Live Like Royalty At These Gorgeous Castle-Inspired Hotels Across The U.S.

These days, many of us enjoy every conceivable type of modern convenience, from smartphones to artificial intelligence, robot vacuums, and beyond. However, for some reason, grand castles — which have been built for millennia but truly began to spread across Europe after the ninth century — continue to permeate fairytales, mythology, and our vacations across the pond, where we marvel at historic sites like Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. Europe is packed with stunning castles, but the United States doesn't seem to have many of its own centuries-old castles to enjoy.

Of course, this isn't entirely true. Throughout the country, Americans have brought the alluring history of castles to life by constructing them as hotels in every state from Ohio to Oregon. Everyone wants to stay in a castle, right? At these unique lodgings, anyone — of royal birth or not — can live like royalty for a night or two, enjoying period furnishings, ornate décor, hand-carved wood details, stone fireplaces, and lush drapery. Here's where to head on your next vacation if you're ready to be treated like royalty, featuring some of the most enchanting castles in the United States.

Back in the heyday of castles, some of these noble structures were surrounded by quiet beaches and daunting cliffs in untouched countryside, and that's precisely the kind of landscape that Arch Cape Inn and Retreat in Arch Cape, Oregon, offers to its guests. This bed-and-breakfast — with just nine rooms making for an intimate stay — is on a truly stunning stretch of the Pacific coast. And since Arch Cape Inn and Retreat is only for adults, it's not encumbered by the noise of unruly kids. Despite its removed location, the castle-like hotel is just a short drive away from local shops, restaurants, and attractions.

Since all of its rooms have gas fireplaces and a lavish breakfast every morning with views of the hotel's lush gardens, you might not need to leave the grounds at all. You can also eat in peace, knowing the chefs are adept at both vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, while the menu changes daily to use ingredients at their seasonal best. Each room at Arch Cape Inn and Retreat is unique, so guests can choose anything from the French-inspired Tapestry Room with a fireplace and soaking tub to the Tower Room adorned with Louis XVI-style furniture for a real castle vibe. Don't forget to enjoy the castle's Common Room and its outdoor patio.

Castle Marne in Denver, Colorado, looks like something straight of the Renaissance with its 22-inch stones, hand-carved fireplace, and stained glass, but it's also a quintessential part of Colorado's history. Built in 1888 by architect William Lang as a private home for an esteemed local family, it was made with stone quarried from a nearby town and is on national and state historic registers. Plus, located near Denver's arts and historic district, it's in a fitting location in the Colorado capital.

Visitors can enjoy Castle Marne's history firsthand by spending the night in one of its five distinctive suites, each named after a Colorado town. Choose from rooms such as the Golden, where guests sleep on an antique brass bed, and the Crestone, which offers a patio as well as a sunny turret. But despite the rooms' historic flair with original fireplaces and detailed woodwork, they all feature modern amenities like aromatherapy showers.

During your stay at Castle Marne, keep an eye out for its most beloved features, such as its peacock-themed stained glass window made in Belgium prior to World War I. Two other favorite features (both on the fireplace) are the carved dolphins — which supposedly welcome guests just as dolphins were once thought to welcome sailors to shore — and the carved Green Man, a symbol of the circle of life.

The United States doesn't have royalty per se, but its most prominent families headed to Newport, Rhode Island, to enjoy their summers in opulence and elegance. Today, the rest of us can enjoy that ambiance at hotels such as the Chanler at Cliff Walk, which was built as the summer home for New York Congressman John Winthrop Chanler in 1873 for $300,000 — more than $7 million today. The castle hosted famous faces like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and President Theodore Roosevelt. Since becoming a hotel in 2000,  guests can live just as American "royalty" did for a few nights in its 20 extravagant rooms decorated with fireplaces, wet bars, and chandeliers.

Each room at the hotel has a different theme, from the English nobility-inspired Regency Room with silk curtains and gold tones to the French-inspired Louis XIV Room with hand-painted leaves and an antique writing desk. And from many rooms in the hotel, guests can enjoy spectacular ocean views. The Chanler at Cliff Walk's exterior is just as stunning as its interior. As the only hotel on the Cliff Walk walking path that weaves between the ocean and iconic Newport mansions, it has a one-of-a-kind prime location on 5 acres with colorful gardens and a fine dining restaurant. Plus, it's just a short jaunt away from notable nearby hotspots like Easton's Beach, downtown Newport, and Bellevue Avenue.

Want to experience what it would be like to own your own castle? At Highlands Castle overlooking Lake George in Bolton Landing, New York, you can (sort of). Groups of two to eight people can book the entirety of Highlands Castle or choose the Castle Cottage or Castle Gatehouse, all surrounded by the exact features one would expect when exploring such a majestic structure.

