Elevated Hotels
These hotels on stilts give you an elevated experience (literally). Hotels on stilts offer numerous advantages, including spectacular views from elevated viewpoints and the opportunity to be directly in nature, whether that be the rainforest, the mountains, the ocean, or a national park. Check out some of my favorites below:
Kruger Shalati - South Africa
This iconic one-of-a-kind boutique hotel is built into an immobilized train on a bridge overlooking South Africa’s Kruger National Park. The extra-elevated vantage point above the River and National Park from your pool allows for a relaxing and unique game viewing experience. The bridge straddles the Sabie River, which could offer you viewings of crocodiles, hippos, elephants, and other wildlife.
Rio Perdido - Costa Rica
Twenty bungalows, connected by a system of elevated pathways and hiking trails, stand on stilts high up at canopy level in 600 acres of dwarf forest near the edge of the two rivers’ deep gorges. The property is an adventure lovers’ paradise; it has hot springs heated by magma, trails and bridges, ziplining, white water tubing, and yoga pods.
Besst Travels clients will receive the following VIP perks here:
Daily breakfast for 2 per room
20% discount on spa and adventure services
Room upgrade subject to availability
Early check in/late check out, subject to availability
Victoria Falls River Lodge - Zimbabwe
The Island Treehouse Suites are set on a private island in the middle of the Zambezi River, reachable only by boat ride from the mainland, ensuring guests have a completely exclusive and private experience. The treehouses jut out over river and jungle and are elevated over the island via timber decks and walkways to allow hippos and elephants, who use the island as a resting point on their swims across the river, to pass through uninterrupted.
Besst Travels clients will receive the following VIP perks here:
Daily Full breakfast for 2 per room
$100 USD equivalent resort credit
Villa Bookings will also receive a complimentary 50-minute massage for up to two guests, per bedroom, once per stay
Early check-in / Late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary Wi-Fi
Sala Lodges - Cambodia
These authentic handmade houses in Siem Reap are at least fifty years old and were transported from all across the Cambodian countryside and reassembled on site. The houses differ widely in style and plan, though all of them are elevated at least a few feet, in traditional Khmer style.
Boca de Agua Bacalar - Mexico
Far from the crowded all inclusive resorts of Cancun on the southernmost end of the Yucatán, Boca de Agua Bacalar is situated directly on the banks of the crystal clear Bacalar lagoon. The treehouse rooms are built on stilts to minimize their footprint and off guests great views of the surrounding jungle and wildlife.
Hotel Palafitte - Switzerland
Hôtel Palafitte offers overwater bungalows, located over the waters of Switzerland’s Lake Neuchâtel, at the foot of the Jura mountains, with a gorgeous view of the Swiss Alps across the lake. The overwater bungalows are a modernized version of the houses on stilts that farmers lived in at this lake five thousand years ago.
Besst Travels clients will receive the following VIP perks here:
Breakfast for Two Per Room Daily
$100 Hotel Credit per Stay
Complimentary In-Room Internet
Room Upgrade (subject to availability)
Priority Check-in and Check-out (subject to availability)
Thatch Caye Resort - Belize
A 25-minute boat ride from Belize’s mainland is the only way to get to Thatch Caye’s private-island location. The eco-friendly overwater cabanas here sit on stilts above the sea and are the perfect launching point for a myriad of water activities - from snorkeling and diving to kayaking and fly-fishing
Rosewood Luang Prabang - Laos
Nestled along a secluded jungle hillside surrounding the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang, this hotel features hilltop tents designed by world-renowned designer Bill Bensley. The rooms are set by a river and waterfall, some with outdoor bathtubs, allowing you to relax with the noise of water and wildlife all around.
Besst Travels clients will receive the following VIP perks here:
Daily breakfast for two per room
Resort credit of USD 125 per stay
Private roundtrip transfers from and to airport or Luang Prabang Railway Station
Daily Tuk Tuk shuttle service from and to Luang Prabang town
Upgrade at time of reservation, subject to availability
Early check-in / late check-out, subject to availability
Complimentary selected mini bar, replenished once daily
Complimentary use of bicycles within Luang Prabang
Complimentary Wi-Fi internet access
Loire Valley Lodges - France
These treehouse lodges are lofted on stilts among the trees in a 750 acre forest with no wi-fi and no TV but epic views and a private jacuzzi on each terrace. Each lodge was designed by a contemporary artist, with individual artwork featured in each unit, and the hotel also offers an art path composed of monumental contemporary works installed by renowned artists.
Floris Green Suites - Italy
In the tiny village of Siusi in the Italian Alps, the very traditional Parc Hotel Florian has been joined by a very modern addition. Floris Green Suites is a treehouse-style hotel within a hotel, its ten abstract suites elevated on stilts to minimize their footprint. The interiors use classic Alpine materials like timber floors, combined with modernist furniture and fixtures and glass walls that maximize the bedrooms’ exposure to the dramatic mountain views. The open-plan suites come with en-suite saunas and guests share an outdoor hot tub and heated swimming pool.