Kiwi Curated
Heavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
by Eva ZhuTo travel is to explore the world and as our world expands, there’s a new buzzword in the travel town: astrotourism. While we’re not quite yet in the era of commercial space travel, some luxury hotels have adopted the next best thing: exploring the celestial world from the ground. From being located under the darkest skies on earth to owning private observatories and employing in-house astronomers, these are the luxury hotels offering unforgettable stargazing experiences.
Heavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
Located in one of only 16 International Dark Sky Reserves in the world within the NamibRand Nature Reserve, Zannier Hotels Sonop experiences one of the darkest skies on our planet. When night falls, it appears deep black and thousands of stars and the Milky Way shine extraordinarily bright and clear. The celestial view can be admired from the open-air cinema, a late dinner in the dunes or within the hotel’s luxury tented rooms which open to panoramas of the desert.
VIEW HOTELHeavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
Awasi lodges in Chile are strategically placed to immerse guests in each location’s magnificent landscape and culture, including some of the clearest skies in the world. Just outside San Pedro de Atacama, Awasi Atacama’s stargazing excursion transports guests to the Awasi Observatory in the pre-Inca ruins of Tulor, to learn about the constellations, archeoastronomy, cosmology, stellar evolution and space exploration. And while San Pedro de Atacama is renowned for stargazing, the sky above Awasi Patagonia is pretty spectacular too; here, guests are assigned personal guides whom are happy to drive out in search of the best spots to stargaze.
VIEW HOTELSPictured: Awasi Patagonia
Heavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
Soneva resorts in the Maldives and Thailand all offer expert-led stargazing experiences, taking advantage of the clear skies above their remote island locales. Both Soneva Fushi, Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Koh Kood are home to state-of-the-art observatories, where resident astronomers help to identify the stars, planets and moons. At Soneva Fushi, guests can also book an Astronomical Dinner Cruise for a view from the ocean. And at Soneva Jani, Maldives, the So Starstruck deck doubles as a Bond-inspired observatory, where outdoor dining is enjoyed around a telescope guided by the in-house astronomer.
VIEW HOTELPictured: Soneva Jani, Maldives
Heavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
Enchantment Resort is situated in the heart of Sedona, renowned as one of the best stargazing regions in the world. When expert astronomers are in residence, guests can meet them every Tuesday and Saturday evenings at the Enchantment Circle, where they share their in-depth knowledge of the night sky—spanning planets, stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies—with the help of powerful telescopes and binoculars. On favorable nights, the moon’s surface can also be seen in detail.
VIEW HOTELHeavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
Primland Resort’s high altitude in the Blue Ridge Mountains and distance from ambient light place it under a night sky of remarkable clarity for stargazing. The resort uniquely features a fully equipped observatory on property, offering two different telescopes. It’s open year-round and weather dependent, for guests to marvel at and study the celestial objects ranging from planets to nebulae.
VIEW HOTELHeavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu is a partner of the Observatoire Astronomique de Charlevoix, bringing stargazing to this natural part of Quebec. Just a few minutes from the hotel, the observatory offers a range of activities throughout the year. From June to September when the skies are clear, it hosts astronomy discovery nights. On these educational evenings, guests learn about astronomy and use the observatory’s instruments to explore the night sky, including constellations, planets and the moon.
VIEW HOTELHeavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
San Pedro de Atacama experiences some of the clearest skies in the world, making it a prime spot for practicing astronomy. At night fall, the sky comes alive with the Milky Way, or Celestial River as it is known locally. This is why explora Atacama has erected one of the best private observatories in Chile, featuring an advanced telescope with exceptional resolution and sharpness. Here, guests can observe the night sky, and learn about orientation, distances and local lore.
VIEW HOTELHeavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
Anantara Kihavah Villas, Maldives’ Sky Bar combines sunset cocktails with an evening stargazing experience. This rooftop cocktail lounge features Maldives’ first overwater observatory with its most powerful telescope. Whether on a romantic getaway or family adventure, the hotel’s storytelling SKY Guru is here to lead guests on an unforgettable evening exploring the constellations, galaxy and planets.
VIEW HOTELHeavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
Sprawled across private islands in the remote Anambas Archipelago, Bawah Reserve’s night skies are free from light pollution allowing the stars to shine brilliantly. Each night, guests can join the activities team on the beach and the jetty for stargazing sessions, where the constellations can be observed with the naked eye, and a peek into the telescope offers a clearer look at the stars, planets and moon.
