Staying in British castles may be easier — and cheaper — than you think

History enthusiasts, radical who privation to slumber wherever royalty has stayed, and fans chasing connections with deed tv shows similar "Bridgerton."

Those are immoderate of the types of travelers a caller "collection" of humanities castles, manor houses and expansive homes successful the United Kingdom and Ireland is hoping to attract.

Storied Collection is simply a question website that lists practice hotels and homes — including backstage castles — truthful vacationers who emotion past tin easy find accommodations that suit them.

The thought for the tract came to Storied Collection co-founder Michael Goldin erstwhile helium was searching for a "beautiful castle" to enactment successful aft Covid question rules were relaxed and the U.K.'s borders reopened, helium said.

But the process of sifting done online hunt results was unsatisfactory, helium added.

Eventually, helium recovered Fenton Tower, a Scottish castle with 12th-century origins, which was restored and turned into a luxury accommodation successful 2000. Goldin besides discovered an ancestral transportation to the operation — successful the 16th century, it was concisely owned by his 13th great-grandfather, a antheral named Sir Alexander Hamilton, helium told CNBC by email.

Goldin, who is from the United States, is an avowed instrumentality of history, arsenic are galore Americans, immoderate of whom question to hint their household histories to different continents.

Spurred by reopened borders and shows similar "Bridgerton" and "The Crown," Americans are flocking backmost to the United Kingdom, with flights from the U.S. to the U.K. from February to April this twelvemonth connected way to surpass pre-pandemic levels, up 9% from the outpouring of 2019, according to the tourism bureau Visit Britain.

Returning from vacation, Goldin called Justin Hauge, a erstwhile Airbnb enforcement and friend. "He ... said 'hey, I conscionable took this astonishing travel with my wife, it was similar nary different travel I've ever taken … I truly felt similar I was transported backmost successful time. I privation to research this,'" Hauge told CNBC by phone.

Hauge — who near Airbnb successful 2021 aft much than a decennary — reached retired to castle owners and operators successful the U.K. and Ireland who told him their websites were randomly "lumped" into online hunt results. They besides said that they lacked an effectual mode to archer their stories to the travelers they wanted to reach, helium said.

This was Hauge's "lightbulb moment," helium said. Hauge and Goldin, unneurotic with the erstwhile CEO of Best Western UK Rob Paterson, launched Storied Collection successful 2022.

Spurred by reopened borders and shows similar "Bridgerton" and "The Crown," Americans are flocking backmost to the United Kingdom, with flights from the U.S. to the U.K. from February to April this twelvemonth connected way to surpass pre-pandemic levels, up 9% from the outpouring of 2019, according to the tourism bureau Visit Britain.

Travelers who similar the thought of staying successful a spot of humanities value tin hunt Storied Collection's accommodations by surname, if they are seeking a household transportation with a circumstantial proprietor oregon a celebrated erstwhile guest. Listings besides item tv shows and movies that were filmed astatine the homes and hotels.

The listing for Fenton Tower — which accommodates up to 13 radical — details 9 erstwhile owners and King James VI arsenic a guest, arsenic good arsenic the ruins of a medieval church. It's besides described arsenic suitable for play vacations with much than 100 courses wrong a 30-mile radius of its determination successful the East Lothian portion of Scotland.

If that's excessively small, there's the 31-bedroom, 17th-century Markree Castle successful County Sligo, Ireland, which erstwhile hosted the state vocalist Johnny Cash and his woman June Carter Cash. Surnames of erstwhile owners see Cooper, Bingham and Synge, according to Storied Collection.

Hauge said Americans' emotion for British and Irish humanities sites has risen implicit the years.

"These benignant of practice attractions … person been a monolithic gully for U.S. travelers … The past fewer years, with the popularity of shows similar 'Downton Abbey' and 'Bridgerton,' has benignant of created this adjacent caller consciousness [in] … travelers that privation to acquisition this mode of life, and there's truly nary different spot that they're capable to bash that," helium added.

In a global survey of astir 23,000 radical astir however Britain is seen by tourists conducted by Visit Britain, those successful the U.S. ranked the connection "a spot wherever I tin research past history and heritage" arsenic their apical cognition of the country.

Rooms astatine the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa successful Bath, a Georgian gathering connected a thoroughfare featured connected "Bridgerton," tin beryllium booked via Storied Collection, with vacationers capable to prime from 45 rooms and suites decorated by British decorator Jane Clayton.

The edifice is 1 of 3 accommodations connected a "1,000 Years of History Tour" road-trip itinerary suggested by Storied Collection, wherever the properties person a combined property of 1,000 years. Not acold from Bath, guests tin enactment astatine Thornbury Castle, the 16th-century retreat of Henry VIII.

The king's bedroom, wherever helium stayed with 2nd woman Anne Boleyn successful 1535, is adjacent disposable to slumber in, portion much caller guests, according to the listing, are Sophia Loren and Laurence Olivier. Rooms commencement astatine $344, according to Storied Collection's website.

The 3rd spot connected the circuit is The Rubens astatine the Palace, a edifice that was erstwhile portion of Buckingham Palace's grounds. It has royal-themed bedrooms arsenic good arsenic much classical luxury accommodations.

The seven-night "1,000 Years of History Tour" costs from $1,999, according to Storied Collection's website.

Hauge cited Gilmerton House, a 17th-century Scottish mansion that tin accommodate up to 20 guests, arsenic a favourite of his. "It's astir similar you're surviving successful a museum," helium said of the property, which is owned by the 13th-generation of the Kinloch family.

Storied Collection hopes to motion much expansive properties, said Goldin. One caller summation is Pentrehobyn Hall successful northbound Wales, a Jacobean manor built by Edward Lloyd successful 1625 that remains nether the aforesaid household ownership today.