Location, location, location
Most hotel rooms have a great view of a parking lot or highway, or maybe a decent view of a skyline, if you’re lucky. But have you ever stepped onto a hotel balcony or stared out of a huge picture window and been left speechless? There are plenty of hotels out there whose main attraction is not their luxurious suites or award-winning restaurants. For some hotels, it’s all about their stunning locations.
Visitors to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo don’t just get a great view of the city — they can see all the way across the Kanto Plain to Mount Fuji. The Park Hyatt is found on the top 14 floors of the 52-story Shinjuku Park Tower, Tokyo’s second-tallest building. Movie buffs might recognize the Park Hyatt as the hotel featured in “Lost in Translation.” In the hotel’s fitness center, treadmills line a wall of glass, giving exercisers an inspiring view that makes the perspiration worth it!
But maybe you prefer a more rustic setting. Can you imagine stepping outside your room to view thousands of zebras crossing a river, or listening to the grunts of hippos as you enjoy your al fresco meal? Guests at the Grumeti River Camp, located in a remote section of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, get to stay in luxury “tents” pitched among one of the world’s largest masses of free-ranging animals, and right in the path of the Great Migration.
If you dream of seeing giraffes and elephants, but don’t want to get your passport stamped, you can visit Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. When you book a “Savanna View” room, you’ll be able to see exotic animals roaming the resort’s wildlife preserve from your balcony.
Speaking of Disney World, two of the Florida resort’s other hotels also offer a really neat view. Some rooms at the Grand Floridian and the Contemporary offer views of Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. You can watch the park’s fabulous nighttime fireworks shows in your pajamas!
For a truly unique view, you can stay at Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida. Yep, the name says it all — the hotel is underwater. You don’t have to be a certified diver to stay here, but Jules’ does offer certification courses. There are only two rooms at this property, but those who can’t get a reservation can still visit the facilities during three-hour dives. Here’s a thought that will leave you scratching your head: How do they get your bags to your room without getting them soaked?
From below sea level to way above: The Hotel Everest View, perched at about 12,729 feet above sea level, is the world’s highest hotel. Guests must trek for about 45 minutes to reach the hotel from the local airstrip, but the hike helps the body acclimate to the higher altitude. Surely there’s no bad view in the Himalayas, but every room at Hotel Everest View features a veranda that overlooks the majestic mountain.
Booking a room at a uniquely placed hotel is not like booking a room at other properties. If you want to get the most out of your scenic stay, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
1. Prime real estate is expensive, so many scenic properties are small. Small means a limited number of rooms, which means the rooms are often sold out. If you want to stay at a small yet scenic property, book well in advance.
2. Not all rooms are created equal. A hotel may feature gorgeous beach views on one side, and parking lot views on the other. And to make things even more difficult, each hotel uses its own jargon for classifying room types. Make sure you know exactly what type of room you’re booking. Speak to someone in that hotel’s reservations department to confirm that the room you’re requesting offers the view you’d like.
3. Notice I just said “requesting.” It’s a rare hotel that guarantees guests will get a specific room type. While you’ll usually get your first choice, if the type of room you’d like is incredibly important to you, you must call and speak to a front desk manager at the hotel to stress this importance. If you’re nice and you build a good relationship with management ahead of time, you might find yourself with the best view in the house at check-in.
4. Want to guarantee you get the worst view in the hotel? Be cheap. Book through one of those hotel booking Web sites that brag about their bargains. Or, when you’re speaking to someone in the hotel’s reservations department, insist on the lowest rate. The bottom line is this: Scenic hotels are expensive. They charge you lots of money for the privilege of looking out your window. If you don’t like that, don’t try to book a room at a scenic hotel. Budget travelers can book a cheaper hotel and enjoy the scenery while strolling around their destination, rather than while enjoying their room-service breakfast.
5. Pay attention to the fine print. Since these hotels are popular, expensive and often sold-out, they often have strict deposit or cancellation policies. When booking a room, make sure you find out about any unusual policies in advance.
6. Remember that luxurious views don’t always mean luxurious accommodations. Some of the hotels with the best views are very modest. They might not have top-notch service, either. But when your room overlooks one of the most glorious vistas in the world, the thin towels and surly telephone operator just don’t seem to matter as much!
So for your next big trip, consider visiting a new and beautiful destination, and consider booking a hotel that offers great views. If you love travel, you owe it to yourself to at least once book a hotel room with a view that leaves you speechless.
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