Hotels with the Most Terrific Views

Oberoi Wildflower Hall, Shimla, Himalayas© Oberoi

Over the last decade, The Oberoi Group has branched out into leisure hotels known for their extraordinary locations and award-winning service. One of these, Wildflower Hall, soars 8,350 feet over the Himalayas, overlooking miles of foothills, snowcapped mountains and cedar forests. Hotel highlights include an indoor heated swimming pool with picture windows, mountain-top Jacuzzi, and the Lord Kitchener Suite, an enormous two-bedroom accommodation with a fireplace and spectacular views.

Enchantment Resort and Mii amo Spa, Sedona, Ariz.© Enchantment Resort

Surrounded by massive rocks decorated with swirls of gold and red, guests staying at Enchantment Resort and Mii amo Spa in Sedona, Arizona can get the feeling they’re wrapped in the sands of a giant hourglass, especially in the glass-walled Yavapai restaurant, which won the AAA Four Diamond Award in 2006. Stay in Casita #31 for the most unobstructed view of Boynton Canyon and the pristine Coconino National Forest then take a tour by helicopter, horse, jeep, ATV or rail to truly experience some of America’s most amazing natural architecture.

Amanjiwo, Java, Indonesia© Getty Images/Jill Gocher

Hotelier Adrian Zecha already had several hotels under his belt by the time he built Amanjiwo, but his passion for creating exclusive resorts, visited by the likes of Brad Pitt and Bill Gates, obviously hadn’t flagged. In an isolated location in Zecha’s home country of Indonesia, the hotel’s stone features blend perfectly with the meditative jungle location. A stay in the Dalem Jiwo Villa offers a view of distant Borobudur, an eighth century Buddhist monument, amid pleasingly symmetrical palms and terraced farmland in varying shades of green. After an elephant safari to nearby Dagi Hill, Villa guests can relax in a private infinity pool paved with green Javanese stone and, should they need anything, place a call to their private butler.

One & Only Reethi Rah, Maldives© Barbara Kraft/ One & Only Resorts

Many people consider the 1190 islands of the Maldives the last paradise on earth, and within this is yet another little heaven. One & Only’s Reethi Rah resort, located on the North Male’ Atoll, is a collection of luxury beachfront and overwater villas with an accompanying award-winning ESPA spa. Guests arrive from the airport by yacht and are accommodated in sumptuous bungalows featuring private verandas and stunning views of the Indian Ocean. For the best views, hotel staff recommends the Grand Water Villa, which has its own open-air pool and multiple over-water hammocks to keep guests cool.

Wolwedans, NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia© Wolwedans - NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia

In 1984, Albi Bruckner created a private nature reserve in the south of Africa by personally buying a handful of farms in Namibia and tearing down their fences. Wolwedans, located on one of those original farms, is the brainchild of Albi’s eldest son, Stephan. The resort leaves 1,000 hectares of untouched land for every bed at the resort, so each separate camp provides sweeping views of virgin dunes, plains and the Nubib Mountains. Guests staying here can indulge in a private scenic drive or a hot air balloon ride over the reserve, then return to watch the sunset from the comfort of the Mountain View Suite, a cozy private lodge that is almost entirely open to the outdoors.

Dreams Luxury Suites, Santorini, Greece© Christos Drazos

Dangling 300 meters over the Aegean, the Dreams Luxury Suites resort is so small it only offers four accommodations, all with panoramic vistas over the Santorini caldera from Imerovigli, a quiet cliffside town on the west face of the island. Featuring whitewashed walkways, private pools and colorful doors that open onto an endless expanse of bright blue ocean, the Foivos and Armonia Suites are the most lush. Watch what George Grafakos, hotel manager, calls “the most famous sunset on earth” from the infinity pool in the two-story Armonia Suite and you will not be disappointed.

Los Notros, Patagonia, Argentina© Steve Allen Travel Photography / Alamy

In a part of Patagonia sometimes called “the end of the world,” Los Notros sits just a few hundred meters from one of the few remaining advancing glaciers on earth. Visitors to this rustic woodland inn in Los Glaciares National Park can watch for “ruptures” of the Perito Moreno Glacier from the hotel’s deck and living room, and even from the comfort of a hydromassage shower, as picture windows in the premium rooms offer glacier views from the bathroom. While there, indulge in horseback riding through the Patagonian wilderness or take advantage of one of the hotel’s glacier adventures, including three treks of varying difficulty and two nautical safaris.

Sheraton Iguazu, Iguazu Falls, Argentina © Eduardo Rivero/ Shutterstock

A popular legend about the formation of Iguazu Falls claims that a massive snake named Boi split the river in a fury after a brave aborigine rescued a woman who was to be the snake’s dinner. At the Sheraton Iguazu in Iguazu National Park, guests can stay right over the heart of the falls without danger from the rushing current, or from snakes, mythological or otherwise. Four suites with private balconies offer falls views and all the traditional amenities. For even more relaxation, have a cocktail on the lobby bar’s terrace and stop by the hotel spa, which offers treatments inspired by the surrounding jungle.

Lapa Rios, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica © Lapa Rios

Set in one of the last remaining lowland tropical rainforests in Central America, this Costa Rican eco-resort has something for everyone, from beach bunnies to anyone who ever wore a “Save the Rainforest” button. Each open-air bungalow looks out over the rainforest and the Pacific Ocean, and excursions include both traditional Costa Rican surfing experiences and natural adventures such as exploring for waterfalls or dolphin- watching. Stay in bungalows three through eight for the best views; they all sit on a high hill, giving them the best angle over the area. In 2003, Lapa Rios received the top level Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), so guests can rest easy that they’re not intruding on the pristine natural surroundings.

Jackson Lake Lodge, Jackson, Wyo. © Grand Teton Lodge Company

Jackson Lake Lodge offers guests the opportunity to get closer to America’s natural monuments than they might have thought possible. That’s because the hotel is operated by the Grand Teton Lodge Company, one of several management companies authorized by the National Park Service to provide lodging inside U.S. National Parks. After a long day exploring the park, enjoy panoramic vistas of the Grand Tetons and big Wyoming sky from private terraces in each of 46 cottages, or stop in the lodge’s upper lobby to check out Native American artifacts next to 100-foot picture windows. Bear in mind though, the lodge is only open from May through October.