A long time ago, humanity emerged from caves ready to conquer to the world. In the 21st century, we’ve come full circle: Travelers are now booking vacations in underground rooms and cave hotels far and wide. For clients who think blue sky and a window with a view are a tad bit overrated, suggest lodging at one of these subterranean destinations.
The Cave Motel Room, Grand Canyon Caverns, Peach Springs, Ariz.
Just off Route 66, at the edge of the Hualapai Indian Reservation section of the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Caverns are the largest dry caverns in the U.S. Above ground, there is an inn, an RV park and campgrounds, but if spelunkers are looking for something more exclusive, they should book the singular cavern suite: The Cave Motel Room.
The 80,000-square-foot space features a 70-foot-high ceiling and sits at the bottom of a 22-story elevator ride. It formed over the span of 65 million years, and the air filters through miles of porous limestone. The result is a notable lack of humidity and creepy crawlies such as bats or spiders. Other amenities include a fold-out sofa, a collection of National Geographic magazines, various books, a functioning record player and a restroom. Outside of the scheduled tour hours when visitors pass by the room, the silence is so absolute that you can hear your heartbeat.
www.gccaverns.com
Desert Cave Hotel, Coober Pedy, Australia
In the vast Outback of South Australia, underground homes are the norm as they protect inhabitants from the unrelenting desert heat. Visitors to the mining outpost town Coober Pedy, sometimes called the “opal capital of the world”, will find locals in dugout apartments. Advisors can book clients a room at the Desert Cave Hotel for a similar experience. The winner of several tourism awards and accolades, the property also features a cafe, a bar and gaming room, shops and a dazzling opal interpretive center covered by terra firma.
www.desertcave.com.au
Sometimes called the “opal capital of the world," Coober Pedy is an active opal mining town with brilliant gemstone displays.
Credit: 2018 Creative Commons user jsjgeologyKelebek Special Cave Hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia’s iconic fairy chimney-rock formations and meringue-shaped hills comprise an otherworldly landscape that has captured people’s imaginations for millennia. Throughout history, countless livable caverns and sacred, frescoed churches have been carved out of the region’s soft stone. More recently, hotels began offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences in cave living.
Kelebek Special Cave Hotel stands above the rest, perched with unforgettable vistas across Goreme, known for its hot-air balloon festival. Explore the deep human past in the town’s open-air museum, or simply revel in the luxurious hotel grounds, which include a rose garden, an outdoor swimming pool, a luxury spa, a restaurant and comfortable rooms.
www.kelebekhotel.com
For thousands of years, people have constructed honeycomb-like habitations in the soft stone of Cappadocia, Turkey.
Credit: 2018 Creative Commons user pedrocaetanoLa Claustra Hotel, Airolo, Switzerland
What was once an army bunker (built 820 feet underground and 6,726 feet above sea level) in the Swiss Alps is now a captivating hotel with strong Bond villain vibes. Guests will find 17 rooms, a library and an expansive conference space in this surprisingly cozy resort nestled in the rock face. Exquisite food and wine are served in La Claustra’s restaurant, and the terrace provides panoramic views of rolling green meadows and slate-grey peaks in the summer. Snowplows keep the property accessible in the winter, and several ski areas are nearby.
www.la-claustra-suiza.com.es
Woodlyn Park Motel, Waitomo, New Zealand
With accommodations fashioned out of historic boats, planes and trains, this quirky North Island motel could hardly be any more distinctive. Woodlyn Park took a page from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” creating two Hobbit units in the side of a hill straight from the Shire. Each room sleeps two to six beneath an earthen roof and comes fully furnished with kitchen and bathroom facilities.
During their stay, clients can experience more beneath-the-surface excitement minutes away at the world-famous Waitomo Caves. There, a subterranean wonderland offers a chance to get close-up to the Glowworm Grotto, where thousands of tiny creatures radiate a soft-blue luminescence. Or, they can try out the guided, black-water rafting tour, where thrill-seekers can descend into a hole and float in an underground river past shimmering stalactites and crashing waterfalls.
www.waitomo.com
www.woodlynpark.co.nz
