Top 10 Magical Star‑Gazing Retreats for a Summer Escape
Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos, Mexico
This gorgeous luxury resort—in a town known for eye-popping properties—may just be the most beautiful of all. Designed with striking Moorish-inspired white stucco buildings around a breathtaking oceanfront infinity pool—gives couples the opportunity to sleep under the stars on their private oceanfront or rooftop terrace. Butlers set up a bed for the evening, complete with snacks, tequila, and even fresh flowers, so you can gaze up at the famously clear Baja sky. Check out these glamping excursions to watch the stars in style this summer.
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SeaDream Yacht Club, Caribbean or Mediterranean
These two intimate 112-passenger cruise ships have nine Balinese-style day beds on the top deck and, at night, the line decks them out with sheets and blankets so that passengers can sleep outside as the ship sails to its next destination. Our advice: Ask for the far forward one for the most privacy.
AKA Central Park, New York City
This tony hotel goes all out with their divine package, setting up a queen-size bed on a terrace in front of a wood-burning fireplace with candles, all on the 17th floor of the hotel with views of the surrounding skyscrapers. In addition to a gorgeous bed, they also provide pajamas, a telescope, and a photographer to document the night—or, the PG-13 parts, at least. Check out the world’s strangest and most unique hotels.
Ladera, St. Lucia, Caribbean
While this decadent resort isn’t exactly “under the stars,” the 37 suites do have only three walls, leaving the fourth open to the air. Best of all, all of the beds are wrapped in mosquito netting and some rooms have gorgeous private pools from which you can watch the night sky for shooting stars.
Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah
The sky is amazing above this quiet Aman resort, located on 600 acres near the Navajo reservation on the border of Arizona and Utah. Here, in the middle of the red rocks and canyons, six of the resort’s suites have open-air “sky terraces” with day beds, as well as private pools.
Treetop Haven, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Located on 50 wooded acres in Mount Tyron on Prince Edward Island, these five treehouse-style geodesic domes, set high in the trees, let you feel like you’re living outdoors. You can spend the day hiking through the forest, and return for a soak in your deck-top hot tub. Here are the most stunning hiking trails in America.
Phinda Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
There may be no more glamorous “back to nature” vacation than this African safari experience. After a day-long game drive, the andBeyond team will set up an open-air “bedroom” in the middle of the bush, with a duvet- topped bed draped in mosquito netting, a campfire, and lanterns hanging from the trees. Best of all, an armed guard will stand watch in case any big game come wondering by during the night.
Royal Mansour, Marrakesh, Morocco
This gorgeous date palm-shaded resort in Marrakesh—an oasis-like luxury hotel filled with spectacular tile work and sculpted plaster—takes guests out into the Atlas Mountains for a private 4×4 tour, followed by a night of cocktails and dinner in a private camp lit by candles, torches, and the stars in the sky above. Also, explore these hotel rooms with absolutely dreamy views.
L’Albereta, Brescia, Italy
Sure, this hotel’s Cabriolet room has a balcony that overlooks the vineyards, but that’s not the most distinctive feature. Push a button, and the ceiling opens up to allow guests to sleep outside.
Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge, Terrace, British Columbia
This floating lodge sits on the banks of British Columbia’s Khutzeymateen Inlet—home to one of the largest population of grizzly bears in the region—just a 20-minute seaplane ride from Prince Rupert. The rustic wood lodge is filled with rough-hewn furniture in a forest setting, but it comes with a barbecue, a sauna, and a fire pit to relax by at the end of a day of hiking or fishing. For more places to see the stars, check out these incredible American campsites.
