Here at Parachute, we take sleep very seriously – from our bedding to our dreams to how the views you wake to impact your mood. Which is why we became instant fans of SSSLEEP, an editorial property dedicated entirely to the art of sleep. Founder Thayer Reynolds covers all the good stuff: Sheets, sleepwear, hotels and the beds and sleep habits of interesting people. She’s slept in her fair share of beds around the world (hey, it’s all part of the job), so we reached out to Thayer to share the best of the best for your viewing pleasure. In her words…
I’ve been particular about bedrooms and hotel rooms for as long as I can remember. The bedding, the number of windows, the room’s orientation relative to the sun – it all matters to me. That’s why I post obsessively about bedrooms, beds, sheets and naps at @alwayssssleep and on my site. I’m lucky to travel frequently for work and for pleasure, and the most memorable trips I’ve ever taken have one thing in common: They all have amazing hotel views.
Because of my appreciation for outstanding sleep spaces, the popular travel phrase “but we won’t be spending any time in the room” sends me to a dark place. Oh sure, we won’t be spending any time in the room…except for eight hours in bed (maybe sleeping, maybe playing Candy Crush through jet lag and insomnia), two hours taking a midday rest or checking in on work, an hour freshening up for dinner and that one glorious and most crucial hour in the morning getting ready. And I want a view for all of it. With that in mind, the following hotels have the best views I’ve experienced in my travels…
Amangiri
Last summer I was crazed at work, wasn’t sleeping enough and hadn’t done anything fun in weeks. I had it in my head that any hotel that offers a spa situation can stand in for sort of a professional rehab – a place where those of us who are normally confined to artificially cool offices and airplanes can go to get a full reset. So I booked a suite at Amangiri for four nights to figure out where the hell Canyon Point, Utah was.
Amangiri is far away from what one might call civilization, and that’s precisely why it’s fantastic. Its biggest selling point is that each of the 34 rooms has a view of incredible mesas. The striated buttes are millions of years old and make for a soothing backdrop while you sip lemonade cocktails/get a massage/read John Grisham. You would think staring at rocks would be wholly uninteresting, but you would be wrong. Four days of waking up to that view was all I needed to feel worlds better.
Tucker's Point
If you’re more in the mood for teal water and incredible cloud formations, book a room at Tucker’s Point in Bermuda. This Rosewood property is the island’s most luxurious and arguably offers the best food, bedding and views. One side of the hotel looks out on Castle Harbour…and very little else, which is exactly why people love it. Sunrise is a truly restorative moment in Bermuda and should be experienced looking out the window with coffee in hand. I’m not sure I see the appeal of the Caribbean when you have pink sand beaches and crystal clear water just two hours from JFK.
Il San Pietro di Positano
Another great hideaway with miles of ocean to spare is Il San Pietro di Positano. Every room has sweeping views of the Tyrrhenian sea, punctuated by the white villages of the Amalfi coast on either side. I have traveled all over Italy – to Tuscan villas, lakeside castles and beachfront resorts – and this hotel is far and away the best, in no small part because the views are uninterrupted by any ambient noise. All you can hear is the ocean crashing against the rocks below.
Les Crayeres
Every once in a while, you need quiet country getaway where you can, quite frankly, get very drunk. I’ve found the perfect place for this: Reims, France. About an hour away from Paris by train, Reims is notable for three things: It’s where they make champagne; they have hot air balloons everywhere (think Cappadocia with more trees); and Les Crayeres. Les Crayeres is a chateau built in 1901 amongst some of the finest champagne houses, and with 20 plush bedrooms – each fit for a comtesse – and a Michelin-starred restaurant, what more do you need? Answer: A gorgeous view. When I wasn’t vigorously gulping champagne, I would spend hours in bed staring out onto the rolling greens of the property and the 2,000 year old city beyond. It was, as the french say, paradis.
Hotel Marinela Sofia
And if you ever happen to find yourself in the Balkans, make sure you stay at the Hotel Marinela Sofia in Sofia, Bulgaria. Although I’m not sure what there is to do in the city (besides comically quick business deals), the hotel has wild peacocks strutting around the grounds, and the views of the surrounding mountain range can’t be beat. It might almost make it worth the trip.