Quirky Cave Hotels to Stay in Around the Globe

Journey 22 storeys down to the world’s deepest hotel suite at the Grand Canyon Caverns and Inn in northern Arizona. The wide cavernous room is located 220ft (67m) underground and is 70ft (21m) tall. The buried abode includes two double beds and a living room with a queen fold-out sofa so it can sleep six people in total. Other furnishings include a library of vintage books including a National Geographic magazine collection dating back to 1917.

Guests can check in with the last cave tour of the day at 4pm with check-out shortly after the first tour begins the next day at 10am. The water supply for the bathroom is carried down by staff and there is an employee stationed on the ground level around the clock in case guests need assistance.

Not of any relation to footballer David, Beckham Creek Lodge in Ozark, Arkansas, caters to cave dwellers with luxury tastes. The swanky lair was originally hollowed out in the early 1980s as a nuclear bomb shelter when the USA and USSR were at heads. Following several renovations, the 5,572sqft (518sqm) cave is now a holiday rental. Features of the four-bedroom, four-bathroom abode include geothermal heating, stunning stalactites and chandeliers hanging from rippling ceilings.

Venturing outside, there are 257 acres (104ha) of private land to play with, with activities including hiking, canoeing, fishing, helicopter rides and horseback riding to pick from.

Carved within a limestone cliff overlooking the meandering Loire River, Les Hautes Roches in Rochecorbon, central France was recently listed by Unesco as a World Heritage site. The elegant 18th-century main property is attached to the rock with some guest rooms burrowed into the cliff.

There is a one-Michelin-star restaurant on the site with head chef Didier Edon rustling up surf and turf dishes using locally sourced ingredients matched with wines from the Loire Valley. Les Hautes Roches is part of the Relais & Châteaux portfolio of luxury hotels and restaurants.

Set 90 minutes outside of Melbourne, Mira Mira Fantasy Accommodation transports travellers to another world with its themed rental apartments. There are four properties in total, and for guests wanting to channel their inner Batman or Batwoman, the Cave House might fit the bill. The two-bedroom pad is entered via a winding staircase. The living area features natural walls and the owners added the sound of water to “truly enhance the feel of living underground”.

Continuing on the rock theme, the hollowed-out dwelling has a spa menu with a hot stone massage on offer.

La Claustra in Switzerland could be mistaken for being a James Bond villain’s lair, hidden as it is under a rocky mountain slope. The former army fortress, which is almost impossible to see during the snowy winter months, prides itself on being cut off from the outside world with no television or mobile phone service. The underground hotel is a network of corridors leading on to 17 simply-styled guest rooms with shared bathroom facilities.

Other amenities include a sauna, a seasonal outdoor pool and restaurant where six-course dinners are served every evening. Because of the changeable mountain weather, the hotel is open from May through October and bookings must be made direct and in advance.

Tucked away in southern Tunisia, Sidi Driss is described as being perfect for those seeking an “unforgettable intergalactic stay”. The underground dwelling served as the setting for George Lucas’s Star Wars film in 1976, 1997, 2000 and 2003. Fans of the sci-fi series will no doubt recognise the property as the childhood home of Luke Skywalker on the planet of Tatooine. The hotel is located in the village of Matmata where locals have been digging their homes out of the ground for thousands of years to avoid the intense heat and desert winds, and it was pretty unknown on the travel map before its movie debut.

Today Sidi Driss serves as a hotel complex with 20 cave rooms decked out with simple furnishings. The kitchen serves up typical dishes of the region with recipes including lamb tagine, pea stew, couscous and chorba soup. Head to the bar for a mint tea or local beer. Travellers must book directly through the hotel.

You’re tipped to have a “yabba-dabba-doo” time at the quirky Caves Beach Resort Hurghada in Egypt, with its prehistoric-style decor. The all-inclusive hotel was designed to blend in with its rocky coastal surroundings. There are 383 rooms in total with cave-style interiors, exposed stone walls, animal-print bed linens and natural wood furnishings. Playing on the Flintstones theme, there are two restaurants and six bars named after the fictional Stone Age characters. The hotel, only for guests aged 16 and over, also boasts a water sports centre, gym, tennis court, swimming pool and mini football pitch.