Palaces

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What is a palace?

If you'd like to experience an opulent vacation, a palace might just be the right accommodation for you. Unsurprisingly, many palaces enjoy 4- or 5-star ratings and feature swanky rooms and suites, and imposing communal spaces with striking decor. With their history and heritage, palaces create the perfect ambience for you to channel your inner royal while relaxing in a spa or enjoying fine-dining restaurants.

Why should I stay at a palace?

Palaces are all about luxury. Most offer chic spas and large outdoor pools that will leave you feeling truly pampered. At a palace, you're likely to stay in a room or suite with a 4-poster bed, elegant period details, and plush furnishings. Your palace accommodation is also likely to offer you beautiful vistas of your surroundings. For instance, if you stay in a palace in Lombardy, you might just get treated to spectacular views of Lake Como from your grand balcony. You can live like royalty while you're on vacation if you opt to spend it in a palace.


Where do you find palaces?

Any part of the world that has ever housed royals and nobles is likely to have a palace or two that will accommodate travellers. Whether you're in Aruba, Cancun, or France, you'll have a number of these refined picks to choose from. Most palaces are found in luxe destinations, but you can also spot a few in historic villages and towns, where some heritage-rich buildings have been converted into palace hotels.


How much does it cost to stay in a palace?

There's no question about the steep price tag that comes with staying in a palace. Travellers who want to experience the ultimate royal treatment can shell out even more money to stay in a palace that comes with posh amenities like personal butler service and Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as magnificent infinity pools and private beaches.


How to book a palace

Expedia has made it easy for travellers to find the perfect palatial stay. You can use the search portal in the same way you would when looking for a conventional hotel. The search results can be filtered according to property type to help you narrow your choices down to the palace of your dreams. While you're searching for a palace, you might as well check out flights and car rental services, so you can score a good deal by booking these together with your stay.


What do palaces offer?

We can't expect all palaces to be as grandiose as Versailles, but many palaces do come close. Most of these ritzy accommodations come with extremely refined interiors decorated with antiques. Traditional architecture is stylishly fused with contemporary facilities - think of palaces with Mughal domes in India, walls with Mudejar carvings in Andalusia, and spectacular colonial homes in the Caribbean. And then, of course, you get the luxurious amenities fit for a king and a queen. Many of these high-end stays offer indoor and outdoor pools, swanky restaurants, and chic spas, along with butler service, valet parking, and 24-hour in-room dining.


Palaces vs castles

Most people confuse one for the other, so what's the difference between palaces and castles? Palaces and castles have plenty in common, such as architecture that often dates back hundreds of years, and a rich, often intriguing history. But while castles were built to house and defend nobility, palaces were built for their leisurely activities. Hence, while castles might have keeps and stone-hewn bulwarks, palaces come with magnificent dining spaces and manicured gardens.