Kiwi Curated
The Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
by Joy PecknoldIf the start of a new year didn’t serve up the fresh perspective you’d hoped for, don’t fear, cliffside hotels are here to help you rise above it all. While you’re up there, soaking in a private plunge pool or slurping up spaghetti alle vongole, you might just find the new outlook on life you’ve been searching for—a near endless view is known to have that effect. For the ultimate cliffside experience, check out these 12 incredible hotels perched atop the rocks.
The Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
Perched atop a promontory looking out over the Caribbean, Secret Bay provides all kinds of perspective. Each residential-style villa is ensconced by the inconceivable greens of the Dominica rainforest and the blue sea beyond. But bird’s-eye views aren’t the only thing this jaw-dropping property has—a river runs through it, and there’s a sea cave and two beaches.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
With its bleached walls suggestive of clean slates, the outlook at Casa Angelina is “everything is going to be all white.” Blue too, with the Tyrrhenian Sea beyond. In the village of Praiano on the Amalfi Coast, the hotel sits 120 meters above sea level. Remain above it all at the pool deck framed by a fragrant lemon pergola, or descend to La Gavitella Beach which is one of the few coastal spots where the sunlight lingers until late evening.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
Right on the rocks looking out over Walker Bay, Birkenhead House and Villas provides a prime vantage point for all the marine life the South Atlantic serves up—from whales to surfers. Juxtaposing the untamed waves outside are uniquely opulent interiors. The pool views are particularly jaw-dropping, especially come sundown.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
To reach a higher plane, you can enrol in a yoga retreat or just post up at Six Senses Uluwatu. Atop a cliff on the southern end of Bali, the resort enjoys an incredible position looking out over the Indian Ocean, with an infinity pool that mirrors the blue horizon line. Oh, and there’s yoga here too—have yours at the outdoor pavilion to enjoy the sea breezes whilst in Savasana.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
A former fortress carved out of sandstone, Cap Rocat took the old shooting pads, with their incredible views across the Bay of Palma, and made them private terraces with plunge pools where you can drop all your defences and simply watch the birds (it’s a Special Protection Area for them) while soaking up the Mediterranean sun.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
While there is no shortage of cliffside stunners in Santorini, Vora is really something special. High up in Imerovigli, looking down on the caldera, the hotel is just three private villas, each impeccably designed in calming earth tones. They all have their own terrace for taking in the view, complete with heated spa tubs. Talk about Instagram-worthy.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
One can’t talk about cliffs and not include The Emerald Isle. Less than an hour outside Cork, the Cliff House Hotel sits on the rocks overlooking Ardmore Bay. Independently owned, its many charms include a Michelin-star restaurant, destination spa and front-door proximity to a 4-kilometer cliff walk along the coast.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
A traveler’s paradise for more than 130 years—where George Bernard Shaw learned to tango and Winston Churchill came to write and paint—Reid’s Palace is a clifftop dream perched on the Portuguese island of Madeira. All its pool and restaurants, three and five respectively, face the Atlantic so you can keep the sea in your sights at all times.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
There’s no better place to quietly contemplate the next 10 months than shoulder-deep in your own private infinity pool high above the Pacific. At Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués, which clings to lush cliffside in the Diamond Zone of sunny Acapulco, every single villa has one. With in-villa dining also available, you never have to leave your nest if you don’t want to.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
The Amalfi Coast is known for cliffside accommodation, and NH Collection Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi is one of its most stunning. Embedded into the hillside, it dates back to the 13th century, when, as the name alludes, it was a retreat for monks. For the last 100 years though, it’s been all about indulgence. Speaking of, you’d be wise to book the outdoor dining terrace every day for staggering views with a side of delicious Mediterranean dishes.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
You won’t find a more spectacular Big Sur perch than Post Ranch Inn. Crafted of wood and rock with big glass windows to let every epic West Coast sunset in, it so perfectly suits its wild setting high above the crashing waves of the Pacific. The rooms, restaurant and mediation pool all deliver those great big views.
VIEW HOTELThe Most Incredible Cliffside Hotels
Vistas don’t get much more dramatic than the one Alila Jabal Akhdar enjoys. Blending in with its rugged, rocky hillside, the property sits 2,000 meters above sea level above a gorge within the Al Hajar mountain range. The infinity pool is a prime spot to post up and take in the staggering perspective.
