March 18, 2023

These Former Banks Turned Into Opulent Boutique Hotels

Evoking opulence through neoclassical architecture, soaring ceilings, and heaps of marble, banks helm affluent qualities hotels aspire to achieve. To no one's surprise, many of these magnificent financial institutions were repurposed into dazzling boutique hotels — after all, what better setting for an upscale boutique stay than the grandeur of these once-affluent banks? For those that have a history knack, these nine banks-turned-boutique-hotels provide guests with a rich travel experience. 

Riggs Washington DC (Washington DC, U.S.)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 5 Stars
  • Rooms: 181
  • Airport: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

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Amenities:

  • Fitness center
  • Spa
  • Room service
  • 2 Bars & Restaurants

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Located in the U.S. capital's Penn Quarter neighborhood, Riggs Washington DC sits in the former Riggs National Bank — famed for once being referred to as the "Bank of Presidents," with it being the place of shelter for 23 U.S. presidents' financial records (Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Richard Nixon to name a few). Holding a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, Riggs is one of the last standing Richardsonian-Romanesque style buildings: Corinthian columns, ornate ceiling sculptures, and grand ceilings permeate this treasured stay. 

Hotel de Rome, a Rocco Forte Hotel (Berlin, Germany)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 5 Stars
  • Rooms: 145
  • Airport: Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt

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Amenities:

  • Fitness center
  • Spa
  • Room service
  • 1 Bar & Restaurant

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Set on Berlin's historic Bebelplatz public square, Hotel de Rome exudes prestige from the inside out. Once the headquarters of the profound 19th-century Dresden Bank, grandeur remains apparent in Hotel de Rome's overall design. The 145 guestrooms display classic interiors with modern amenities: plush furnishings, Renaissance-style artworks, and expansive windows decorate each corridor. Within several suites and public spaces, guests will find remnants of the hotel's storied past — the Historic Banker Suite was the stately conference room of the bank and boasts original oak-paneled walls and swarthy-toned features throughout.

Credit: Tanveer Badal

The National, Autograph Collection (Oklahoma City, U.S.)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 4 Stars
  • Rooms: 146
  • Airport: Will Rogers World Airport

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Amenities:

  • Fitness center
  • Room service
  • 3 Bars & Restaurants

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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The National, Autograph Collection was formerly Oklahoma City's First National Bank. Today, inside, guests will feel transported back in time to the building's 1930s origins, with its shimmering gold-accented art deco and neoclassical aesthetic: authentic marble bank columns in The Great Hall, as well as four large-scale murals painted by Edgar Spier Simon in 1931, depict scenes of significant events from Oklahoma's history. Repurposing bank teller windows into booth dividers in the hotel's restaurant, Teller's, and transforming the old bank vault into a swanky underground cocktail experience, the Library of Distilled Spirits, adds a nice historical touch, too.

Gleneagles Townhouse (Edinburgh, Scotland)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 5 Stars
  • Rooms: 33
  • Airport: Edinburgh Airport

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Amenities:

  • Fitness center
  • Free WiFi
  • Room service
  • 1 Bar & Restaurant

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Once the Bank of Scotland now stands as Edinburg's Gleneagles Townhouse: a chic boutique hotel and members club on the iconic St. Andrew Square. Within the 33 guestrooms, timeless Georgian motifs connect to the hotel's heritage: canopy beds shaded in soft pinks, yellows, and blues, characterful wood floors, and marbled vanity spaces dress each space. The Strong Rooms — the hotel's luxury gym and wellness studio — sit in the original bank vault, flanked by antique cellar doors. 

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BOOK WITH US FOR PERKS

  • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily Full breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant
  • $100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
  • Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

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The Woodward (Lake Geneva, Switzerland)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 5 Stars
  • Rooms: 26
  • Airport: Geneva International Airport

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Amenities:

  • Indoor swimming pool
  • Fitness center
  • Spa
  • 2 Bars & Restaurants

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Perched in front of Lake Geneva's crystal blue waters sits The Woodward: a 26-key elegant all-suite hotel. The foregoing building began as a hotel, was converted to a private bank, then reconfigured back to its predestined use. Interiorly, the exterior post-Haussman building dating back to 1901 gives way to classic-meets-contemporary design: bright white trappings, elegant Baccarat chandeliers, and lake-facing balconies make this already opulent stay an ultimate city escape.

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BOOK WITH US FOR PERKS

  • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily Full breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom served in the restaurant and via in-room dining (already included in hotel rates)
  • $100 USD equivalent in local currency Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
  • Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

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Book Now

The Joule (Dallas, U.S.)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 4 Stars
  • Rooms: 195
  • Airport: Dallas Love Field Airport

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Amenities:

  • Fitness center
  • Spa
  • Room service
  • 1 Bar & Restaurant

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Housed in the former Dallas National Bank, The Joule is a reinvented boutique stay in the heart of Downtown Dallas. Distinct neo-gothic architecture leads to 195 guestrooms and suites, which pay tribute to the landmark hotel's storied National Bank past life. Adding to its historical significance, The Joule boasts over 70 mid-century large-scale mosaics by artist Millard Sheets, which were originally commissioned in the '40s for downtown's previous Mercantile Building. 

Credit: Matthew Williams

The Quoin (Delaware, U.S.)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 5 Stars
  • Rooms: 24
  • Airport: New Castle Airport

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Amenities:

  • Room service
  • Private parking
  • Bar
  • 1 Bar & Restaurant

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Positioned in the heart of Wilmington's historic district, the Quion is a reimagined upscale boutique hotel from its preceding Security Trust & Safe Deposit Company: a two-story Victorian-Romanesque brownstone established in 1885. Guests are greeted by the golden front gates, which segue into a moody, Victorian-era lobby. The 24 guestrooms and suites showcase clean, earthy-toned furnishings and elegant vintage arched windows, allowing natural sunlight to spill in. 


Book Now

Querencia de Sevilla, Autograph Collection (Seville, Spain)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 4 Stars
  • Rooms: 95
  • Airport: Seville Airport

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Amenities:

  • Outdoor swimming pool

• Fitness center

• Room service

  • 1 Bar & Restaurant

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Set in the former Bank of Andalucía, Querencia de Sevilla, Autograph Collection, offers a prime location for exploring Andalucia's capital city (from the Plaza de España to the Royal Alcázar of Seville, it's all within walking distance). Elegantly remodeled interiors reflect traditional Sevillian style with modern attributes: neutral-toned wood floors and pops of violet or emerald green accented splendors decorate the 95 guest spaces.

Rosewood Vienna (Vienna, Austria)

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Key Points:

  • Website
  • 5 Stars
  • Rooms: 99
  • Airport: Vienna International Airport

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Amenities:

  • Fitness center
  • Spa
  • Free WiFi
  • 2 Bars & Restaurants

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Ideally located on Old Town Vienna's famed Petersplatz, the Rosewood Vienna merges past and present in its remodeled 19th-century host edifice. Once Austria's first savings known as the Erste Group Bank AG of 1819, the 99-key boutique hotel display timeless design: European Belle Époque exteriors give way to contemporary interiors. Sybarites will love the hotel's crown jewel — the 1,800 square-foot Presidential Suite — which boasts luxurious details synonymous with its wealthy bank origin.

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Britney Eschelman

Associate Editor & Creative Content Strategist

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