1. Pizarro Mansion
The Spanish conqueror of Latin America, Francisco Pizarro, like every descendant of this refined and proud nation, had a keen sense of beauty and an irrepressible craving for luxury. That is why the conquistador’s mansion in Cuzco today is considered one of the most remarkable medieval estates in Peru. Anyone can make sure of this — the Palacio del Inca Hotel invites you to spend the night under the historical arches. The building was built in the 16th century and, according to Pizarro’s plan, it was supposed to wipe the nose of other conquistadores. The ambitious Spaniard managed it one hundred percent: the palace was built right on the ruins of the temple of the Virgins of the Sun, and in the interiors of the current hotel you keep coming across ancient stones — they were organically inscribed into the foundation and supports of the walls. Another highlight is the balcony from which Francisco gave a speech to the puzzled Inca before walking over their heads with fire and sword. Modern trends include a rich collection of paintings and an underground spa, where it is very pleasant to relieve fatigue after walking around Machu Picchu.
2. Sand Palace in Montevideo
In the golden 1930s, the Karasco Hotel was known exclusively by the pompous and promising name of the Sandy Palace. And this was not a simple exaggeration — the pompous hotel was erected according to the project of French and Swiss architects on an amazing stretch of beach on the Uruguayan coast — exactly opposite Rio de la Plata and halfway between Montevideo and Punta del Este. Wealthy Argentines liked to relax here, as well as no less famous “citizens of the world”: Albert Einstein and Federico Garcia Lorca. But later tourism in the region began to develop rapidly, and the hotel gradually faded into the background until it closed in 1997. In 2013, the Sofitel network bought the dilapidated building and poured 75 million USD into the reconstruction, returning the status of the national treasure of Uruguay to the Sand Palace.
3. Knickerbocker, New York
Before finding his tragic end on board the Titanic (money is evil!), American millionaire John Jacob Astor IV managed to become famous mainly for two things, both from the field of hotel business. In the very center of New York, he opened two of the most luxurious hotels – the first, unsurprisingly, he called “Astor”, and the second “Knickerbocker” (this is the slang nickname of the inhabitants of the Big Apple). Alas, there is nothing left of Astor — the building was demolished in 1968, but Knickerbocker lives and thrives and is even preparing to celebrate its second birth in the fall of 2014. Mr. John managed to launch his tentacles so skillfully into the New York City Mayor’s office that he got a separate entrance for his “Nickname” directly from the subway, and also opened a luxurious bar in the hotel, where, as rumor has it, the Martini was invented. Otherwise, the history of the hotel is also glorious: Rockefeller was a guest here and the action of Fitzgerald’s debut novel “This Side of Paradise” unfolded. Well, by the re-opening of the hotel, he will get an additional rooftop bar with a view of Times Square.