Room with a view: five of the world's most scenic hotels

Fancy something special with your morning coffee? Check out these rooms with a view, where what's outside is just as first-class as the digs themselves.

By Connor McGovern
Published 8 Apr 2019, 23:41 BST, Updated 31 Jan 2022, 10:03 GMT

With vistas like Seascape's, you might feel guilty about staying indoors.

Photograph by Seascape

1. Seascape, New Zealand

For a beach blow-out

With vistas like Seascape's, you might feel guilty about staying indoors. Luckily, you needn't — this renovated New Zealand bolthole's glass facade lets you marvel at the sweeping curve of Pigeon Bay. There's even a luxurious outdoor spa to really max out those views. From £1,525, for two nights.

2. Hoanib Valley Camp, Namibia

For desert digs

Looking to go off-grid? Head for Namibia's ethereal northwest, to Hoanib Valley Camp in remote Kaokoland. Guests can learn more about the camp's ground-breaking giraffe research as well as the locals' way of life. The area's rich in wildlife too, from rare flora to desert lions and black rhino. From £475 per person, all-inclusive. 

3. Capella Ubud, Indonesia

For a jaunt in the jungle

Sitting like birds' nests in the mist-veiled Balinese jungle, Capella Ubuud's location is hard to beat for the ultimate rainforest retreat. Made up of 20 sumptuous tents and a two-room lodge, the camp overlooks rice terraces, lush greenery and a sacred river. End the day with a soak in a saltwater plunge pool. From £658 per room, per night.

4. Palazzo Manfredi, Italy

For city-slick views

Views don't get much more monumental than the Colosseum, and now you can sleep a stone's throw from the Eternal City's star attraction. The new Grand View Colosseum and Junior Suites at the Palazzo Manfredi look right on to the Colosseum itself for a view fit for a (Roman) emperor. From €900 (£801) per person, B&B.

5. Star Arctic Hotel, Finland

For wintry escapes

Nordic winters are notoriously dark, but you won't mind when you're tucked into the Star Arctic Hotel, in Saariselkä, rural Finland. From its minimalist, cosy interiors, you can take in pine-dotted views of a Narnian landscape on one side of the hotel, while the northern skies on the other offer the chance to glimpse the northern lights. For an extra dash of Scandi style, book a suite with its own sauna. Scenic view suites from €349 (£314) per night, room only.

Published in the Jan/Feb 2019 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) 

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