Five Best: Converted post offices
Bijou bolt holes to first-class hotels: these conversions get our stamp of approval
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Set five minutes' walk from Leeds' Victoria Quarter, the suites in this former post office are as sleek as they are comfortable. The 23 units offer the independence of self-catering with hotel-standard services. Each has a hi-tech kitchen and bathroom and a city-loft feel. Services include in-house gym, two restaurants, DVD library, Sky TV and video-game consoles.
Residence 6, The Old Post Office, 3 Infirmary Street, City Square, Leeds (0113 285 6250; www.residencesix.com). Apartments sleeping two start at £175 per night
Shinta Mani, Cambodia
Once serving as the post office for Siem Reap, the closest town to the temples of Angkor Wat, Shinta Mani now delivers room service instead of letters. The name is taken from the Sanskrit for "the gem that provides everything one desires". Its 18 rooms aren't as glamorous as some of the other boutique hotels that have opened in the town's old French Quarter but they are stylish and comfortable. Some of the best overlook the hotel pool. The hotel also functions as the local Institute of Hospitality, offering free training for impoverished young Cambodians.
Shinta Mani, Junction of Oum Khum and 14th Street, Siem Reap, Cambodia (00 855 63 761 998; www.shintamani.com). Doubles start at US$66 (£37), room only
Hotel Post, Austria
This former post office in the far west of Austria has been run by five generations of the same family. It is now a member of the Small Luxury Hotel group. Outside, it is gorgeously traditional; inside, you can opt for classic Alpine-style rooms or up-to-the-minute contemporary design (the latter being the work of state architect Oskar Leo Kaufmann, brother of the hotel's owner). The hotel also features a 16-point Gault Millau restaurant, an on-site tennis trainer, a spectacular minimalist rooftop pool and a top-notch spa. Treatments at the latter use locally sourced natural ingredients.
Hotel Post, Brugg 35, Bezau, Austria (00 43 5514 22070; www.slh.com/hotelpost). Doubles start at €168 (£120), including breakfast
Hotel Monaco, US
Set in downtown Washington DC's Penn Quarter, close to the White House and the attractions of the Mall, this 183-room, marble-pillared hotel is a Registered National Landmark. It was built in 1839 by Robert Mills, the architect who designed the Washington Monument. Each of the hotel's guestrooms features original vaulted or arched ceilings as well as swish modern furnishings. Standard facilities include a decent gym and a brasserie while quirkier extras include the chance to borrow a pet goldfish during your stay.
Hotel Monaco, 700 F Street NW, Washington DC, US (001 202 628 7177; www.monaco-dc.com). Doubles start at $189 (£105), room only
The Fullerton, Singapore
With its Doric columns, breezy terraces and grand riverside setting, the Fullerton looks as if it was purpose-built as a hotel in the 1920s. In fact, it only opened in its most recent incarnation six years ago. Over its lifetime it has played host to the General Post Office, Exchange, Chamber of Commerce, Singapore Club, Singapore Post and, finally, the Inland Revenue. Now it provides a mix of luxurious accommodation, state-of-the-art facilities and lively bars and restaurants.
The Fullerton, 1 Fullerton Square, Singapore (00 65 6733 8388; www.fullertonhotel.com). Doubles start at S$781 (£259), room only
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