Friday, April 5, 2013

Hotels in Hard-to-reach Places.

Parador de Ronda
Ronda, Spain

Parador de Ronda was formerly the town hall of Ronda, a mountainous Spanish village 2,460 feet above sea level. The hotel sits on the edge of a gorge carved by the GuadalevĂ­n River, which cuts the city in two; from the pool, gardens, and guest rooms, you get a panoramic view of the city and the Rajo Canyon 360 feet below.


Bivacco Gervasutti

Mont Blanc, Italy

Though Bivacco Gervasutti seems to rest precariously at 9,300 feet above sea level, the capsule is well-secured—it was designed to prevent snow accumulation, resist avalanches, and withstand high-altitude conditions (and it provides sleeping, dining, and living space for 12). The only trick is getting there: The ascent from Val Ferret Valley to Mont Blanc's Frebouze Glacier takes about four hours.


Hotel Caesar Augustus
Capri, Italy

Hotel Caesar Augustus is tucked in the cliffs of Capri alongside 1,000 Phoenician steps. Visitors once rested here on their journey up the steep stone stairs. In the early 1900s, a Russian prince converted the property to a luxurious mansion; his enhancements included the still-standing Caesar Augustus statue that gave the hotel its name.
Today, you can get the same eyeful of the Bay of Naples and have easy access to Mount Solaro, the island’s highest peak.


3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat
Zermatt, Switzerland

At 10,000 feet above sea level, 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat is the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps—giving the climbers, skiers, and astronomers who stay here a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. All guest rooms are named after one of the 29 peaks outside the hotel, and the room number corresponds to that mountain’s exact height. From the suites, you'll look out to either the Monte Rose, Switzerland’s highest point, or the Matterhorn, a mountain on the Swiss-Italian border.


Hotel Costa Verde 727 Fuselage
Costa Verde, Costa Rica

Think it’s impossible to sleep well on an airplane? Try booking a suite at Hotel Costa Verde 727 Fuselage. Hotel owner and architect Allan Templeton salvaged a 1965 Boeing 727 and renovated the interior to house two guest rooms, both fully equipped with air conditioning, private bathrooms, and kitchenettes. The plane is perched on a 50-foot pedestal and juts out across the rainforest canopy. Grab a drink on the hardwood deck built on the wing, or head to El Avion, the hotel bar built inside a Fairchild C-123 plane.


Rifugio Torre Di Pisa
Cavignon Peak, Val di Fiemme, Italy

Mountaineers must hike two to three hours to reach Rifugio Torre Di Pisa, the only hostel in the Latemar mountain group of the Italian Dolomites. It’s perched atop Cavignon Peak and named after a nearby 65-foot-high rock structure that resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Although the no-frills refuge provides only one shared bathroom among its 20 beds, it serves as a convenient base to explore the area’s many trails.


Whitepod Hotel
Les Cerniers, Switzerland

Under the watch of the Bernese Alps, guests travel the short journey from reception to their insulated pods by foot, ski, or dogsled. Once there, four miles of private skiing slopes, snowshoeing, and guide-accompanied mountain hiking are at your disposal. Naturally, this snowcapped haven is only open in the winter. Bonus: The eco-friendly resort leaves no trace after dismantling the pods at the end of the season.


Source: Yahoo!

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