A place to stay becomes far more interesting when the building itself has a story to tell. Former warehouses, merchant townhouses and historic mansions can reveal how a neighbourhood developed through trade, architecture and local craftsmanship.

Many have been carefully adapted for modern guests while retaining original details such as timber beams, masonry walls and decorative finishes.

Staying in converted historic properties gives travellers a closer look at the history of the property and the neighbourhood around it, without giving up modern comforts. Below are five destinations where restored buildings have been turned into characterful places to stay.

Clerkenwell, London: An Industrial Quarter Reinvented as a Design District

During the nineteenth century, Clerkenwell became closely associated with trades such as watchmaking, jewellery, printing and precision manufacturing, alongside breweries and gin distilleries. Small workshops and warehouses spread through streets around Clerkenwell Green and St John Street, and many surviving buildings still retain the recognisable brickwork, large windows and industrial proportions associated with that period.

As manufacturing moved away from central London, former workshops and commercial buildings found new uses as homes, offices, design studios and hospitality spaces. Victorian warehouses on St John Street still retain features such as exposed brickwork, timber floors and cast-iron structural elements.

Today, the neighbourhood is known for boutique hotels in central London, alongside independent restaurants, design studios and historic buildings. Farringdon station sits within the district, while Clerkenwell Green and Smithfield are close enough to explore on foot.

Kyoto, Japan: Centuries-Old Machiya Townhouses Given New Life

Traditional wooden townhouses known as machiya shaped Kyoto’s streets during the Edo and Meiji periods. These long, narrow buildings commonly placed commercial space at the front and living quarters behind, with small interior courtyard gardens called tsuboniwa bringing light and ventilation into the property. Other distinctive features include timber lattice screens (koshi) at street level and plaster-framed windows (mushiko-mado) on upper floors.

Thousands of Kyoto’s traditional townhouses have disappeared through redevelopment and demolition. Under the city’s current ordinance, kyomachiya are defined as traditional wooden buildings constructed before 1950, with measures in place to support their preservation and continued use. Restored properties in areas such as Nishijin and Higashiyama can retain tatami rooms, timber structures, courtyard gardens and sliding screens while adapting the interiors for modern guests.

Copenhagen, Denmark: Harbour Warehouses Reimagined for Modern Design

Copenhagen’s historic waterfront still has eighteenth-century warehouses that once stored grain and imported goods arriving by ship. In Christianshavn, buildings such as Eigtveds Pakhus date back to the city’s trading era, when warehouses along the harbour handled goods including tea, spices, textiles and porcelain. Many retain their heavy timber structures, brick walls and large openings facing the water.

One of the clearest examples of adaptive reuse is the Admiral Hotel on Toldbodgade, housed in a former grain warehouse built in 1787. Its original Pomeranian pine beams and warehouse windows remain visible throughout the building, while the interiors have been updated for contemporary use.

The waterfront location also puts guests close to Copenhagen’s architectural landmarks. The Danish Architecture Centre sits in BLOX on the harbour, while Nyhavn and Amalienborg are within easy reach on foot.

Lisbon, Portugal: Tiled Townhouses Restored for a New Era

After the devastating 1755 earthquake, central Lisbon was rebuilt using an earthquake-resistant timber system known as the gaiola pombalina. The internal wooden framework became a defining feature of Pombaline buildings in areas such as Baixa. During the nineteenth century, tiled façades became increasingly common across Lisbon, with patterned azulejos covering townhouses and other urban buildings. Manufacturers such as Viúva Lamego, founded in 1849, became closely associated with the city’s decorative tile tradition.

Many historic residential buildings have since been restored and adapted for modern stays, while retaining details such as tiled façades, wrought-iron balconies, high ceilings and shuttered windows. Neighbourhoods including Chiado and Santa Catarina put travellers close to historic streets, viewpoints and Lisbon’s Route 28 tram, while preserving much of the architecture that gives these parts of the city their character.

Cartagena, Colombia: Colonial Mansions Preserved Behind Walled Streets

Cartagena’s historic centre sits within an extensive system of walls and fortifications begun by the Spanish in the late sixteenth century and expanded over the following two centuries. Inside, historic residences feature thick stuccoed walls, central courtyards, heavy wooden doors and balconies projecting over narrow streets. Wealthy residents and merchants built some of the grandest houses in the Centro district, while San Diego was historically associated with merchants and craftspeople. 

Several of these properties have since been adapted into boutique stays. Casa San Agustín, for example, occupies three restored historic houses in the old city, with original-style wooden-beamed ceilings and wall frescoes still visible throughout the property. Guests staying inside the walled centre are within walking distance of plazas, churches and historic streets, while Castillo San Felipe de Barajas lies just beyond the old city walls.

Which building’s past would you visit?

Staying in a restored historic building can add useful context to a trip, especially when original materials, construction methods and architectural details are still visible. From London’s industrial workshops to Kyoto’s timber townhouses and Cartagena’s colonial residences, these properties show how different cities have adapted older buildings for modern use.

Each destination tells that story differently. In Copenhagen, former harbour warehouses reflect the city’s maritime past, while Lisbon’s tiled façades and Pombaline structures reveal how the capital rebuilt and evolved over several centuries. Even within the same property, details such as timber beams, courtyard gardens, old masonry or decorative tiles can offer clues to how people once lived and worked there.

For travellers drawn to places with character, choosing a converted historic property can make the building itself part of the experience. It also gives visitors a closer look at the architecture and neighbourhood history that shaped the destination, adding another layer to the streets, landmarks and local culture they encounter during the trip.

words Alexa Wang