Welcome To The New Era Of Non-Hotel

Welcome To The New Era Of Non-Hotel

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In Expedia’s latest annual travel report, Unpack 26, one emerging trend flagged for the year ahead is what the travel company calls: ‘Salvaged Stays’. “Where architectural relics have been converted into remarkable retreats—offering travellers unforgettable accommodation. Whether it’s sleeping in a 12-century abbey in France, a stylish former schoolhouse in Kyoto or a historic train station in Nashville, these hotels put the ‘rest’ in restoration,” says the report.

Sleeping in historic properties-turned-hotels is not new, of course. Aman is one luxury brand that has form in reimagining precious buildings—think: Aman Venice, which is carved out of the 16th century Palazzo Papadopoli and Aman at Summer Palace Beijing, which dates back to 1750. Banks, prisons and castles have long been converted into luxury hotels, but the new breed of hotel goes one step further with curated offerings that root the guest to the destination.

One such example is Henry’s Townhouse in London’s Marylebone—a bijoux six bedroom property, created from a period townhouse that was once owned by Henry Austen, brother of novelist Jane Austen. Its Regency-style interiors place you in a bygone time, and its academic-led, cultural offering, with literary talks, masterclasses and out-of-hours visits to exhibitions, bolsters a stay here with a deep dive into the time of Austen.

Meanwhile, The Malkai, which opens in Oman in Autumn 2026, takes the notion of conventional hotel and rips it up. Opening as more of an experience-led hospitality concept, it will offer guests a unique immersion into the Sultanate of Oman via three stunning locations. The culmination of a decade-long dream, passed down through generations by one family (the founders of The Chedi Muscat), The Malkai is dedicated to protecting and sharing the natural beauty and heritage of Oman. Guests will depart on one extraordinary journey, giving them unparalleled access to three remarkable locations: the coastal farmlands of Barkaa, near Muscat, the soaring Al Hajar mountains, and the sweeping dunes of Sharqiyah Sands. Staying in luxury tented pavilion suites, the Omani pilgrimage offers guests inspiring journeys between the three Malkai sites, accompanied by their own dedicated Murshid (guide, friend and philosopher) for immersive four- to ten-night journeys.

Found in Kavala, in northern Greece, is Imaret. Anna Missirian, owner of the newly-renovated property, frowns upon using the word ‘hotel’ to describe what she has carefully crafted over many years from the ruins of a heritage building. ”Imaret is so much more,” she says. “Describing it as a hotel seems too diminutive. Part retreat, part wellness concept, with exceptional food at its heart, and led by the culture rooted in the building’s history; it will mean something different to each person that stays here.”

Built on the site of an ancient Greek temple, Imaret is more monument than hotel. It is a notable landmark in an otherwise ordinary Greek town. Rising above the old walls of the city, it has a rich and complex history. The ‘modern’ iteration was built in 1813 by Muhammed Ali Pasha, a ruler under Ottoman rule, who had been granted the role of viceroy of Egypt (he was later widely credited to be the founder of modern Egypt due to his forward-thinking political and social changes). He opened Imaret as a charitable project, to offer food to the town’s poor, through a bustling soup kitchen, and it also served as a theological school for boys, operating for nearly a century, until it fell into disuse in 1920.

Anna, who hails from a prominent tobacco merchant family (the leading industry of Kavala and the surrounding area), grew up admiring the peach-coloured building and was determined to rescue it. “It was too beautiful not to be saved,” she said. Faced with complicated negotiations with the Egyptian government, who technically own the building, which lasted some eight years, she says: “Even then, faced with many obstacles, I knew I wouldn’t give up.”

Finally, permission was granted to renovate the building—a feat which took seven years to complete using master artisans to put the building back together with a commitment to historical detail. Eventually, in 2004, it opened as a 26-room hotel at a cost of €7m. “But then… I realised —with a shock—that I didn’t actually want it to be a hotel in the traditional sense,” Anna laughs. “It just didn’t feel right. I wanted to give people something more and I wanted to respect the history that is woven into the walls.”

The outcome is Imaret’s most recent reimagination, which has been three years in the making, and which opens this month. While most hoteliers look to make their properties bigger, Anna, instead, has made hers ‘smaller’, reopening as a luxury retreat with just eight suites. While most hotels want to fill their rooms, Anna is adamnant she will never fill every suite with guests. “The silence and quiet calm is an important aspect of Imaret,” she says.

“The concept is hard to explain,” she continues. “It’s more about a feeling that comes over you when you are here; the intimacy you find; the meaningful experiences you can enjoy.”

The basic configuration of the original school remains the same at Imaret; except the once-small cells the boys slept in have now been joined to form expansive suites, now called Private Quarters. It’s a rambling building spread over two floors with three inner gardens, filled with roses, orange trees and herbs, and which are all designed around Islamic principles, just as they would have been when Muhammed opened its doors.

Throughout, a deep-rooted respect for the building’s roots and heritage has been observed, with the interior design giving nods to the Ottoman Empire, with rich colours and intricate design accents, as well as celebrating the original architecture. Many rooms have high, domed ceilings, stone fireplaces and framed artefacts, found during the restoration project. In one room, writing, thought to have been made by the boys who once studied here, has been left on the wall.