A booking includes access to nearly the whole structure, including the Great Hall, dining room, and library. Here, life-sized lion statues meet guests at the driveway past foreboding iron gates. Guests are beckoned into the Great Hall, which features hand-carved wooden knight sculptures and European tapestries under sky-high ceilings and behind stained glass doors. Candelabras, Renaissance-style rugs, and even secret passageways are behind every corner. And in the King's Suite, guests can live just as the suite's name suggests, with two terraces with views of Lake George, a private entrance, ornate tiled ceilings, and lush gold bedding.

Despite its historic aesthetic, Highlands Castle was built in the 1980s after a father promised his son that he would build him a castle following a divorce and hard times. As the years went on, the father and son joined one another in continuing to construct the striking property, and the family opened the castle in 2010 to guests looking to enjoy Lake George. The property is a three-minute drive away from local restaurants, boat rentals, museums, and attractions.

Brooklyn attorney and politician Edward Morse Shepard built his Lake George Queen Anne-style stone castle — which he named Erlowest in honor of his parents' hometown of Westerlo — in 1898. Between then and his death just over a dozen years later, Shepard made his beloved home social central, hosting gatherings that entertained big names of the time like George Foster Peabody and Spencer and Katrina Trask. Today, that spirit of hospitality continues at the Inn at Erlowest, which was transformed into a hotel in 1999.

The inn's Castle Suites — only for adults — offer modern conveniences surrounded by the allure of yesteryear, with features like ornate floral wallpaper, private balconies with Lake George views, and fireplaces. Each suite has a different ambiance and inspiration, ranging from the namesake Erlowest Suite with garden-like décor, four-poster bed, and a two-person hot tub, to the Horicon Suite, named for the once-proposed name for Lake George, with a gabled bay window, chaise lounge, and bed with a dark wood-carved headboard.

Families can opt for the property's townhouses, villas, and cabins spread across 15 acres with modern furnishings and spacious accommodations. The castle's history and poise are also reflected in Shepards at Erlowest upscale restaurant, which has garnered four diamonds from AAA through its New American menu served in an elegant space surrounded by lush red and gold wallpaper, ornate Oriental rugs, white tablecloths, and wood details.

The Kentucky Castle looks like something straight out of Versailles, France. Inspired by its European counterparts, the castle (which has been a hotel and event venue under various names and owned by various people since 2008) was built by Rex Martin Sr. in 1969 after a vacation to Europe stirred him to bring a piece of the historically nobility-led continent to the United States. He abandoned the project in 1975 due to personal strife, but years later, the Kentucky Castle found new life as a hospitality epicenter. These days, the castle — set upon more than 100 acres — includes fantastic lodging options, a restaurant, and a spa.

To spend the night like royalty, book rooms such as the Executive Terrace Suite, Presidential Terrace Suite, or Tower Suite, which feature amenities like canopied king beds, private terraces, carved wood furniture, and vintage artwork. These rooms are ideal for guests who want an antique touch to their castle stay without the whole thing feeling full-blown Louis XIV — the minimalist, modern rooms offer just dashes of the opulence that nobility once craved. And at Kentucky Castle, you can still enjoy the fare that kings and queens revered. Its farm-to-table restaurant — Castle Farm — offers seasonal, ever-changing menus, with some dishes made with ingredients grown on the castle grounds.

Rex Martin Sr. wasn't the only person allured by European castles while overseas. After soldier Jim Landoll returned from Europe, he too felt inspired to build a castle on American soil. Years later, his publishing company (the Landoll Publishing Company) became one of the biggest publishers of kids' books in the country, and it was time to build the castle. Landoll sold the company in 1997 and got to work creating Landoll's Mohican Castle, which finally opened in 2002 as a 1,200-foot-tall hotel on 30 acres of land.

The castle remains a family business, operated by Landoll's wife and son. Eleven suites fill the castle, many with jetted hot tubs and fireplaces, all with a traditional grandeur thanks to their carved dark wood furniture, iron chandeliers, gold colors, and ornate ceilings. While staying here, don't forget to embark on a $12 guided castle tour to see all that the lavish property has to offer. Guests can also dine at Landoll's Mohican Castle's restaurant, The Copper Mug, which maintains the same cozy feel as the castle with its black and red colors and menu of comfort American eats designed in consultation by Gordon Ramsay.

The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside, California, may be grand now, but it started out as a modest cottage in 1876. However, the site has continually expanded over the years and takes up an entire city block today. Within its unique Spanish Mission-style façade that differs from many of the other castles on this list, the AAA Four-Diamond hotel has attracted America's own sort of royalty, counting icons such as Harry Houdini, Judy Garland, Bette Davis, and Cary Grant as guests.

