Looking for amazing accommodation to book in the new year? From luxury wildlife lodges and historic city stays to igloo escapes, there's something for everyone in our pick of the world's best dream sleeps
Cristalino Lodge bar is the place for after dinner drinks (Cristalino Lodge)
The transfer to Cristalino Lodge from the airport at Alta Floresta starts conventionally enough, as a minibus takes you out of town and through bucolic scenes of grazing white cattle and fields of crops. But then you pass through a gate and the effect is like walking through the wardrobe into Narnia. Here, a boat waits to take you on the 30-minute ride to the lodge, along the Cristalino River. The water is strikingly dark and clear. And there are trees, lots of them – pristine forest cloaks both sides. You may see monkeys and some of the 600-plus species of exotic birds found here before mooring up at the walkway that leads to the lodge itself.
Cristalino Lodge, in the southern Amazon, is a beacon of sustainability. Accommodation is in wooden bungalows with natural ventilation, rather than air-conditioning, and powered by solar energy. The food is organic and local, and recycling is taken seriously. The restaurant is lit by candlelight at night; afterwards, you can retire outside to have a drink by the open fire while gazing at the stars.
Stay in a port barrel in the Taylors Master Suite (The Yeatman)
Positioned as an amphitheatre overlooking the Douro River and Porto’s old town, The Yeatman is located in Vila Nova de Gaia, in the heart of the port wine cellar district.
All of the hotel’s 109 guest rooms offer a balcony or terrace with grand views – and the ones higher up are afforded panoramic vistas. The hotel’s innovative wine programme involves over 100 wine partners whose products are listed on the hotel’s award-winning wine list; they also each give their name to a bedroom, providing decorative elements from their wineries.
The 10-year-old hotel has introduced several sustainability initiatives, including installing solar panels that can fully cover its hot water needs – including the indoor pool. It has also set up an extensive system to collect rainwater for sanitary use and garden irrigation. But don’t check-out before making time to dine at the hotel’s Gastronomic restaurant, where Chef Ricardo Costa revisits Portugal’s traditional flavours with innovative style, earning two Michelin stars for his efforts.
Hotel Alfonso XIII (Shutterstock)
Seville’s storied Hotel Alfonso XIII was commissioned by – and named after – the King of Spain for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929, serving as the residence for visiting international dignitaries but with a bigger aim: to become the grandest hotel in Europe.
The hotel quickly became one of Seville’s best-loved buildings and an integral part of the city’s social life; the ‘Alfonso’ is still owned by the City of Seville today. Its elaborate decoration in the Neo-Mudéjar style, fashionable in the early years of the 20th century, continues to dazzle guests and visitors alike, transferring them to a romanticised bygone era of Moorish elegance.
Hotel Alfonso XIII has 148 rooms corresponding to three different looks, each design reflecting a facet of Seville’s own idiosyncratic personality: Andalusian style, with leather headboards and chairs embellished with metal rivets; Moorish style, with Mudéjar details and arabesque plasterwork; and Castilian style, with elegant cornices, wooden coffering and Murano glass lamps. We recommend you ask for room 303, a regular room that nonetheless comes with a huge patio boasting outstanding views over the skyline of historic Seville, including the imposing 16th century Catedral de Sevilla.
View of the hotel (Hotel Las Torres)
Tucked away in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park and backed by snowy peaks and right at the start of Chile’s famous ‘W’ trek, Hotel Las Torres Patagonia is perfectly placed for an adventure.
Wildlife enthusiasts will find trekking in the nearby lenga forest irresistible, lured by the opportunity to spot an array of birds – including Magellanic woodpeckers, Austral parakeets and Chilean flickers – and the elusive puma. Those seeking the classic Patagonia experience can trek over Cerro Paine’s lower slopes to then gaze across at those iconic three granite towers from the D’Agostini viewpoint. Whatever route you decide to take, by foot, car or even hoof, it will be enriched by the hotel’s expert guides leading your excursion.
Stay in a cosy Cabin in Sweden (Elisabeth Gustavsson STARK fotografi&design)
Watching the northern lights swirl above your head is a dream come true for most of us. Just try not to doze off before you see them when you stay at Ice & Light Village in Swedish Lapland, a mobile collection of five cabins that are housed within heated glass igloos.
Founder Maarit Lindvall’s niece, architect Emma Strömberg, designed the igloos so expect minimalist Scandi décor – think cool blues, sheepskin blankets and ash wood. Breakfast is sandwiches, pastries, fruit and yoghurt in bed, while local chefs – such as MasterChef participant Lotta Öström – provide in-room dinner options.
The Kalix archipelago is full of character. Just 30 minutes walk from the igloos’ current location sits Kalix church. Built in 1472, it’s Sweden’s northernmost medieval church. Meanwhile, an al fresco fika coffee break is also the opportunity to try the local delicacy: Kalix vendace roe, or ‘the Gold of Bothnian Bay’.
The View
The red rock pinnacles and mesas of Monument Valley are sacred to the Navajo. They believe them to be the petrified remains of fallen monsters, defeated by the holy people, and now buried in the sand. Millions come each year to share in that mythology and see this sacred land. Few get to stay on site.
Navajo owned and operated, The View is the only hotel inside Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. And it is well-named: its rooms have balconies facing the Mittens, two huge red buttes rising like giant’s fists. At a lookout beside the hotel, tourists jostle for a glimpse. At The View, you have your own private box.
The hotel has been designed to blend into the sandstone desert. Inside, it is a reflection of Navajo culture, with locally made art and hand-woven rugs (a Navajo speciality) dotted throughout. The restaurant features traditional Navajo dishes, such as green chile stew and Navajo tacos, as well as American fare. It’s not fancy, but the panoramic windows make it, perhaps, the south-west’s most spectacular bite.
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