The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
SIX SUBTERRANEAN STAYS
InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland hotel, China
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China seems to conjure entire megacities before the rest of the world has woken up, but even it struggled with this formidable feat of engineering. Ten years in the making (it finally opened in 2018), this five-star hotel clings to an abandoned quarry on the outskirts of Shanghai, and has a sleek, elegant design with views out across the drowned quarry. For the deepest sleep, bag a room on one of the lower floors, which are underwater (ihg. com; doubles from £280).
Hotel Sant’Angelo, Matera, Italy
Italy’s troglodyte city Matera – deep in the southern region of Basilicata – is one of the oldest settlements on earth, and lays claim to many rock-hewn architectural wonders. Chief among them is the Sant’Angelo Luxury Resort, which occupies former cave houses, an abandoned grotto church, and an old palatial residence in the heart of the city (santangeloresort. it; doubles from £144).
Kokopelli’s Cave, New Mexico, US
Carved into a 60 millionyear-old sandstone cliff, this cave house has stellar views across the La Plata river valley, taking in no fewer than four states: Arizona, Colorado, Utah and, of course, New Mexico.
Hand-drilled and blasted out by dynamite, it is certainly cavernous, with room to spare for a hot tub. Hummingbirds are regular visitors (kokoscave.us; double from £230).
Les Hautes Roches, Loire Valley, France
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France’s original troglodyte hotel was formerly a quarry, which supplied the stone used to construct some of the Loire Valley’s famous Renaissance châteaux.
Later, monks moved in, then mushroom farmers and finally wine growers, before it was finally turned into a boutique hotel, with luxurious, stone-cut rooms and expansive river views (leshautesroches.com; doubles from £280).
Elkep Evi Hotel, Urgup, Turkey
Another ancient city carved into rock, Urgup is a rough diamond in the rugged Cappadocia region, which is famed for its otherworldly rock formations and hot-air balloon trips. Cave hotels are 10 a lira here, but one of the best is Elkep Evi, which has been carved into a hill in the historic Esbelli district. There are just seven cave rooms here, each with its own terrace overlooking the striking and fantastical landscape of central
Turkey (elkepevi.com.tr; doubles from £115).
The Caves Resort, Jamaica
Technically speaking, there are no bedrooms below ground here, but this cliffside resort, out on Jamaica’s westernmost tip near Negril, does have a rum bar secreted within a cave, with views out to sea; frankly, you will struggle to find a better spot on the island to quaff cocktails. Keen for a dip? Join the other guests and just jump straight off the cliff (thecaveshotel.com; doubles from £458).