VIEW HOTELPerched atop a promontory looking out over the Caribbean, Secret Bay provides all kinds of perspective. Each residential-style villa is ensconced by the inconceivable greens of the Dominica rainforest and the blue sea beyond. But bird’s-eye views aren’t the only thing this jaw-dropping property has—a river runs through it, and there’s a sea cave and two beaches.
VIEW HOTELWith its bleached walls suggestive of clean slates, the outlook at Casa Angelina is “everything is going to be all white.” Blue too, with the Tyrrhenian Sea beyond. In the village of Praiano on the Amalfi Coast, the hotel sits 120 meters above sea level. Remain above it all at the pool deck framed by a fragrant lemon pergola, or descend to La Gavitella Beach which is one of the few coastal spots where the sunlight lingers until late evening.
VIEW HOTELRight on the rocks looking out over Walker Bay, Birkenhead House and Villas provides a prime vantage point for all the marine life the South Atlantic serves up—from whales to surfers. Juxtaposing the untamed waves outside are uniquely opulent interiors. The pool views are particularly jaw-dropping, especially come sundown.
VIEW HOTELTo reach a higher plane, you can enrol in a yoga retreat or just post up at Six Senses Uluwatu. Atop a cliff on the southern end of Bali, the resort enjoys an incredible position looking out over the Indian Ocean, with an infinity pool that mirrors the blue horizon line. Oh, and there’s yoga here too—have yours at the outdoor pavilion to enjoy the sea breezes whilst in Savasana.
VIEW HOTELA former fortress carved out of sandstone, Cap Rocat took the old shooting pads, with their incredible views across the Bay of Palma, and made them private terraces with plunge pools where you can drop all your defences and simply watch the birds (it’s a Special Protection Area for them) while soaking up the Mediterranean sun.
VIEW HOTELWhile there is no shortage of cliffside stunners in Santorini, Vora is really something special. High up in Imerovigli, looking down on the caldera, the hotel is just three private villas, each impeccably designed in calming earth tones. They all have their own terrace for taking in the view, complete with heated spa tubs. Talk about Instagram-worthy.
VIEW HOTELOne can’t talk about cliffs and not include The Emerald Isle. Less than an hour outside Cork, the Cliff House Hotel sits on the rocks overlooking Ardmore Bay. Independently owned, its many charms include a Michelin-star restaurant, destination spa and front-door proximity to a 4-kilometer cliff walk along the coast.
VIEW HOTELA traveler’s paradise for more than 130 years—where George Bernard Shaw learned to tango and Winston Churchill came to write and paint—Reid’s Palace is a clifftop dream perched on the Portuguese island of Madeira. All its pool and restaurants, three and five respectively, face the Atlantic so you can keep the sea in your sights at all times.
VIEW HOTELThere’s no better place to quietly contemplate the next 10 months than shoulder-deep in your own private infinity pool high above the Pacific. At Banyan Tree Cabo Marqués, which clings to lush cliffside in the Diamond Zone of sunny Acapulco, every single villa has one. With in-villa dining also available, you never have to leave your nest if you don’t want to.
VIEW HOTELThe Amalfi Coast is known for cliffside accommodation, and NH Collection Grand Hotel Convento di Amalfi is one of its most stunning. Embedded into the hillside, it dates back to the 13th century, when, as the name alludes, it was a retreat for monks. For the last 100 years though, it’s been all about indulgence. Speaking of, you’d be wise to book the outdoor dining terrace every day for staggering views with a side of delicious Mediterranean dishes.
VIEW HOTELYou won’t find a more spectacular Big Sur perch than Post Ranch Inn. Crafted of wood and rock with big glass windows to let every epic West Coast sunset in, it so perfectly suits its wild setting high above the crashing waves of the Pacific. The rooms, restaurant and mediation pool all deliver those great big views.
VIEW HOTELVistas don’t get much more dramatic than the one Alila Jabal Akhdar enjoys. Blending in with its rugged, rocky hillside, the property sits 2,000 meters above sea level above a gorge within the Al Hajar mountain range. The infinity pool is a prime spot to post up and take in the staggering perspective.
VIEW HOTEL