You may think that modern hotels are the best ones due to their modern conveniences and facilities, but the truth is that some of the world’s most incredible hotels actually operate within old historical buildings. A great example is the Tainaron Blue Retreat, which is located in Vathia, Greece. It operates within an old 19th century stone tower that offers fantastic panoramas of the Taygetos Mountains and the sea.
The tower has been redesigned by Kostas Zouvelos & Kassiani Theodorakakou in 2014 and includes three vintage rooms with ecological toilets, fine linen and beautiful works of art. As you can probably imagine, converting an 19th century tower into a comfortable hotel was no easy task, particularly since the available interior space was limited. The architects organized the living area along a vertical axis, which features wooden stairs as well as rocks that come out of the walls and arches.
During the 2015 edition of the 100% Hotel Design Awards, the Tainaron Blue Retreat won the first prize, all thanks to its outstanding design and beautiful swimming pool.
