Rooms with a view: the hotels setting their sights on the world’s most impressive scenery

A good view is more than just a pretty picture or an Instagram moment. Nothing says “I have arrived” like that first look out of a window or from a veranda. A breathtaking vista can frame an entire holiday experience. Audley Travel understands this. The luxury tour operator is in the business of making memories that will last a lifetime for its clients, and its expert team leaves no stone unturned – or, indeed, no view unseen – to ensure that happens. Here, Audley’s regional specialists have curated a list of beautiful rooms and remarkable spaces with spectacular views, covering the best these countries have to offer.

From Mount Fuji to a millennia-old monolith and a marble mausoleum, these vistas provide unforgettable memories that you don’t even have to get out of bed for

EOLO, El Calafate, Argentina

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Tree and easy Trade the concrete jungle for the real deal at Shinta Mani Wild in Cambodia

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This hotel lets nature do the talking. There are magnificent views over the Patagonian plains at every turn – you’ll feel like the sun is rising and setting just for you. With 17 elegant, understated rooms, EOLO sits in a 10,000-acre estate just an hour from Los Glaciares National Park, home to the vast, Unesco-recognised Perito Moreno Glacier. Take in some tango in Buenos Aires or visit the mighty Iguazu Falls – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

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Hidden away in Canyon Point – a dramatic landscape home to Lake Powell and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument – you’ll find Amangiri. Every room offers views of the desert from a bathtub or king-size bed, and the large folding windows lead to your own private terrace. As part of Aman Resorts, the hotel’s design reflects its setting and, after hiking or yoga, guests can recharge in its luxurious 25,000 square-foot spa. Helicopter over the Grand Canyon or visit the much-filmed Monument Valley – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

Amangiri, Utah, US

Support the surrounding nature reserve by staying in this luxury tented camp which has conservation at the heart of what it does. Set in an 865-acre private nature sanctuary in southwest Cambodia, it’s a three-hour drive from Phnom Penh – but the especially daring can arrive via zipline over the rainforest canopy. The 15 exclusive tents are spaced across a mile-long stretch of jungle-clad river, some over rapids, with guests able to join Wildlife Alliance rangers on their patrols. Explore the temples of Angkor Wat on a tour of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

Shinta Mani Wild, Kirirom National Park, Cambodia

This five-star getaway in the outback has hands down the best views of one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world – Uluru. You’ll be mesmerised by the 500-million-year-old sandstone monolith as its colour changes from green to orange to magenta, all from the comfort of your own private deck. To make the most of the vista, each self-contained double room is perched on stilts, like a little treehouse. View the stunning rock art of Arnhem Land or cruise on the Yellow Waters in the Kakadu National Park – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

Longitude 131, Northern Territory, Australia

Has a hotel ever been better situated in a more attractive city? In a word: no. On the north bank of the Arno, just a few steps from the Ponte Vecchio and with Gucci and Ferragamo just metres away on the Via Tornabuoni, this five-star hotel is almost burdened with beauty. Most of its 37 effortlessly stylish dove-grey suites have a floor-to-ceiling window through which you can watch boats navigating the river. Thoroughly dreamy. Learn to cook Italian cuisine or take a private boat tour of the Amalfi Coast – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

Portrait Firenze, Florence, Italy

To call this the ultimate transcontinental train trip wouldn’t be hyperbole. Starting in Toronto, crossing the lakelands and boreal forest of northern Ontario, traversing the western prairies and climbing through the Canadian Rockies before finishing its journey three days later in British Columbia, The Canadian’s ever-changing views are more exhilarating than any action movie. Take a seaplane to Victoria for the day and sample Canadian gourmet cuisine in Vancouver – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

The Canadian, Toronto to Vancouver, Canada

Sitting in one of the largest private reserves in southern Africa (visitor numbers are strictly limited), this luxury lodge has the best of the Namib Desert – surreal, shifting landscapes populated with oryxes and springboks – all to itself. There are 12 thatched “tents” on raised platforms, with four-poster beds facing the best views. When the sun goes down, guests can retreat to their own stargazer rooms, which have open ceilings so you can fall asleep beneath the Milky Way; NamibRand is one of only two International Dark Sky Reserves in Africa, affording visitors views of the stars with some of the lowest light pollution anywhere on Earth. Kayak with seals off Pelican Point or climb the gigantic sand dunes at Sossusvlei – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

Kwessi Dunes, NamibRand Nature Reserve, Namibia

It’s glamping but not as you know it. This resort positively drips Japanese design genius. Its 40 cabins, built on a slope carpeted with red pine, are in fact concrete cubes with sliding doors that open to reveal the most exquisite views of Mount Fuji (and Lake Kawaguchi at its base). The cabin interiors are modest but serene, with a cloud-like bed taking centre stage. Some terraces have a heated sunken table and small modern campfire. Watch a live sumo training match or take a helicopter ride over Tokyo – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

Hoshinoya Fuji, Yamanashi, Japan

Nothing can prepare you for the spectacle of the Taj Mahal. It’s a sight for delighted eyes at dawn or as the sun is setting, and at this hotel you can see it for yourself in lavish comfort. The only building within the green belt surrounding the mausoleum, the Oberoi is a 10-minute walk from the East Gate and designed so that every room – each a masterclass in Indian craftsmanship – has an unimpeded view of the Taj. Scale the ramparts of Jodhpur's Mehrangarh Fort or relax in rural Rajasthan – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India

Set in its own rugged, lava-filled landscape, this hotel in the Reykjanes Peninsula – a Unesco Global Geopark dotted with craters, mud pools, steam vents and hot springs – is unusually blessed. The private lagoon allows visitors to escape the crowds, while the 35 rooms are bright and unfussily Scandinavian but with conspicuously stylish touches. They all feature large windows and their own veranda, so each comes with an otherworldly view you simply can’t get elsewhere. Go glacier hiking on Iceland’s largest ice cap or snorkel between two tectonic plates – see an example itinerary from Audley’s specialists.

Silica Hotel, Blue Lagoon, Iceland

For more than 25 years, Audley Travel has created trips as singular as the people who take them. Its motto is “Travel that’s made for you, stays with you” and its experts take great care and all the time required to ensure its clients take journeys that more than match their dreams. Focusing on “meaningful experiences and real connections” rather than the highlights of any given destination, Audley prides itself on giving travellers a true taste of the places they visit and a deep appreciation of the people who live there. Each client is assigned their own dedicated specialist, who crafts their trip by getting to know them and their motivations, interests and passions – and the process isn’t over until the client is happy with every last detail. Specialists remain on hand to offer advice and answer any pre-travel queries, right up to the moment the client embarks. And the support doesn’t end there – a 24-hour support line means if you have any issues while on your trip of a lifetime, help is only a phone call away. The Audley service is the very definition of bespoke.

Plan your tailor-made trip at audleytravel.com or call 01993 461 361

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