The space tourism industry may be offering people the chance to travel miles above the Earth, but if you’d prefer to be beneath our planet’s surface, you’re in luck, as subterranean hotels are also appealing to the public to spend their holidays underground. Presenting the opportunity to try something new and exciting, their novelty factor could also make them stand out in a crowded marketplace.
From repurposed secret military bases and nuclear bunkers to reclaimed caves and converted mines, these 13 amazing subterranean hotels may give the term “underground economy” a whole new meaning.
13. La Claustra Airolo - Airolo, Switzerland
Living underground doesn’t always require boring into the Earth’s core. The La Claustra hotel in Airolo, Switzerland - which opened its doors in 2004 - provides an subterranean experience 6,726 feet above sea level in an ex-military bunker.
Situated in the Gotthard Pass region of the Alps, the hotel and conference facilities are carved from the mountain rock. Also featuring seminar rooms capable of hosting up to 50 people, La Claustra is surely one of the world’s most distinctive business destinations. Tours of the complex are available, and guests can also enjoy a fine dining experience with its six-course dinner menu. [More]
12. Hôtel Sidi Driss - Matmata, Tunisia
Fans of a certain popular science-fiction franchise are bound to get a kick out of staying at the “Star Wars Hotel.” Situated in Matmata, Tunisia, Hôtel Sidi Driss appeared as the Tatooine home Luke Skywalker shared with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru at the beginning of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The site has gone on to become one of the series’ most iconic filming locations - which no doubt proved good for business.
The hotel actually comprises a traditional Berber house that was built hundreds of years ago and dressed up for the 1977 movie. Set decorations were dismantled after filming, only to be revived in 2000 for the making of the 2002 instalment, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Today, the hotel remains in one piece and is open to the public all year long. In its subterranean pits, it offers four rooms, plus a restaurant that allows guests the chance to dine in the same room in which Luke Skywalker first dreamed of becoming a Jedi. [More here and here]
11. Grand Canyon Caverns - Arizona, USA
Previously used as a bomb shelter opened by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the Grand Canyon Caverns Underground Suite claims to be the “oldest, darkest, deepest, quietest, and largest suite room in the world.” The cavern, which formed over 65 million years, is located 220 feet underneath the surface of the Earth. The room is 400 long and 200 feet across, and it boasts a ceiling that’s 70 feet high.
Opened in 2010, the site also offers above-ground accommodation and facilities, but there’s only one cave suite. Guests take a 22-storey elevator ride to, so we’re told, “spend the night in a place so quiet and dark, so large and so old, and so alone. It is not for everyone.” The room is fully furnished and includes two double beds, a fold-out sofa and a living area. [More]
10. Gamirasu Cave Hotel - Cappadocia, Turkey
There’s a history of human habitation in the many caves of Turkey’s Cappadocia region, and the Gamirasu Cave Hotel - a restored 30-room complex that formerly housed prison cells and was a thousand-year-old monastic retreat - continues this trend.
The hotel was originally opened in 1999, with seven lovingly restored cave houses combined and used to make rooms that provide all the comforts of a modern hotel while staying faithful to the natural surroundings. Their rock walls also ensure cool temperatures in the summer and warmth in the winter, and luxury suites include fireplaces, balconies and Jacuzzis. [More]
9. Le Grotte della Civita - Matera, Italy
Heralded as an “architectural triumph,” Le Grotte della Civita is set into the limestone caves of the UNESCO-listed town of Matera in southern Italy. Connected by narrow cobbled streets, the subterranean location has been occupied since prehistoric times, and carved churches and dwellings fill the picturesque site, which overlooks Gravina Gorge.
Opened in 2009, the four-star hotel is made up of 18 cave rooms and a restaurant, and it was renovated over a 10-year period with great attention to detail. Replete with candles and recycled wooden furniture, this subterranean hotel bridges the past and present in an awe-inspiring setting. [More]
8. Kokopelli’s Cave - New Mexico, USA
Kokopelli’s Cave, just north of Farmington, New Mexico, is described as a “luxury cliff dwelling,” and it offers beautiful mountain views and epic sunsets over the states of New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Colorado in the Four Corners region of the US. This 1,650-square-foot, one-bedroom cave bed and breakfast is cut into a 65-million-year-old natural sandstone formation and has been fitted with modern home conveniences, a waterfall-style shower and a Jacuzzi.
Ensconced 70 feet below the surface, the manmade cave was originally intended to be a one-of-a-kind office for consulting geologist Bruce Black. Blasting of the rock began in 1980, and the site became habitable in 1996. However, perhaps after a realization of its business potential, it was turned into a mini-hotel by Bruce and his wife Margie in 1997. [More]
7. Kelebek Cave Hotel - Cappadocia, Turkey
Cappadocia’s Kelebek Cave Hotel combines modern convenience and tradition and affords great views in the heart of the historic Turkish village of Goreme. Many local homes in the area are simply enhanced caves that were formed over thousands of years by the eruptions of Mount Erciyes and then the corrosive effects of the wind and rain on the rocky landscape. The Kelebek Cave Hotel is no exception. Before it was converted into a hotel, the site was a family home, and prior to that, local hermits used parts of the location as basic chapels.
