A room with a view
Novel ways to spend the night, from a real cliffhanger to sleeping next to polar bears and grizzlies, this is a real thrill-seeker’s adventure
WHEN weary holidaymakers check into a hotel room for the night, a stunning view is usually one of the nonnegotiable features on their list.
While the twinkling lights of a big city or the reflections off a picturesque lake will satisfy most, there are daredevil travellers who are taking it to the extreme – whether it’s bunking on the edge of a cliff or sleeping 13ft below the surface of the sea.
For those who have a head for heights, these are some of the world’s most thrilling hotel views.
SKYLODGE ADVENTURE SUITE
ONLY adrenalin junkies need apply for the Natura Vive Skylodge Adventure Suite, which clings to the side of one of Peru’s highest peaks.
For those who are brave enough to spend a night here, the transparent glass pod offers spectacular 300- degree views of the majestic Sacred Valley from €250 a night per person. Each suite has a private bathroom separated from the bedroom, complete with an ecological toilet and sink.
There is a catch, however. To get there, guests must climb a 400ft cliff face.
‘PORTALEDGE HOTEL’
HOLIDAYMAKERS who are looking for a real thrill can spend the night exposed to the elements – on a vertical rock face.
Starting from €620 a night, guests sleep on a sliver of canvas, 200ft above waves and rocks at a sea cliff on Gogarth, Holy Island, Anglesey.
Strapped into harnesses that are secured to the rock, guests abseil from the cliff top to their beds on a canvas platform, which is also secured.
Gaia Adventures staff lower dinner from the cliff top, and a full Welsh breakfast is served in the morning.
ZOO DE LA FLECHE
HOLIDAYMAKERS who can’t afford to travel to the Arctic to catch a glimpse of polar bears can see them in their dreams at this zoo in France’s Loire Valley.
Guests can spend the night in a three- star room that offers jawdropping views into a polar bear enclosure through floor-to-ceiling windows.
From €215 a night, they can sit back and sip wine while polar bears Taiko and Katinka go for a swim and even approach the windows to take a closer look at the humans inside.
MANTA RESORT ON PEMBA ISLAND
AFRICA’S first underwater hotel room is 13ft below the surface of the Indian Ocean, offering astonishing views of fish in their natural habitat.
The room is part of a private floating ‘island’ north of Zanzibar, with plenty of space for guests to soak up the sun on the top deck when they’re not spotting sea life.
It can be quite an eerie spot at night, not knowing what kind of creatures will swim past. The double room is available for a nightly rate of €1,310.
ALILA JABAL AKHDAR
LOCATED 6,500ft above sea level, the luxurious Alila Jabal Akhdar in Oman overlooks a dramatic gorge and draws thousands of adventurers every year.
With r ooms s t arti ng f r om €340 a night, the hotel serves as a retreat from the desert heat and a gateway to the stunning Al Hajar mountain range. Guests can ad- mire spectacular views of the gorge from their rooms or the heated outdoor infinity pool.
ATLANTIS, THE PALM
THIS five- star hotel in Dubai allows guests to sleep in a swanky suite with views into an aquarium filled with 65,000 sea creatures, including sharks.
With enough room for five guests, the underwater suites – Poseidon and Neptune – boast floor-to-ceiling windows, creating the illusion of being under the sea.
A magnet for well-off honeymooners, the signature suites are three storeys high with a 1,776 square foot floor plan and a price tag of €7,500 a night.
JAMALA WILDLIFE LODGE
NESTLED in the heart of Australia’s political capital, Jamala Wildlife Lodge allows guests to wake up next to lions and even share a bath with a huge bear.
It all happens from the comfort of l uxury rooms ( f rom € 630 a night) which have stunning views i nto animal enclosures at the National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra.
Spread across three locations in the zoo, the 18 rooms, which range from giraffe treehouses to jungle bungalows, offer an eye- opening experience, with private views of sharks, monkeys and Malaysian sun bears.
TINYELETI TREEHOUSE
THIS five- star treehouse puts guests in the open next to South Africa’s stunning Kruger National Park, where they can spot lions, leopards and elephants where, let’s face it, they probably belong: in their natural habitat.
Holidaymakers are exposed to the elements while they dine, relax and sleep under the stars in a fourposter bed from €260 a night.
Overlooking the Sabie River, the treehouse is lit by candlelight, and guests arrive to a picnic dinner at sunset.