Take 3: Refurbished grand hotels

Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne, Switzerland . brp.ch
This grand 1861 building looks across Lake Geneva to the Alps. It has been refurbished bit by bit since the 1990s: updating and adding restaurants (one Michelin starred) and a spa. But it feels as traditional and grand as ever, from the palatial lobby to the vast, pillar-lined corridors, grand salons and glassy breakfast room. An absolute treat. Doubles from €361.

De l'Europe, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. leurope.nl
Dutch masters contemplate guests in this 1896 hotel on the Amstel river. The original Rondeel Building reopened in 2011 after refurbishment, retaining 19th-century details with 21st-century luxury. More recently the bank next door was renovated to create the Dutch Masters Wing with 23 loft-like rooms. And work continues: a spa opens this summer. Doubles from €440.

InterContinental Porto Palacio Das Cardosas, Porto, Portugal. ihg.com
This 18th-century former palace is in Porto's Belle Epoque square, Praca da Liberdade. A recent renovation followed the style of the neoclassical façade, with an interior of marble and crystal. The 105 rooms keep to the theme with high ceilings, parquet floors and heavy curtains, but colours are in modern creams, whites, browns and greens. Doubles from €120.