You might think that staying in a desert hotel won’t offer much in the way of activities. But the desert landscape holds a beauty all of its own that can’t compare to any other. One of the most unique features of the desert happens at night, where the vast skies and stars can be viewed with a clearness that city dwellers never experience.
Imagine seeing the stars as though unveiled, bright and shining and closer than you could fathom. And the moon provides a vast beauty of its own, sometimes seeming to take over the entire sky.
This is what you can experience in a desert hotel, and here are some of the best desert hotels in the world for stargazing:
Hotel Aire de Bardenas, Spain
Situated within the largest desert in Europe, Hotel Aire de Bardenas is located in Bardenas Royal National Park in Spain. Located in the middle of nowhere, between Madrid and Barcelona, Hotel Aire de Bardenas is unlike any other hotel. You can experience clear skies with minimal light pollution while staying in unusual “cube” or “bubble” rooms.
A true resort for nature-lovers, Hotel Aire de Bardenas provides an opportunity to hear the sound of the poplars, the birds, and the water from the mulberry tree square fountain. Taste organically grown produce from their vegetable orchard and view the starry sky and changing landscape, all without light pollution.
Eight different types of rooms or cubes are offered for this unusual experience. Some rooms offer features like:
- Private patio
- Hot-cold water bath
- Cubes with views of the desert landscape of Bardenas
- Bubbles to discover one of the European skies with the least light pollution
An onsite restaurant offers fresh vegetables grown in the Ribera de Navarra, nicknamed the paradise of vegetables. With white artichoke, fresh asparagus, lettuce hearts, fresh beans and oil, you can be assured that you’ll enjoy the tastiest of meals during your stay.
Numerous activities allow you to experience the true beauty of the desert park. You can travel via 4×4, walking and hiking, or cycling. Massages are available afterwards to relax tired muscles from adventuring. Or you can soak in the all-year-round swimming pool with a scenic view of nature.
Other amenities include:
- Free Wifi
- Bathrobes, slippers and hairdryer
- Minibar
- Private patio with fruit tree
- Pet Friendly
- Smart TV with Chromecast
- Air conditioning – heating
- Private outdoor hot-cold water bathtub.
- Free-standing room
Prices start at $270.00 and depend on which style of room you desire.
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Tucson, Arizona
When trying to choose the perfect desert landscape and the best stargazing, you can’t go wrong with a hotel in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Any hotel and Tucson area will offer access to great stargazing because of its location. One only has to go outside their house at night to see bright, sparkling stars in a clear, dark backdrop. Some hotels do stand out above others, however. One of the best choices in the Tucson area for stargazing is Loews Ventana Canyon Resort.
The best part about Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is that it offers a complimentary stargazing program on the Cascade Terrace. A UofA Mount Lemmon SkyCenter educator will walk you through the use of the available telescope and point out all the visible stars, planets, and galaxies. You can hardly find a better stargazing hotel in the desert than one that provides a program, telescope, and SkyCenter educator!
And if that isn’t enough of an attraction for the stargazing enthusiast, you can also:
- Experience authentic Southwestern food at the Flying V Bar & Grill, famous for its table-side guacamole cast iron cornbread, Santa Cruz Chile, and agave butter.
- Stroll through the nearby Window Walk Nature Trail and experience the soothing sounds of the 80-foot natural waterfall set in the Sonoran Desert landscape.
- Adventure up Mount Lemmon, where you can see the stars even better. When you reach the top, you can enjoy pizza and cookies at the Summerhaven Cookie Cabin.
- Go on an underground excursion at nearby Kartchner Caverns State Park. Experience the beauty of this amazing “live” limestone cave in all its glory.
Rooms and suites are available at this luxurious resort hotel.
Prices start at $232.00, and some rooms offer balconies or patios to better view the starry desert sky.
Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa, Chile
Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa in Chile is situated in the Atacama Valley, in the beautiful, vast, northern desert of Chile. The area boasts the brightest stars in the southern hemisphere. In the evenings, you can enjoy outdoor campfires and lounges and get a perfect view of the shooting stars falling over the nearby Licancabur Volcano. Everything in Tierra Atacama is designed to experience the full beauty of the desert landscape and night skies, with floor-to-ceiling windows in the restaurant and expansive windows in the hotel’s rooms.
