In the classic novel, A Room with a View by EM Forster, the heroine Lucy Honeychurch bemoans her poor view from her room in Florence, all she can see is the courtyard rather than the beautiful Arno River. When she finally swaps rooms she is totally delighted to have the view that she has been craving. Like Miss Honeychurch, I think it’s so important to have a room with a beautiful view of the country that you’re visiting. Having that view not only offers you a picture of beauty but it allows a connection with the country that you’re staying in. Ever the English Literature student, when Emma, Kelly and Rebecca asked me to suggest topic for this month’s travel link up I took inspiration from Forster’s novel….
I’ve stayed in some hotels with absolutely incredible views and through their windows or from their balconies and terraces I’ve seen many wonders both of the natural landscape and of man-made iconic architecture. With that in mind, I thought I structure my post around those two very different types of view.
Man Made
Il Salviatino, Florence
Like Lucy Honeychurch, I thought I’d start my story in Florence…
Mr Silver and I took a fabulous mini-moon in Florence and from the beautiful suite in our hotel, Il Salviatino, we could see the incredible Renaissance cityscape and the iconic Duomo, the cathedral. Views in Florence are so beautiful and romantic but are made even more wonderful by the rich sense of history, culture and intricate architecture. If you visit Il Salviatino, book a Dome View Room so that you don’t miss out on a panoramic view of one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
For me, one of the most iconic landmarks that I’d always dreamed of seeing was the Sydney Opera House, so when Mr S and I made our dream trip to Australia, I ensured we would have the perfect view of the pearly white sails.
From the majestic and towering Shangri-La hotel you have a view across the whole of the Sydney Harbour, encompassing the bridge too. Dine in the Shangri-La’s superb restaurant, Altitude, which has floor to ceiling windows allowing a full panoramic view of the harbour. Book an Opera House City view to ensure that you are the right side of the hotel for a view of this masterpiece of modern architecture.
Read my full review of The Shangri-La
Cavallo Point, Sausalito
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most iconic structures in the United States and one of the wonders of the modern world. The famous orange-hued bridge connects San Francisco to Marin county and is an amazing 2,737 metres long.
The picture above was the view from our room in the fabulous historic hotel, Cavallo Point. The hotel was converted from an army barracks into five star luxury accommodation and is located in a National Park close to the foot of the bridge, you couldn’t really be staying much closer. For a sweeping view of the Bridge choose one of the contemporary lodgings, and for something extra special go for a room with a deck or patio so that you can sit out and enjoy a glass of wine with your view.
You’ve got to love a beautiful skyline and when I think of the most famous ones: New York, London and Paris all spring to mind with the glory of the Empire State Building, Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower. But actually a different city tops my list for boasting the most impressive Sky Line: Hong Kong.
Apologies for the terrible photo quality but in the interest of authenticity I wanted to use a picture of the actual view that we had from our room at The Intercontinental in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, while we were there the weather was very bad and foggy.., but I think you get the idea!
Architects have made the most of the lack of space in the city by building vertically and Hong Kong ranks first in world for the number of skyscrapers it contains, boasting four of the fifteen tallest buildings in the world. The surrounding mountains make a stunning back drop to the city and add to the feeling of height.
When we stayed at the Intercontinental we had the perfect view of the harbour and skyline. Pop down to the bar at 8pm and you can watch the famous Symphony of Lights, a sychronised light and laser display that illuminates the exteriors of the building lining both sides of the Victoria Harbour.
The Encore, Las VegasYou don’t get much more man-made than Vegas, with its neon lights, sky scrapers and crazy shaped hotels…Vegas isn’t for everyone but I love it!
The Encore is right at the heart of the Strip and from our towering room in the sky scraper you can see some of the most well-known hotels and landmarks.
Natural
Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean, seemingly precariously perched on the cliff side is Post Ranch Inn, labelled one of the best hotels in the world.
From your incredibly cosy and luxurious, yet rustic, cabin you can view the most beautiful natural views.
From our side of the hotel we could see sweeping mountain tops and tall trees which we could enjoy from our balcony whilst sipping champagne in our hot tub or drinking fresh coffee and eating home made cookies on our loungers. From the other side of the hotel the view is of the eternal ocean beautifully expanding as far as the eye can see. Eat at the restaurant and you’ll feel like you’re suspended in mid-air over that deep blue sea.
Silky Oaks, The Daintree RainforestA treehouse perched high in the canopy of the Rainforest is not for the faint of heart…but when you peer from you’re balcony and see this view, you’ll certainly forget any fears.
I’m terrified of creepy crawlies and flying things but I screwed up all my courage to stay in this once-in-a-lifetime hotel in the middle of all this natural beauty. Staying right in the rainforest allowed me to really discover the Daintree and the Mossman River, and getting so close to nature wasn’t so scary after all!
Read my full review of Silky Oaks
I’ve stayed at many hotels with a beautiful view of the sea but none quite so stunning as The Four Seasons Bora Bora.
I’ve never seen the sea so azure blue and an island so emerald green. Bora Bora is a totally beautiful and completely unspoilt island brimming with life and colour. The picture above was the stunning sea view that we saw from our bed when we woke up in the morning. As we were lucky enough to have a villa right an the end of the pavilion, our view was completely unobstructed and we were in our own little world together on our honeymoon.
My form of travelling may not involve a backpack and youth hostels but I love the once in a life time experiences that you can have while travelling to distant lands. One of the most incredible places I’ve ever stayed in is the Four Seasons Tented Camp which is located in the bamboo jungles of Chiang Rai in Thailand. The reason the hotel is so unique is that it is home to four elephants meaning that you can interact with these gentle giants on a daily basis: watching them bathe in the morning, feeding them breakfast, and going on treks.
The photos above depict the view from our luxury tented accommodation in the hotel. Not only were we staying in the heart of the jungle but the murky lake that you can see above is where the elephants bathed every morning. Sadly, I didn’t get any pictures of the elephants’ morning bath but the experience of having a shower myself whilst watching the elephants spray water over themselves is truly an unforgettable one.
Longitude 131, Uluru
I’ve saved the best for last…a natural wonder and one of Australia’s most recognised landmarks, Ayers Rock, or, to give the sandstone mountain it’s Aboringal name, Uluru. The fantastic hotel, Longitude 131, is made up of fifteen luxury tents and every one has perfect view of The Rock.
Each room is fronted with special glass; you can see out but no one can see in…in the morning we could watch the sun rise over the Uluru. The rock is known for changing colour with the different times of the day and it glows a brilliant red at dawn and at sunset. The rock is sacred to the aboriginal people and being in its presence is strangely indescribable. Magical and mysterious, a visit to Ayers Rock is an unforgettable one. Just ask Will and Kate who recently stayed at Longitude 131 on a romantic break.
Whether the view is natural or man-made it really can give a connection while in a foreign land and create a feeling of the sense of place. What’s the most interesting view you’ve seen from your room whilst travelling?
