh / The National

Hotel Hassler, situated at the top of the Spanish Steps, has welcomed many of the world's stars.

Since it opened in 1893, it has been a port of call for royalty including Queen Noor of Jordan, King Carlos of Spain, King Gustaf of Sweden, Prince Felix of Luxembourg and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark.

The UK's King Charles III (who was then a prince) stayed with his former wife Diana, Princess of Wales in 1991, while Monaco’s Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly honeymooned there.

It's home to nine categories of regal suites and penthouses, which are fit for kings and queens, and offers traditional elegance, magnificent paintings, French silk accents and stunning views of the ancient city. It's also where you'll find the Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Imago.

hotelhasslerroma.com

Fairmont San Francisco, US

The rooftop of the Fairmont San Francisco. Photo: Fairmont
The rooftop of the Fairmont San Francisco. Photo: Fairmont

Sitting at the top of Nob Hill, this 592-room property offers panoramic views across San Francisco and has welcomed plenty of royal guests.

Built in 1907, the Fairmont San Francisco has a firm place in pop culture as the first location where Tony Bennett sang his enduring hit I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

Music royalty aside, the likes of King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort and King Hussein of Jordan have all stayed there, as have Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit during their 2013 tour of the US.

fairmont.com/san-francisco

Taj Mahal Palace, India

The Prince and Princess of Wales stayed at Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace in 2016. Photos: Getty Images, Taj Hotels
The Prince and Princess of Wales stayed at Mumbai's Taj Mahal Palace in 2016. Photos: Getty Images, Taj Hotels

The blend of heritage and opulence at this luxury hotel at the Gateway to India has attracted royal visitors and dignitaries for 120 years.

Modern visitors include members of the Japanese royal family and the king and queen of Norway, while past dignitaries include Britain's Prince Philip, King George V and Queen Mary.

When Prince William and his wife Kate, Princess of Wales visited in 2016, they stayed in the Rajput Suite and enjoyed the Jivaniya couple’s treatment from the spa.

tajhotels.com

Le Meurice, France

Le Meurice in Paris has been dubbed the 'Hotel of Kings' owing to the titled luminaries who have stayed there. Photo: Dorchester Collection
Le Meurice in Paris has been dubbed the 'Hotel of Kings' owing to the titled luminaries who have stayed there. Photo: Dorchester Collection

When a hotel is nicknamed the “Hotel of Kings” and its opulence is inspired by Versailles, it’s clear some serious luminaries have passed through the front doors.

The hotel from Dorchester Collection, which opened in 1835 in Paris, has hosted royals from past and present, including King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece and Nikola I of Montenegro.

King Alfonso XIII of Spain stayed at the hotel after he was ousted from the throne in 1931.

Overlooking the Tuileries Garden, all rooms come with butler service and it has the only Valmont spa in Paris.

dorchestercollection.com

Suvretta House St Moritz, Switzerland

A self-professed “fairytale castle” in the Swiss Alps, Suvretta House St Moritz is used to welcoming royals looking for some seriously good skiing. King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are regulars.

It opened in 1912 and King Farouk of Egypt and Crown Prince Akihito of Japan have stayed at the hotel, which has a private ski lift from the front door to whisk guests off to an array of runs and Piz Nair.

The property aims to take a more traditional approach, with a daily tea served at 5pm, while a suit and tie is mandatory for men dining in the evening.

suvrettahouse.ch

How will Gen Alpha invest?

Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.

“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.

Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.

He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.

Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”

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Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

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Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell

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The specs

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES

UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)

  • Saturday 15 January: UAE beat Canada by 49 runs 
  • Thursday 20 January: v England 
  • Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh 

UAE squad:

Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles
Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly,
Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya
Shetty, Kai Smith  

Updated: February 20, 2024, 8:25 AM