VIEW HOTELHeavenly Hotels Beneath Starry Skies
&Beyond-Sossusvlei Desert Lodge neighbors Africa’s only International Dark Sky Reserve, land that is protected for its quality of nocturnal environments. With virtually no light pollution, it’s measured as one of the darkest skies in the world. At the lodge’s own state-of-the-art observatory, a resident astronomer helps guests to unlock the mysteries of the night sky, pointing out constellations, the Milky Way and distant planets.
VIEW HOTELLocated in one of only 16 International Dark Sky Reserves in the world within the NamibRand Nature Reserve, Zannier Hotels Sonop experiences one of the darkest skies on our planet. When night falls, it appears deep black and thousands of stars and the Milky Way shine extraordinarily bright and clear. The celestial view can be admired from the open-air cinema, a late dinner in the dunes or within the hotel’s luxury tented rooms which open to panoramas of the desert.
VIEW HOTELAwasi lodges in Chile are strategically placed to immerse guests in each location’s magnificent landscape and culture, including some of the clearest skies in the world. Just outside San Pedro de Atacama, Awasi Atacama’s stargazing excursion transports guests to the Awasi Observatory in the pre-Inca ruins of Tulor, to learn about the constellations, archeoastronomy, cosmology, stellar evolution and space exploration. And while San Pedro de Atacama is renowned for stargazing, the sky above Awasi Patagonia is pretty spectacular too; here, guests are assigned personal guides whom are happy to drive out in search of the best spots to stargaze.
VIEW HOTELSPictured: Awasi Patagonia
Soneva resorts in the Maldives and Thailand all offer expert-led stargazing experiences, taking advantage of the clear skies above their remote island locales. Both Soneva Fushi, Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Koh Kood are home to state-of-the-art observatories, where resident astronomers help to identify the stars, planets and moons. At Soneva Fushi, guests can also book an Astronomical Dinner Cruise for a view from the ocean. And at Soneva Jani, Maldives, the So Starstruck deck doubles as a Bond-inspired observatory, where outdoor dining is enjoyed around a telescope guided by the in-house astronomer.
VIEW HOTELPictured: Soneva Jani, Maldives
Enchantment Resort is situated in the heart of Sedona, renowned as one of the best stargazing regions in the world. When expert astronomers are in residence, guests can meet them every Tuesday and Saturday evenings at the Enchantment Circle, where they share their in-depth knowledge of the night sky—spanning planets, stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies—with the help of powerful telescopes and binoculars. On favorable nights, the moon’s surface can also be seen in detail.
VIEW HOTELPrimland Resort’s high altitude in the Blue Ridge Mountains and distance from ambient light place it under a night sky of remarkable clarity for stargazing. The resort uniquely features a fully equipped observatory on property, offering two different telescopes. It’s open year-round and weather dependent, for guests to marvel at and study the celestial objects ranging from planets to nebulae.
VIEW HOTELFairmont Le Manoir Richelieu is a partner of the Observatoire Astronomique de Charlevoix, bringing stargazing to this natural part of Quebec. Just a few minutes from the hotel, the observatory offers a range of activities throughout the year. From June to September when the skies are clear, it hosts astronomy discovery nights. On these educational evenings, guests learn about astronomy and use the observatory’s instruments to explore the night sky, including constellations, planets and the moon.
VIEW HOTELSan Pedro de Atacama experiences some of the clearest skies in the world, making it a prime spot for practicing astronomy. At night fall, the sky comes alive with the Milky Way, or Celestial River as it is known locally. This is why explora Atacama has erected one of the best private observatories in Chile, featuring an advanced telescope with exceptional resolution and sharpness. Here, guests can observe the night sky, and learn about orientation, distances and local lore.
VIEW HOTELAnantara Kihavah Villas, Maldives’ Sky Bar combines sunset cocktails with an evening stargazing experience. This rooftop cocktail lounge features Maldives’ first overwater observatory with its most powerful telescope. Whether on a romantic getaway or family adventure, the hotel’s storytelling SKY Guru is here to lead guests on an unforgettable evening exploring the constellations, galaxy and planets.
VIEW HOTELSprawled across private islands in the remote Anambas Archipelago, Bawah Reserve’s night skies are free from light pollution allowing the stars to shine brilliantly. Each night, guests can join the activities team on the beach and the jetty for stargazing sessions, where the constellations can be observed with the naked eye, and a peek into the telescope offers a clearer look at the stars, planets and moon.
VIEW HOTEL&Beyond-Sossusvlei Desert Lodge neighbors Africa’s only International Dark Sky Reserve, land that is protected for its quality of nocturnal environments. With virtually no light pollution, it’s measured as one of the darkest skies in the world. At the lodge’s own state-of-the-art observatory, a resident astronomer helps guests to unlock the mysteries of the night sky, pointing out constellations, the Milky Way and distant planets.
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