The hotel offers 36 rooms, including large cave suites that have been fitted with hand-carved furniture, locally made fabrics, and bathrooms with marble walls. The building was reconstructed using stones rescued from local demolished houses, and it features local designs and decorations, with owner Ali Yavuz proud that the hotel reflects the Cappadocia region’s history. [More]
6. Woodlyn Park - Otorohanga, New Zealand
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies have done wonders for New Zealand tourism, so it’s no surprise that opportunistic entrepreneurs looked to the idea of building a “Hobbit motel.” Located on the Central North Island, two hours out of Auckland, Woodlyn Park is part of a working farm that already offered unusual accommodation made out of a converted plane, train and a beached boat.
The Hobbit houses are completely self-contained, lodging up to six people in two separate units. Filled with specially designed furniture, the units were built using polystyrene blocks to keep them temperate all year round. And the novel idea has apparently proved to be a financial success, as the owners suggest booking early to enjoy the world’s “first Hobbit accommodation.” [More]
5. Desert Cave Hotel - Coober Pedy, Australia
The Desert Cave Hotel can be found in the opal-mining town of Coober Pedy in the northern part of South Australia, bordering the Australian outback and with a scorching desert climate. The award-winning four-star-rated hotel, which was opened in 1988, also offers an underground shopping mall and bar as well as above-ground accommodation and dining and convention services.
Other attractions include Opal World, which showcases Coober Pedy’s range of opal jewellery; Crystal Café; an outdoor pool; a gymnasium; and a sauna. An underground Serbian church, carved into the sandstone, is one of the nearby tourism sights. [More]
4. KlimaHotel - Bozen, Italy
Milan-based Italian architect Matteo Thun already had a reputation for stylish architectural works before he designed this chic subterranean hotel in Bozen, northern Italy. Although still at the concept phase, KlimaHotel will be made up of an unobtrusive set of rooms nestled on a mountainside in Stelvio National Park.
The hotel is to feature 11 south-facing individual units, covered with “green” roofs that will regulate internal temperatures throughout the seasons. Triple-pane windows will also contribute towards noise control and warmth while providing uninterrupted views of the astonishing surrounding landscape. Sustainability was key to the design of this eco-hotel, which will utilize local materials and use geothermal energy from a nearby natural spring for its heating and cooling requirements. [More here and here]
3. Null Stern Hotel - Teufen, Switzerland
The prototype Null Stern Hotel opened on June 5, 2009 in Teufen, Switzerland. Businessman Daniel Charbonnier and artist twins Frank and Patrik Riklin came up with the idea to convert a 1980s nuclear bunker into an underground hotel that prides itself on the fact that “the only star is you” - “null stern” literally translating as “zero star.” Described as the “world’s first zero star hotel,” it aimed to provide no-frills accommodation for budget-conscious travellers, with no windows, TVs or private bathrooms.
Despite its lack of luxury amenities, though, the hotel proved a success. The original Null Stern was transformed into a museum in June 2010, but its creative team now plans to expand their “zero is the new seven” business philosophy to more urban settings around the world. [More]
2. Les Hautes Roches - Rochecorbon, France
Hotel Les Hautes Roches (“the high rocks”) combines a subterranean cave setting with an elegant Renaissance manor set on the banks of the River Loire in central France. An underground labyrinth has been chiselled into the freestone cliff face next to the exquisite main house, forming a gallery of “cocoons” made up of stylish rooms and corridors.
Owner and builder Philippe Mollard saw the business potential of the idea and oversaw the renovation of the caves that once belonged to the Marmoutier Abbey - with the dormitories that had formerly provided shelter for monks transformed into luxury rooms. Part of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux family since 1991, Les Hautes Roches is proud to declare itself “France’s leading luxury troglodytic hotel.” [More]
1. Sala Silvermine - Sala, Sweden
Billed as the world’s deepest underground hotel, the Sala Silvermine Mine Suite offers a little piece of extreme subterranean luxury - and one that’s imbued with history. Guests sleep in a dark room, maintained at 64 F (18 C), 509 feet below ground - although anyone there is also connected to the surface via intercom radio.
Besides the suite, the mine is also home to sprawling caverns and stunning underground lakes. Thought to date back to medieval times, it was closed in 1908, yet it’s not only distinctive thanks to its accommodation but also because it’s exceptionally well preserved, affording the perfect chance to explore winding subterranean corridors and spaces. [More]
Bonus: Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental - Shanghai, China
The Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental is a new “groundscraper” hotel currently being built in a quarry beneath Tianmenshan Mountain, close to Shanghai. Due to be completed sometime between 2013 and 2015, the hotel was designed by global engineering company Atkins and will boast 380 to 400 rooms. Facilities in what is slated to be a five-star hotel will include two underwater floors, an underwater swimming pool, and a conference room that can accommodate as many as 1,000 people.
The hotel will offer guests the chance to enjoy extreme sports like rock climbing and bungee jumping, and plans also involve a glass wall running from the underwater levels to the ground level that will act as an imitation waterfall. According to the blog Shanghaiist, the Shanghai Shimao Property Group has put a staggering US$555 million into the project already. [More]
Top image: Sala Silvermine Mine Suite
Related Posts:
1. Shimao Intercontinental Hotel: China’s Amazing Underground Hotel
2. Breathtaking Hotels With Underwater Rooms
3. 10 Unusual Hotels for Unconventional Getaways
1. Shimao Intercontinental Hotel: China’s Amazing Underground Hotel
2. Breathtaking Hotels With Underwater Rooms
3. 10 Unusual Hotels for Unconventional Getaways
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