There's plenty of unique accommodation in the world, whether it's up among the trees, set precariously on a cliffside or built to imitate a film set. But some of the most surprising places where you can stay the night aren't above ground at all.
Whether they're deep in disused mines, carved out of rocky cliffsides or squeezed into claustrophobic caverns, click through this gallery to discover Earth's most astonishing underground stays...
In the curious Australian outback town of Coober Pedy, much of life takes place underground in order to escape the relentless heat above. Built by opal miners, who settled here after discovering that the area was rich in the valuable stones, the town has a hotel that gives you a taste of the underground life. The subterranean rooms have high ceilings and are decorated to resemble the rocky landscape above. There's also a cafe, an outdoor swimming pool and a bar.
Dubbed London's "first and only underground hotel experience", Zedwell Underground is designed with deep sleep in mind. Although the hotel is located amid the hustle and bustle of central London's Tottenham Court Road, the rooms, called 'cocoons', are nestled several floors below ground level. There's ambient lighting, rainfall showers, extensive soundproofing and minimalist decor, designed by wellbeing experts to create a supremely tranquil environment.
It might not look like much from the outside, but this unusual hideaway is actually a luxurious four-bedroom underground villa, carved into a natural cavern in the Ozark Mountains in northwestern Arkansas. The upper levels offer incredible views out over the valley, while the interiors serve up stylish but comfy furniture, cosy bedrooms and a fully fitted kitchen, backdropped by dramatic stalactites and rippling natural rock formations.
An eye-openingly impressive feat of engineering, InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland is one of the most ambitious hotels ever created. Built into an abandoned quarry in Songjiang, only two of the five-star hotel's 18 floors are above ground. The rest are cut into the quarry's side and two lie completely submerged in an aquarium filled with exotic marine life, including all kinds of colourful fish, small sharks and stingrays.
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A small cave hotel in Italy's famous rock-hewn town of Matera, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Dimora di Metello features just four large suites and a spa that have been excavated from the stone. Cave dwellings have been part of Matera's history since the Palaeolithic period, so spending the night in cavernous rock-cut hideouts is a must for visitors. The spa is particularly spectacular – it's located deeper within the rock with fully exposed natural walls, and feels completely shut off from the rest of the world.
Although most of this wonderfully retro inn is situated above ground, there is one special room hiding deep underground. The Cavern Suite sits 200 feet (61m) beneath the earth, and is billed as "the world's darkest, quietest and deepest hotel room". There's two queen beds, a functional bathroom, a wide array of books, a TV and even a kitchenette. While you're there, take the opportunity to visit the sprawling caverns themselves (although tours are temporarily unavailable).
Once part of the 17th-century Marmoutier Abbey, Les Hautes Roches on the banks of the Loire River is now an exclusive 12-room hotel. Built into a tufa cliff, the unique cave rooms have been transformed from monastic cells into a maze of luxurious dwellings. The Relais & Chateaux hotel has an adjacent 18th-century manor house with two more rooms and a Michelin Guide restaurant.
For at least 500 years silver has been extracted from the Sala Silver Mine, which once held one of the five most significant silver deposits in the world. Fast forward to today and the mine offers accommodation 500 feet (152m) below ground level. The suite is so deep that conditions are extremely dry, there are no rats or bats and it's eerily quiet. The mine and the suite closed in 2020 for renovations and, while the mine has reopened for tours, this unique underground accommodation hasn't just yet.
Discovered in 1810, Cumberland Caverns is one of the longest cave systems in the US and extends nearly 28 miles (45km) underground. Visitors today can journey 333 feet (102m) below ground to see the magnificent limestone formations – and can sign up to a very special sleepover. Guests will be squeezing through tight passageways and tackling twisting climbs to reach their overnight accommodation. Remember to bring sleeping bags and dress appropriately, as it does get wet and muddy.
Fans of the Star Wars franchise will appreciate this outpost in central Tunisia. Featured in A New Hope (the first Star Wars film ever released) and again in Attack of the Clones, the hotel doubles as the childhood home of Luke Skywalker on the planet of Tatooine. The hotel itself is an excellent example of traditional Berber architecture and features plenty of nods to the famous franchise, including original frescoes and decorations harking back to its time as a film set.
Opened more than 20 years ago, White Cliffs Underground Motel is a popular landmark in the Australian outback in the northwest of New South Wales. Set in a man-made cave in the side of a mesa hill, the motel is roughly the size of a football field and hosts 44 fully furnished subterranean rooms. Located in White Cliffs, a remote desert hamlet home to Australia's oldest commercial opal field, it's certainly a quirky place to visit. During the day guests can go on opal mine tours, explore Aboriginal art shops or visit the rolling sand dunes nearby.
The Turkish region of Cappadocia is famous for its unusual rock formations and sprawling cave dwellings, with entire underground cities carved into the landscape. Kelebek Hotel was built in 1993, making use of subterranean rooms carved in the 8th century by Christians fleeing Roman persecution, and adding a few more of their own. The rooms range from traditional fairy-chimney rooms to luxury suites, and guests can make use of the outdoor swimming pool or sit on the terraces to watch the region's famous hot air balloons.
