Built directly on the source of the Mauritius spring, St. Moritz’ first luxury hotel opened over 100 years ago in 1864 and re-opened in December 2002, after extensive renovations, as the Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains. The resort originally became famous for its mineral spring, discovered some 3,000 years ago. The Celts came through the Engadine in 300 – 800 B.C. and one of the most important artefacts remaining from the Bronze Ages is a 3,500 year-old spring catchment basin now on display at the Engadine Museum in St. Moritz. The first summer visitors began coming to the natural springs during the Middle Ages and, in 1519, Pope Leo X even promised absolution to believers who bathed in the spring waters at St. Moritz. The spa’s famed physician, Paracelsus, spread the mineral springs’ renown far beyond the Swiss borders. Gradually, more and more guests from all over Europe undertook the voyage to St. Moritz to enjoy the healing qualities of these springs. The restorative powers of the Mauritius spring waters can be experienced by drinking a glass of spring water from the fountain in the hotel’s High Alpine Spa area, which offers treatments using resources from Swiss nature.

The Çırağan (pronounced ‘Chiraan’) Palace was originally a small mansion built of wood by Kaya Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Murat IV, and her husband Grand Vizier Melek Ahmet Pasha at the end of the 16th Century. At the beginning of the 18th century, Ahmet III presented the house and grounds to his son-in-law, Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha of Nevşehir, who organized torchlit fetes known as Çırağan Şenlikleri (Çırağan Festivals) with his wife, Fatma Sultan. It was then that the area became known as Çırağan. Rebuilt in marble in 1857 and completed in 1874, it was home to the last of the Ottoman sultans. When Sultan Abdülaziz acceded to the throne, he demanded that his palace be built in Arab style as a memorial to his reign. The finest marble and mother of pearl were brought from all over the world for the new Çırağan Palace, but Sultan Abdülaziz only lived there for a few months before pronouncing it to be too damp to stay in and moving out again. In 1910 a fire badly damaged the Palace and it lay abandoned until 1986 when restoration began. In 1991, the grounds saw a faithful reconstruction of the Palace, made according to drawings and design sketches or clues left behind by fragments of the original building, in addition to which a grand European-style hotel was built. The Çırağan Palace Kempinski is the only five-star property in Istanbul to sit on the European shores of the Bosphorus. Part of Turkey’s great legacy from the era of the sultans is the Çırağan Palace Kempinski. Elsewhere in Istanbul, there have been attempts to recreate the gracious lifestyle of the sultans within new hotels, but there is a world of difference between saying, “This is what the walls of a sultan’s palace would have looked like” and “These are the very walls”.

The main building of Le Mirador Kempinski Lake Geneva was constructed around 1904, originally as a Medical Centre for peaceful recoveries. After World War II, it was operated for several decades as Hotel Mon Repos. In 1970, American entrepreneur Joseph M. Segel acquired the hotel and changed its name to Le Mirador. During the course of the next 20 years, Le Mirador expanded, developing into a destination resort and international conference centre. In 1990, work on an extensive $25 million renovation programme was begun. Le Mirador reopened on March 1, 1994, sumptuously redecorated and greatly enhanced with new facilities and amenities. In January 2003, Kempinski signed the management contract for Le Mirador, which became Le Mirador Kempinski. 2003 was also the year of the complete renovation of the Spa that became the first Givenchy Spa in Switzerland, honouring original plans to include hydrotherapy and physiotherapy. In 2004, the Fitness centre and the banqueting areas were remodelled and most of the guest rooms renovated again.

Situated in an historic courthouse, the Grade II listed building of the Courthouse Hotel Kempinski London retains much of its original splendour, including a number of quirky features. The Great Marlborough Street Magistrate’s Court has played host to many famous cases over the years, guilty or not guilty Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Oscar Wilde have all passed through the Courthouse’s doors. Many remnants of this time have been incorporated into the building’s current scheme. Original Robert Adams fireplaces adorn several of the suites, and The Bar’s private tables are actually inside three of the original prison cells. Silk, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, is the old Number One court where the judges’ bench, witness stand and dock take centre stage. Elsewhere in the hotel, glimpses of former use can be seen – such as the iron bars that separate the lobby from The Bar.

The elegant Kempinski Hotel Dukes’ Palace right in Europe’s heart, in the Belgian city of Bruges, is the first five star property in this picturesque town. The old town of Bruges, which is a UNESCO heritage site, provides the historic setting of the ‘Prinsenhof’ which over the years has been home to Duke Philip the Good, French and English nuns and now for the distinguished business and leisure traveller. In 1429, Duke Philip requested the castle to be built to celebrate his marriage to Isabelle of Portugal. The ‘Prinsenhof’ became the political, economical and cultural centre of the Belgian Dukes and at some stage even achieved royal status. Only after the death of Philip’s granddaughter in 1482, the glory and glamour of the palace started to fade. Over the next century, the castle was used as a nunnery, before being taken over by the city of Bruges. Today, with its grand architecture, its gourmet restaurant and banqueting facilities, the hotel is the perfect venue for business and festive functions. The hotel features six historic suites, decorated with original paintings, lovingly restored ornaments, carvings and stucco work. Other listed features of the property include an impressive chapel and an historic elevator.