Good heavens! Five incredible stargazing hotels

We love the universe. We just wish light pollution wasn’t dimming that magnificent canvas we call the night sky. Still, there are many places left on earth for unobstructed views of the heavens and some hotels have even gone out of their way to make sure stargazing is part of a good night’s sleep. In honor of National Meteor Watch Day on June 30, here are five of the best stargazing hotels on the planet for tilting your head upward and taking in the awesome unadulterated beauty of galaxies far, far away.

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa: Maui, HI
One of the best ways to view Maui’s incredible night sky is from atop a volcano at Haleakala National Park. But should you not want to leave the confines of your cozy resort—and we can hardly blame you for wanting to spend your time in Hawaii poolside—the 40-acre tropical complex at the Hyatt Regency Maui near pretty Lahaina offers a Tour of the Stars featuring a 14-inch reflector telescope known as “The Edge,” which is perched 14 stories high on the hotel rooftop and includes a Director of Astronomy who will guide visitors in spotting stars, planets, galaxies and nebulae.

Ice Hotel: Jukkasjarvi, Sweden
Ahh, the Aurora Borealis (aka Northern Lights)! A cosmic collision of rays, solar winds and magnetospheric plasma interacting with the upper atmosphere and shining like a whisper of brilliant green light, these fabled lights put on a nightly show in the Arctic winter skies, including near Sweden’s Ice Hotel, where some rooms are made completely out of ice. The hotel offers numerous opportunities to get up close and personal with this most extraordinary sight, including a horseback eco-tour, an overnight dogsled excursion and a trek through the wilderness via snowmobile. Plus, you can bed down for the night in the Northern Lights suite where the lights are projected onto the ceiling via projection.

Primland: Meadows of Dan, VA
Admittedly, the Old Dominion might not be the first place you think of when you dream of spotting Jupiter in the nighttime sky. But at Primland, a luxury eco-resort set amongst 12,000 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the on-site Observatory Dome is a prime place from which to view the universe. Guests are invited to study the cosmos via the observatory’s Celestron CGE Pro 1400 telescope and, if it just so happens to be a time of heightened cosmic activity, the resort offers Star Master Weekend programs that coincide with celestial occurrences. Also, a smaller telescope is available for terrace viewings of closer celestial bodies.

Alto Atacama Hotel and Spa: Región de Antofagasta, Chile
The long, spindly country of Chile stretches 2,672 miles along the Pacific Ocean and the Alto Atacama Hotel and Spa is perfectly situated near the intriguing Los Flamencos National Reserve in northern Chile, which boasts the perfect combination of high altitude, a dry climate and miles away from any light pollution. The hotel’s Astronomy Tour takes visitors on a short hike to a 50-step observation deck outfitted with lounge chairs and a telescope where a guide delivers an introductory briefing before using a laser pointer to indicate the southern hemisphere’s most noteworthy stars, planets, galaxies and constellations. Hot and cold beverages are served.

Four Seasons Resort at Troon North: Scottsdale, AZ
The American Southwest is an amazing place for star spotting. And at 2,650 feet above sea level, the luxurious Four Seasons Resort at Troon North is that much closer to all the celestial action. Additionally, every suite is equipped with a high-powered telescope and detailed star chart. Not only that, but chefs atthe Four Seasons will customize a nighttime picnic for guests, complete with telescope and star chart, and every Friday night the resort offers complimentary stargazing sessions with a local expert who’ll point out the Sagittarius constellation, the Witch Head Nebula and many more.

Photo Credit: Barbara Kraft

Tagged: Family time, Hawaii, Hotels