A sprawling salt mine in operation since the 13th century, Poland's Wieliczka Mine is a bizarre but breathtaking destination. Cavernous chambers filled with statues, chapels with rows of benches and even chandeliers are carved out of the rock salt, and those looking for a good night's sleep with a twist can book a subterranean stay. The salt air is said to have healing properties, and there's plenty to go around in the mine's 152 miles (245km) of hollowed-out corridors. There's even an underground restaurant.
Located in the rustic village of Vals in the scenic Swiss Alps, this extraordinary villa is simultaneously very high altitude and underground. It's 4,100 feet (1,250m) above sea level, but was built as a den, extending into the mountainside. Completed in 2009, it's a remarkable space with three spacious bedrooms and a large living area as well as a wind-protected terrace. It's a stay for all seasons, with lush meadows surrounding the house in spring and thick powdery snow blanketing the landscape in winter.
Another Matera hotel, the stunning, candle-lit caves of Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita have been restored from abandoned ancient dwellings. A luxury retreat with a twist, the architecture retains its original shape and materials, but now comes with trappings of modern luxury like cosy king beds, bathtubs and hand-woven sheets. The rooms are set in the oldest parts of the complex, while a former church is now a restaurant perfect for romantic dinners. You can even join a cooking course to learn the art of pasta making – including how to make regional shapes like cavatelli and orecchiette.
Not far from the centre of Negril, arguably Jamaica's top beachfront town, The Caves appears like something straight out of a Caribbean fairy tale. Set into the honey-coloured limestone cliffside with nothing but the azure water below, the adults-only hotel features just a handful of rooms, a spa and a saltwater swimming pool set within its characterful private caves.
This luxurious hideaway is located on the small island of Thirasia, a short hop away from ever-popular Santorini. Cut into the foot of a cliff right above the sparkling blue waters of the Aegean Sea, it's a secluded escape. Inside there are four bedrooms, and the impenetrable stonework and white-washed walls give visitors the impression of being holed up in their own private world. This high-end residence has a private dock, a private helipad and a sea-water infinity pool, plus a spectacular terrace for when you've had enough of cave living.
A 1,700-square-foot (158sqm) underground getaway hiding in the sandstone cliffs overlooking the La Plata River Valley in New Mexico, this quaint holiday hideout welcomes intrepid travellers 70 feet (21m) below the cliff's peak. Once guests have navigated the sloping path carved into the rock that leads down to the cave, a spacious living and dining area awaits. Visitors will have the whole place to themselves, with its rock-wall waterfall, mini-Jacuzzi and stunning views out over the valley.
Nestled deep in the Swiss Alps, La Claustra has a military past – it used to be a bunker underneath the Gotthard Pass, extending for over 43,000 square feet (4,000sqm). The hotel has now been transformed into comfortable dwellings connected by sheer but well-lit tunnels, with 17 individually designed rooms, hot tubs filled with mineral water and a unique underground dining experience. There's no phone reception or TVs in the hotel – instead the focus is on disconnecting and coming together.
A cave house set into the picturesque landscape of Andalucia, Cuevas Helena is a very special holiday home. Created by British expats Mark and Shirley, the luxurious lodging features high-ceilinged rooms with cupboards and doorways carved out of the rock. There's a full kitchen, three ensuite bedrooms and a lounge as well as a swimming pool outside in the open air. When not enjoying cosy cave living, guests can explore the surrounding mountains and nearby Lake Negratin, which offers freshwater swimming and thermal baths.
Located in the privately-owned Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve in the Cederberg Mountains, this luxury lodge offers man-made cave suites in standard, premium and honeymoon categories, surrounded by red sand, rugged rock formations and technicolour wildflowers. Constructed to blend seamlessly into the sandstone scenery, each suite is unique and features a small terrace looking out over the sprawling landscape beyond.
A Second World War bunker turned cosy bolthole, the Decoy Bunker in Wales has a fascinating history. The watchmen here kept their eyes on the night sky for signs of Nazi air raids and lit decoy fires in an attempt to trick the Luftwaffe into thinking they'd hit a nearby munitions factory. Today the bunker is much more comfortable, and blends in seamlessly with its lush Monmouthshire surroundings. Inside, there's a fully equipped kitchen, a double bed and limited phone signal to help guests disconnect from the outside world.
Another impressive refurbishment can be found in southern Mallorca, where a reconstructed 19th-century fortress has been transformed into an award-winning resort famous for a very particular type of room. The Sentinel rooms are carved out of ancient rocky ramparts once occupied by cannons, and come with marble floors, rough stone walls and a one-of-a-kind natural aesthetic. The rooms look out to sea and open onto private terraces with small swimming pools.
Billed as the deepest underground stay in the world, Deep Sleep in North Wales is nestled an astonishing 1,375 feet (419m) below the surface. The former Victorian-era slate mine has been transformed into a cluster of cabins and one double bedroom, and getting there is an experience in itself. Before you bed down, you'll have to tackle a 45-minute hike into the mountains before making a steep one-hour descent into the mine. Once you arrive there's electric lighting, a toilet, running tap water and even wifi. Pack warm though – the cabins are insulated but the temperature down below is just 10ºC (50ºF).
Read on for our list of the best underground attractions on Earth