Today, more people than ever before can spend the night at this Californian castle. Unlike many other castle-style hotels in the United States, Mission Inn Hotel & Spa has tons of rooms, with 238 guestrooms and 27 suites for guests to choose from. Rooms include royal touches alongside modern amenities in suites fit for a king, such as the Alhambra Suite, which features French doors and a Spanish patio, as well as a list of prominent past guests like Ronald Reagan. But if you're more of a queen, the Kensington Kelly Suite might be your style, as it's doused in pink hues and includes a seating area with a tea set, a fireplace, and a private patio.

For 135 years, the Norumbega — also known as "The Stone Castle by the Sea" — could only be enjoyed by the few lucky families that lived there. Despite its private nature, several presidents of the United States visited the families living here. However, since 2022, the property on the National Register of Historic Places can be relished by all, as it was converted into a hotel. An acclaimed hotel at that, as the Norumbega (named in honor of a word describing Penobscot Bay) has been named among the best new hotels in the country.

It's all thanks to Will Haynie, a Big Apple architect who saw the Norumbega's allure and, alongside his partner Brett, brought the storied estate back to life. These days, visitors can choose from the inn's 11 sophisticated, one-of-a-kind suites, ranging from the Balmoral — known for its all-encompassing ocean views — to the Sandringham, which features a turret room as well as a fireplace. In the common areas, guests are surrounded by antique Italian lighting, salvaged rugs, art made by local artisans, and a grand piano.

Take one look out the window of one of the 32 guestrooms of Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York, and you might think you're at a French château, thanks to the property's towering peaks and Versailles-like manicured gardens. Speaking of France, here are the must-see castles to visit on your next trip there. But even though the castle — set upon more than 440 acres — is the second-biggest home in the country and was once called "the finest country house in America" by the New York Times, it almost fell forgotten to history. 

After being built in 1919 by a financier and philanthropist, it was the playground of the East Coast elite during the Gilded Age, a place where tons of parties for famous actors, international royalty, and heads of state were held. It was later abandoned and fell victim to vandalism until it was saved by a $40 million renovation — the biggest ever undertaken in America.

The 109,000-square-foot castle is now on the National Register of Historic Places and is a hotel where anyone with deep pockets can relive the splendor of the 1920s. Options include the aptly named Gatsby Suites with four-poster beds, lush furnishings, antique artwork, and iron chandeliers, and the Olmsted Suite, which features two terraces with panoramic views of the surrounding property.

Want to sleep at the top of a tower like Rapunzel, tucked away in a suite with a fireplace? Or how about deep in a cozy, brick-lined dungeon? At Ravenwood Castle in New Plymouth, Ohio, you can, as the castle's rooms are themed after your favorite storybooks. If you're bringing the whole family, Ravenwood Castle has plenty of family-friendly yet castle-themed accommodations, including Cinderella's Coach House and Spinster's Cottage. And whether your guests number eight or 80, the castle offers lots of classic medieval games to keep your group entertained during the stay.

Surrounded by the castle is dense forestry, only adding to the fantastical atmosphere. It was created by an American couple in 1995 who spent their vacations journeying through England, touring the country's medieval castles. Heading to Europe yourself? Visit Rick Steves' all-time favorite castles while on the continent. Nearly two decades later, Ravenwood Castle was purchased by another couple who had often stayed at the marvelous building, who now continue to share the allure of ancient English castles with travelers.

Unlike the famous castles found across the medieval towns of Europe, most of America's castles are only a century or two old. However, Thornewood Castle in Lakewood, Washington, isn't like the rest. An English Tudor Gothic structure, Thornewood Castle was built using pieces of a 400-year-old manor in England that was bought in 1907 by banker Chester Thorne. Using three ships, Thorne brought the remnants of the manor to Washington to construct a 27,000-square-foot country home for his family on 3 acres. Nowadays, the historic site is a 22-bedroom hotel with hidden gems around every corner, including stained glass from 15th-century churches and doors made from a 500-year-old English oak tree.

Choose from Middle Age-themed rooms like Lord Byron's Suite with a four-poster bed and a fireplace, and the Rose Red Room, named for Stephen King's namesake television series that was filmed at the property and has an original in-room sink and views of the estate's lake. Speaking of horror, you might spot some guests you weren't anticipating at Thornewood Castle, as the property is supposedly home to several ghosts, including party guests in the Great Hall, Chester Thorne himself, his wife, and their children. But don't worry — they've never sought to harm anyone and just want to continue enjoying their grandiose home. There's nothing wrong with staying in a haunted house, after all.