St James Hotel, London

The exclusive property dates back to 1857 when an English aristocrat and Sardinian minister decided to found a London club for traveling diplomats. The club welcomed Winston Churchill, Henry James, and James Bond creator Ian Fleming, among others, until it closed in the 1970s. In 1980, Peter de Savary took the name and opened a hotel and club in its current premises. The honorary club committee members included Sean Connery and Michael Caine. It’s now owned by German hotel group Althoff. In this Victorian townhouse, you’ll find wood-paneled walls, polished natural stone and the Rosenstein art collection — a mix of impressionist, expressionist and Cubist paintings and artwork.