Kiwi Curated
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
by Darren DunneHotels we feature in Kiwi Collection are uniformly special, often counting an infinity pool or rooftop terrace among their defining features. Others lean on more natural wonders, highlighting their breathtaking settings or outdoor adventures. The hotels herein go a step further, inviting guests to settle into a front row seat for a spectacular showing of the night sky.
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
Copernicus revolutionized mankind’s view of the cosmos, putting forward the idea that the sun was the center of the universe, not earth. At Das PostHotel in Austria, one of the hotel’s penthouse Skylofts is named in his honor. The suite offers breathtaking views and a large balcony with a Skywatcher telescope.
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
Most visitors come to Africa in search of exotic wildlife and natural beauty, yet one of the most mesmerizing sights is hardly mentioned — the African night sky. Sanctuary Kusini offers a Cosmic Safari, wherein the camp manager joins guests around a campfire, pointing out star constellations and planets as they pass overhead. Each of the camp’s 12 open-plan tents also contain a large wooden veranda out front for private stargazing.
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
The alien landscape of Cappadocia has also carved out a reputation as a stargazing hotspot thanks to its regular clear skies and lack of light pollution. Revolving around the monthly full moon, argos in Cappadocia offers a unique Full Moon Walk package that involves a nighttime trek through the valleys of Cappadocia culminating in a concert within an ancient columned church.
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru’s open-air Naiboli Bar is both a lively beachfront setting for drinks and home to a stargazing master class with a serious telescope. Set alongside a star chart, the telescope sits on the bar’s terrace away from the lights within. Additionally, when a full moon fills the sky above the resort, guests can undertake a unique full moon dive, joining an experienced instructor in an exploration of a moonlit undersea world.
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
On the remote island of Koh Kood, far from the obscuring lights of civilization, Soneva Kiri has built a state-of-the-art observatory alongside the resort. A resident astronomer mans the controls at what is one of the world’s largest private observatories. On still nights, the planets of the solar system can clearly be seen, while guests are educated about the various constellations passing overhead.
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
Amangiri is set on a large 600-acre resort in the Utah desert, guaranteeing clear, dry air, as well as little in the way of ambient light. Six of the resort’s suites contain Sky Terraces, private spaces designed with three walls and the open sky above. Bedding can even be arranged on these terraces allowing one to slumber under the stars.
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
Late in 2014, Trout Point Lodge was awarded certification as the world’s first “Starlight Hotel” by the Starlight Foundation. The Lodge offers guided stargazing and daytime solar gazing from a panoramic viewing platform. Alongside the Lodge’s resident astronomer, guests can also use a solar telescope to view daytime interpretations of the sun.
8 Hotels Set Up for Stargazing
Chile’s Atacama Desert offers a vista so similar to Mars that NASA has used it to test equipment destined for the Red Planet. In the skies above, an equally otherworldly show takes place, with Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa offering a prime vantage point. The hotel boasts its own observatory with a powerful telescope and dedicated astronomer eager to impart celestial knowledge.
Copernicus revolutionized mankind’s view of the cosmos, putting forward the idea that the sun was the center of the universe, not earth. At Das PostHotel in Austria, one of the hotel’s penthouse Skylofts is named in his honor. The suite offers breathtaking views and a large balcony with a Skywatcher telescope.
Most visitors come to Africa in search of exotic wildlife and natural beauty, yet one of the most mesmerizing sights is hardly mentioned — the African night sky. Sanctuary Kusini offers a Cosmic Safari, wherein the camp manager joins guests around a campfire, pointing out star constellations and planets as they pass overhead. Each of the camp’s 12 open-plan tents also contain a large wooden veranda out front for private stargazing.
The alien landscape of Cappadocia has also carved out a reputation as a stargazing hotspot thanks to its regular clear skies and lack of light pollution. Revolving around the monthly full moon, argos in Cappadocia offers a unique Full Moon Walk package that involves a nighttime trek through the valleys of Cappadocia culminating in a concert within an ancient columned church.
Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru’s open-air Naiboli Bar is both a lively beachfront setting for drinks and home to a stargazing master class with a serious telescope. Set alongside a star chart, the telescope sits on the bar’s terrace away from the lights within. Additionally, when a full moon fills the sky above the resort, guests can undertake a unique full moon dive, joining an experienced instructor in an exploration of a moonlit undersea world.
On the remote island of Koh Kood, far from the obscuring lights of civilization, Soneva Kiri has built a state-of-the-art observatory alongside the resort. A resident astronomer mans the controls at what is one of the world’s largest private observatories. On still nights, the planets of the solar system can clearly be seen, while guests are educated about the various constellations passing overhead.
Amangiri is set on a large 600-acre resort in the Utah desert, guaranteeing clear, dry air, as well as little in the way of ambient light. Six of the resort’s suites contain Sky Terraces, private spaces designed with three walls and the open sky above. Bedding can even be arranged on these terraces allowing one to slumber under the stars.
Late in 2014, Trout Point Lodge was awarded certification as the world’s first “Starlight Hotel” by the Starlight Foundation. The Lodge offers guided stargazing and daytime solar gazing from a panoramic viewing platform. Alongside the Lodge’s resident astronomer, guests can also use a solar telescope to view daytime interpretations of the sun.
Chile’s Atacama Desert offers a vista so similar to Mars that NASA has used it to test equipment destined for the Red Planet. In the skies above, an equally otherworldly show takes place, with Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa offering a prime vantage point. The hotel boasts its own observatory with a powerful telescope and dedicated astronomer eager to impart celestial knowledge.