Tierra Atacama was built on the site of a long-abandoned cattle corral, and at its entrance are the ancient adobe mud brick walls of the original 150-year-old bull pen. The luxury dwellings were designed by renowned Chilean architects Rodrigo Searle and Matías González.
Experience Chilean fare in the restaurant, or enjoy the oasis at Uma Spa, where you can soak in an infinity pool and hot tub. Later, you can partake in the full treatment indoors with heated pool, bubble beds, steam room, treatment rooms, and relaxation spaces.
Other nearby sights and excursions are:
- Altiplanic Lagoons
- Salar de Tara, Moon Valley
- Puritama Hot Springs
- Machuca
- Tatio Geysers
- Atacama Salt Flat
Prices start at $1,820.00 in the low season and can go up to $4,860.00 for an apartment in the high season. Rates are per room per night for up to two people, and a minimum stay of three nights is required. Included in every stay is:
- All dining, breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
- Open bar
- Two half-day excursions or one full-day excursion daily with other guests
It’s to be noted that Tierra Atacama is currently undergoing renovations that started in April of 2024 and are intended to take 11 months. Be sure to call ahead before planning out your trip, just in case renovations take longer than expected.
Castle Hot Springs: Morristown, Arizona
Many popular stargazing spots exist in Arizona, and another top mention has to be Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, Arizona. It is one of the most unique experiences, complete with special sky view cabins so that you can enjoy the stars all night long.
Just outside the old mining town of Wickenburg, Arizona, Castle Hot Springs has earned countless awards and accolades. And its most famous feature isn’t the beautiful night view, but the fact that it’s a legitimate desert oasis.
The property itself was built in 1896 and recently renovated. It’s small but luxurious, with only 12 spring bungalows and 17 sky view cabins. The resort has a trio of natural hot springs, and each one has a different temperature.
There is a gourmet restaurant and bars with a chef on-site. Most produce used in the restaurant is naturally grown using the spring water. You can even visit nearby Vulture City, a real ghost town that has been restored.
Rooms start at $1,400.00 per night.
Hotel Rangá, Iceland
Yes, Iceland has deserts too, though they may be a bit colder than you’re used to. Not only can you experience the beauty of a more unusual desert landscape, but you can get perfect views of the stars and the Northern Lights! Hotel Rangá in Hella, Iceland, doubles as a 4-star hotel and an observatory, so you can be sure you’ll get the best stargazing experience possible.
Hotel Rangá’s Observatory is reputed to be one of the best-equipped facilities in all of Iceland, and the hotel is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. On clear nights, guests can experience constellation tours by a local astronomer via the two high-powered telescopes.
Enjoy the Nordic cuisine in Rangá Restaurant, with a menu that’s made with fresh, local ingredients. Experience a few adventure tours, like snowboarding on a glacier or driving a buggy across a black sand beach. Then come back to rooms filled with the most amazing décor you’ve ever seen, including one with a tree on the wall.
Price starts at €394 for a standard room and €1251 for master suites (with trees on the wall).
Best Stargazing Hotels in Desert Landscapes
- Hotel Aire de Bardenas – Bardenas Royal National Park, Spain
Clear skies, unique bubble rooms, and organic farm-to-table cuisine. - Loews Ventana Canyon Resort – Tucson, Arizona, USA
Complimentary stargazing program with a SkyCenter educator and telescope. - Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa – Atacama Valley, Chile
Shooting stars over the Licancabur Volcano with luxury spa and excursions. - Castle Hot Springs – Morristown, Arizona, USA
Luxurious cabins with natural hot springs and stunning desert skies. - Hotel Rangá – Hella, Iceland
Stargazing and Northern Lights at a 4-star desert oasis and observatory.
Many beautiful deserts in the world offer amazing stargazing experiences, but these desert hotel picks are among some of the most unique. From Arizona, USA, to Iceland, there’s no shortage of beautiful skies, and even more amazing viewing adventures.
Whichever one you pick, I’m sure you’ll have the most relaxing time lost in the night skies.
