Wine cellars are often thought of as subterranean crypts or vault-like spaces where naturally cool, dark environments provide stable conditions for storing bottles during maturation.
But many hotels also make their cellars Cold places to stay. (See what we did there?) In these well-designed, glittering spaces, visitors can book tasting experiences surrounded by thousands of bottles of storied wines. What’s a better way to drink than that?
From the stunning collection of 76,000 bottles of Rome Cavalieri to the cavernous cellars nestled in lava rock by Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, here are nine of the hotel’s wine cellars that are definitely worth exploring.
Vitznau, Switzerland
With around 35,000 bottles, the Park Hotel Vitznau’s Frauenkeller is the largest and most expensive in Switzerland with a total value of over 25 million US dollars. It is divided into New World, Old World, Château d’Yquem, Champagne and Rarities sections.
The displays are as diverse as the wines, ranging from pentagonal crates stacked in neat rows to a floating wall of bottles.
Watch out if you want a tour: Only hotel guests have access, so be sure to check in.
Aspen, Colo
Aspen people will assure you that you will come for the winter and stay for the summer. But we think you can stay at The Little Nell for the wine cellar.
It’s a winding journey down into the basement. Guests are led through the kitchen, down a back staircase and into the garage. There you will find a ruby-lit cellar with 23,800 bottles and counting. An aging attic creates space for the ever-growing collection. Meanwhile, cases of wine – covered in the scrawled signatures of previous drinkers – are stacked high across four rooms and contain selections from 1885 Madeira to 1967 Sauternes.
Want to visit? Guests can reserve a private wine tasting with the resort’s team of sommeliers or book dinner with a private chef for up to six people.
Rome
This hotel features Rome’s only three Michelin star restaurant, La Pergola. Here guests have two wine lists to choose from. One list includes international bottles while the other includes Italian wine regions. In total, the two-storey wine cellar holds around 3,600 labels and around 76,000 bottles.
The all-encompassing selection is the result of the diligence of chef and sommelier Marco Reitano, who annually tastes much of the collection to create the list. Rarities such as a 1922 Chateau Lafite Rothschild and a 1945 Pétrus stand out, as well as at least 34 Gaja Barbaresco wines at any given time.
Monaco, France
Revered as the largest hotel wine cellar in the world, the caves beneath the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo are truly a sight that has to be seen to be believed.
Covering over 16,000 square meters, the cellar contains more than 350,000 bottles, around 50% of which are Bordeaux selections. The remainder of the French-centric collection includes four other wine regions: Champagne, Provence, Burgundy, and the Rhône Valley. Cellar reservations include Grand Cru tastings or dinners for two, led by a master sommelier.
Grindavik, Iceland
Almost ten feet below the steaming shingle waters of the Blue Lagoon is a whole other world. A key opens an elevator at The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, descending to a chamber lined with lava rock preserved from a volcanic eruption in 1226. It looks like a Bond villain’s hideout, and we’re not mad about it.
Here, just over 4,000 bottles, including limited stocks of the 2007 Domaine de la Grange des Peres and the 1960 Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva, are housed on shelves built into the rock, which is still blue from the geothermal waters of the area Lagoon colored.
Private wine tastings are available by appointment between 12pm and 4pm daily, while an open wine tasting is at 5pm daily. Guests can also indulge in a caviar and champagne tasting, available upon request.
London, United Kingdom
Below Westminster’s lavish St James’s area is a fabled 17th-century wine cellar that also served as an air raid shelter during World War II.
Today, the 380-year-old cellar is part of stylish Stafford London, where hotel sommeliers are available for wine tastings, wine pairing dinners and blind tastings, as well as larger events such as Christmas parties and wedding receptions. It’s actually quite spacious down here, with standing room for up to 75 guests.
Over 8,000 bottles of international wines are naturally stored here under iron locks and bolts.
anguilla
In a tropical oasis, spending time in an underground cave might not be the first activity that springs to mind. But in the sweltering afternoon heat of the Caribbean dry season, a visit to this winery might be just what you need.
Designed and curated by Quintessence Hotel owner Geoffrey Fieger, this 2,000-bottle wine cellar was built of stone, brick and red cedar to mimic the style of a traditional Tuscan cave. Experiences include tastings from private collections, which may include rare bottles such as 2004 Salon Cuvee “S” Le Mesnil Blanc de Blancs Brut.
Another option for caving guests is the ultra-extravagant Bruts, Blancs & Beaches adventure package, which includes round-trip US to Anguilla flights by private jet, plus penthouse accommodation and exclusive access to select vintages during your vacation.
Porto, Portugal
Porto may be famous for its port wines, but the Yeatman Hotel’s wine cellar offers wines from all over Portugal. From a collection of 30,000 bottles, 96% are dedicated to Portuguese wines.
As a luxury wine-centric hotel, the Yeatman invites guests to choose from a variety of wine-based programs throughout their stay, including the property’s popular sunset wine dinners. But only students of the hotel’s wine-focused masterclasses and those who book wine flights and private dining get access to the wine cellar.
Provence, France
Just 15 minutes north of central Aix en Provence, the Château La Coste estate is dedicated to the fine arts in the chic basement of the in-house restaurant, Hélène Darroze. The marble clad basement is minimalist yet maximalist.
The wine cellar, with around 600 unique wines, also includes a section dedicated to the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, as well as an impressive list of magnums and Jeroboam.
Château La Coste also offers its own wine from a vineyard in Provence and from its vineyards in Argentina, as well as a unique selection from Italy, Spain, Israel, Greece, Chile and Uruguay.
Guided sommelier tastings are available on request.
