Not all hotel bedrooms are born equal. Some just have an extra edge that makes them feel so cosy, plush, decadent or dreamy that it almost seems like a shame you have to close your eyes while in them. Maybe the view is exceptional. Perhaps the bed makes you feel like you’re laying on a fluffy cloud. It could be that the decor whisks you into another world. Whether they’re located in new hotels or old favourite properties, read on for a round-up of some of the most striking hotel bedrooms out there.
Anantara Tented Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, Chiang Rai
These days, hotels are looking to supersize your night-time experience and reduce any post-pandemic anxiety by offering alternative remote places to sleep within their premises. Step forward Anantara Tented Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort where guests can stay in a luxurious Jungle Bubble. Set on a raised platform in the Thai rainforest, the transparent bubbles are cosy, beautifully furnished, superb for a great night’s kip, and offer the best seats in the house for viewing elephants in their natural habitat. Talk about being at one with nature!
anantara.com
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Lapland
Do you prefer your igloo to be log or glass? You get a choice at this resort which boasts 360 degree views of the northern lights and bright starry sky. Their newest offerings, the Kelo-glass options, sleep six in the shape of a comfy warm cabin environment with magnificent views. Inside you get a roaring fireplace, private sauna, and bedroom with glass roof. Outside, something equally as unique awaits for the kids across a narrow river – Santa’s HQ.
Kakslauttanen.fi
Gangtey Lodge, Bhutan
A world away from the everyday, Gangtey Lodge is an all-suite outpost overlooking Bhutan’s Gangtey (Phobjikha) Valley in the Himalayas. Aptly named ‘Farmhouse Suites’, all of the 12 bedrooms here take country living to the max. Think heated hand-cut stone floors, exposed beams and deep roll top baths that allow you to do some sightseeing from your tub before you fall into a slumber. The open and cosy fireplaces are ideal to warm up beside post-soak with a large glass of vino.
gangteylodge.com
The Newt in Somerset, UK
The glossy interior of the bedrooms in this grade II* listed Georgian mansion and working farm is the work of Karen Roos, a former editor of Elle Decoration South Africa. The most popular billet is the Granary, a stand-alone hideaway with exposed stone walls, chunky oak beams, a wood-burning stove, and a bed swathed in baby-soft fur blankets. If you can find it in you to leave your room, make use of your out-of-hours access to the hotel’s gorgeous gardens.
thenewtinsomerset.com
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort, Maldives
The Muraka at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort is a one-of a-kind luxury two-floor residence boasting a master bedroom submerged over 16 feet below sea level in the Indian Ocean. Presented as a 180-degree curved acrylic dome, it comes complete with floor-to-ceiling windows in the bathroom, a walk-in closet and dedicated tunnel viewing theatre. Warning: a stay might make you feel weird about eating fish at dinner.
conradmaldives.com
Samara Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Less of a hotel room, more of a glamorous plank of wood, Samara’s Milky Way Star Bed will provide you with one of the most memorable and quirky nights of your life. As part of the lodge’s safari experience, you’ll arrive at sunset for a picnic dinner and drinks, watch local wildlife descend to the water, and take in the spectacular vastness of the Karoo landscape free of light and noise pollution. Star books are provided for guests, but you may want to just stare out at the night skies and lose your thoughts in the darkness.
samara.co.za
Shinta Mani Wild, Cambodia
Forget pesky poles and damp tarpaulins, Shinta Mani Wild is the ultimate decorative luxury tented camp, set among 400-acres of rainforest along the Tmor Rung river. Pioneered by famous hotel designer and architect Bill Bensley, the Gibbons tent is the most jaw-dropping. Perched on top of a huge boulder that cantilevers 10 metres over the river below, roll up your canvas walls and watch drifts of butterflies float by your carved bed; see pileated gibbons from your string-hammock deck; and let your Adventure Butler attempt to lure you away from luxury with motorbike rides and boat trips.
wild.bensleycollection.com
La Mamounia, Marrakesh
La Mamounia is not for those looking for minimalism with their lie-down. This stalwart of a stay in Morrocco is famous for its vibrant mix of Art Deco and Orientalist décor, and a pandemic facelift has not led to it losing any of its charm. Most of this can be found in spades in the stunning bedrooms which feature intricate tiling, lattice-wood screens and coloured tadelakt, Deco French furnishings, velvet and sateen fabrics, and huge king-sized beds.
mamounia.com
