24. Claridge’s in London, England
London works year round, which makes Claridge’s an easy hinge for a wider European itinerary rather than a summer only stop. The Mayfair hotel took a place on Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List 2026 and landed in U.S. News’ top five hotels in Europe for 2026, and it has been receiving royalty since Queen Victoria sat on the throne. The building was rebuilt in 1898 and given its defining Art Deco treatment in the 1920s, and the suites run noticeably larger than London norms. Afternoon tea in the foyer is the ritual most guests plan a day around, and rates open near $1,700 a night. Exiled European royals ran entire governments out of these rooms during the Second World War, which is roughly the level of history you are checking into.