In fact, no expense has been spared when it comes to the interiors, with each room having a different size, shape and décor. One of the largest, Watergarden 16, is like a small apartment, made up of a series of three rooms to create a bedroom, bathroom and living room. Rubelli fabrics are used for drapes and bed throws, Turkish rugs are handmade by the most skilled craftsmen and specially commissioned Iksel fabric panels line some of the walls—their illustrations depicting elements of Imaret’s history. Lighting everywhere is atmospheric, with small lamps and reading lights giving a mysterious ambiance to each space.

“A very important element of the interiors is the use of fabrics,” Anna adds. “Rugs, pillows, couches and curtains define the atmosphere of the spaces. We worked with Rubelli for their simple yet high-quality velvets; with Sanderson and Samuel & Sons for tassels—a detail deeply rooted in Ottoman traditions and, also, long celebrated in Venice, which is also linked to the Ottoman Empire. We also collaborated with Iksel—whose founders, Turkish and Indian, bring an innate understanding of heritage—as well as with the French house Ananbô.”

Anna continues: “The interiors change with the seasons: linens are used in summer, while velvets and silks transform the aesthetic in winter. Fresh roses, violets and herbs also play a key role, bringing colour, fragrance, and vitality to the rooms. All handmade carpets come from Turkey and Egypt, while many antique rugs belong to a private collection. Above all, every choice is guided by quality and by harmony with Imaret itself. We seek a balance of colours that should never be striking, but subtle, allowing engravings and rugs to provide the necessary accents. In this way, the design follows the complexity and character of Imaret itself.”

Visit in the winter and the rooms are cosy with ruby red and forest green velvets, embroidered throws and silk carpets; in spring, the whole décor is changed to lighter fabrics and colours to reflect the change in seasons: cream linens and gauzy textiles. This sense of connecting to the seasons is extended to the food offering, which is overseen by local chef Stelios Hatziavramidis. Forget bog-standard menus, though, everything here is bespoke, with meals crafted in collaboration with guests, and with Stelios’s ‘rhythm of dining’ concept meaning there are culinary ‘highlights’ throughout the day as well as three multi-course meals—pastries mid-morning; afternoon tea and cocktail hour with small bites.

Whether you eat on a candlelit terrace, with a soft pashmina to cover your shoulders if the temperature drops, or a cosy dining room with a roaring fire; each meal is served in a different location (there are five dining rooms at Imaret). All the produce is sourced from a 30km radius, with Stelios meeting local fishermen every morning for the catch of the day and growing many ingredients in Imaret’s own vegetable garden. From Aegean dishes, think: a traditional rich moussaka and Greek salad, to revived recipes that date back to the 1700s, such as a chilled chicken and almond soup and artisan breads, Stelios’s inspiration is wide. For breakfast, there are just-baked pastries and Koulouria bread—sesame-studded rounds that are similar to bagels. Honey is sourced from a local farm and jams are made by one of Imaret’s in-house team; lunch might be inspired by the scholars of old, with a dish of lemon and rosemary flavoured chickpeas or a plate of Manti dumplings. Desserts are intricate affairs, with Greek and Turkish influences, that are just too good to refuse.

With its almost monastic-feel, it is easy to stay put at Imaret. Mindfulness is its USP. Cats slink around the courtyards, and swallows dive from the domed roofs. The air is scented by roses; as are the rooms, which are cleaned by a special formula made by Stelios from orange peel and rose petals, sourced from the gardens. Stone steps—some revealing a polished white marble, dating from the original Greek temple—lead you into quiet corners. You might come across the restored kitchen room, with its unerground terracotta pots, where women once cooked pilau rice for the town’s needy, or you might head to the serene pool (the only new addition to Imaret)—which is, no doubt, a welcome offering on a hot, Greek day. Before you’ve even opened your book on one of the day beds, an iced pomegranate juice and bowl of almonds will be served.

An important part of Imaret is its wellness offering which focuses on Ayurvedic treatments, such as Shirodhara (where a warm stream of oil is poured across your ‘third eye’) and Abhyanga massages, with orange blossom and sesame oils. Led by husband and wife duo, Sharu and Vanu Marigowda, who original hail from Mysuru in India, and come from working at a line-up of international hotels, guests can curate their own tailored ritual journey. A consultation will help curate your line-up of bespoke treatments, including massages, using herbal compresses and botanical oils, and facials, with honey, rose oil and chamomile.

Taking place in Imaret’s original hamam, you can book in for a traditional hammam experience on the marble beds, which includes an intoxicating massage with black soap and foaming white soap. Another highlight is the Watsu healing ceremonies in Imaret’s indoor cistern, which dates back to the building’s origins but is now converted into a serene, indoor pool. Meditation by candlelight in Imaret’s historic mosque (no longer used for religious purposes) is also not to be missed

Along the same street as Imaret is Imaret’s founder, Mohammaed Ali’s, House, an 18th century Ottoman mansion, that Anna also helped restore, and which is worth a visit. Guests can also tap into Imaret’s thoughtful line-up of curated cultural excursions, from exploring the nearby ancient Greek city of Philippi or kayaking along Nestos River.

By night, Imaret is lit up by some 150 candles, found on all surfaces in every room. There’s also pretty, string lights illuminating the trees. It’s like walking into a scene from the One Thousand and One Nights fairytale. There are no TVs in the room, but you’ll hardly notice this. You can borrow a book from the library or read one of the art journals in your room. Before you get into bed, you’ll find a brass bowl with a herbal compress and fresh towels for you to ceremonially wash your feet, just like they would have done before bed in the Ottoman age. It’s just one of the little details that enable the elevation of a hotel into something entirely different.

#Era #NonHotel

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