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Glamping in Australia at Longitude 131

Longitude 131 is truly an oasis in the middle of the red desert of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.  The fifteen luxury, glamping accommodations lie at the gateway to this national park.  Located just a short distance away from the famed Uluru (Ayer’s Rock), Longitude 131 is named for the exact location on which this beautiful rock formation sits.  Guests to Longitude 131 may come to view the natural beauty of Uluru, but stay for the immaculate, luxury accommodations and impeccable service provided by this Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Award winning luxury resort.

From the moment guests arrive at the airport, the pampering begins with a Longitude 131 employee there to whisk you away to your destination.  You are then driven straight to the resort where you will be greeted with a glass of chilled champagne and canapés and shown to your tent. Each tent is named for a different prominent figure in early Australia’s history and decorated in a modern, chic style with historical relics from each explorers’ excursions.

 

The extravagant accommodations of each tent are plush and inviting and include a sumptuous, king size bed, an en suite bathroom,  iPad, Bose sound system, and Wi-Fi.  There are no televisions in the tents however, as all of the entertainment you need is right outside of your floor to ceiling windows.  Each tent is a stone’s throw away from Uluru, and provides amazing uninterrupted views of this naturally-made wonder.  For guests that prefer to enjoy the beautiful colors of a desert sunrise from the comfort of their bed, simply flip the bedside switch to raise the blinds.

Each day, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy, which center around exploring and learning about the natural landscape and aboriginal people to this land.  Expert local guides are prepared to escort guests through the surrounding desert landscape to Uluru for a morning excursion around the base of this enormous monolith, which like an iceberg, has most of its mass underground. Guests will also get an opportunity to view the sun setting over this majestic sandstone structure, whose reddish hue is derived from the rusting of the naturally-occurring iron contained within.  Or enjoy Table 131, where guests are greeted by the sound of a didgeridoo and entertained by indigenous performers displaying one of their own cultural dances, all while feasting on a decadent three-course meal under the unspoiled, twinkling night sky that only a remote desert location could showcase in such splendor.  For an opportunity to unwind, visit the Red Ochre Spa where guests can let their tensions melt away.  Try the Red Ochre Spa Signature Treatment for the ultimate in relaxation.  For a unique view of this natural wonder, guests can treat themselves to a helicopter tour over the national park or a Harley ride on a late model Heritage Softail.   Camel rides are another great way to explore the amazing views, complete with a trained guide to point out the wildlife and plant life

Perhaps the biggest compliment that any resort could ever expect to receive is rave reviews about their staff.  One point that seemingly all guests can agree upon about Longitude 131 is the level of attention to detail by their expertly-trained staff.  Many guests tout that “no” is a word that must not be in the vocabulary at Longitude 131.  The staff at this top-of-the-line resort brings the level of luxury to a point that is unparalleled by most other resorts. One point is certain – guests should come to this diamond in the rough prepared to be spoiled.

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Glamping in the USA at Bay Leaf Cottages

Bay Leaf Cottages is a cozy property situated just off the coast of Maine in the United States.  In fact, the Lincolnville beach is a short half of a mile away – that’s just across the road!  Guests to Bay Leaf can expect a welcoming atmosphere with all of the charms of a small town.  Upon arrival, guests will be greeted with the whimsical sight of a wooden bridge built over a small pond and twelve adorable cottages painted in cheery colors situated in a lush, grassy field.

Bay Leaf’s twelve sweet and homey glamping cottages each feature a different decorative scheme charmingly named things such as “Lavender” and “Coriander,” each having been decorated by student interns of the University of Illinois.  The cottages have their own parking spaces, and also include beds with linens, a bathroom with a shower, a refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, and coffee/tea supplies.   Each cottage features a private deck with chairs, which is perfect for enjoying the cool, sea breeze.   For a summertime cookout, there are gas grills available for use in the picnic area, and the continental style breakfast buffet is included each morning.  And of course, when we think of Maine, who doesn’t think lobster?  Bay Leaf makes sure that guests have a chance to indulge in freshly-caught lobster with their weekly lobster dinner.

 

The proprietor at Bay Leaf Cottages, Jane, is very knowledgeable about the surrounding area and is always happy to help with a quick recommendation. She can even recommend a local lobsterman and show you where his buoys are! There are many dining options nearby in the surrounding towns that have been heralded by foodies, with many of the restaurants focusing on the fresh, local seafood.  For a fun-filled day full of activities, visit the Lincolnville beach, which is perfect for swimming or just sun-bathing and watching all of the different boats go by.  For a more adventurous activity, try launching a sea kayak from the beach to explore the nearby islands.  Guests can also enjoy a hike on the Bald Rock Trail, which has been cited by American Express’ Departures Magazine as one of the “World’s Most Scenic Walks.”

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Glamping at Pop-Up Hotels

By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM

POP-UP STORES. Pop-up restaurants. Pop-up lounges. Shouldn’t this fascination with pop-ups — which are by definition ephemeral — have disappeared already?

Hotels offer compelling reasons for the trend to endure. Unlike temporary stores and lounges designed to hawk clothes and cocktails, temporary hotels allow travelers to sleep in unique spaces (boats, tricked-out shipping containers) and forbidden places (public parks, racetracks). The hotels also enable festivalgoers around the world to upgrade from sleeping bags and tents to rooms with beds, rain showers and iPod docking stations.

Just how fleeting these temporary hotels are varies. Many last for no more than a few days in a particular location; others last for months.

Below is a guide to some of the pop-up genre’s most popular hotel brands along with their coordinates so you can check in before they check out.

PopUp Ashram

 

“Awaken the guru inside you,” says the Web site of this temporary hotel-cum-yoga-and-spiritual retreat founded in Tulum, Mexico, by Michael Liss, who worked for the adventure-travel company Butterfield & Robinson before creating PopUp Ashram and partnering with Design Hotels. A Design Hotels spokeswoman said in an e-mail that the company hopes to collaborate on new PopUp Ashrams but that it has yet to confirm the next one. Mr. Liss said in an e-mail that there will be one in Bali from July 1 through 8, in conjunction with Alila Ubud, part of Design Hotels. He also said that “a big Design Hotels PopUp is in the works” but that he could not yet discuss it. Perhaps his Web site offers a clue? It says PopUp Ashram is coming to Italy. Information: popupashram.com.

Sleeping Around

 

The guest rooms (there are only four) of this Antwerp, Belgium, hotel (through May) are inside 20-foot recycled sea containers. Each has a bed, a bathroom with a rain shower and an iPod docking station. Don’t let the “sea container” part fool you — these minimalist rooms are nicer than some New York City apartments. And there’s a communal breakfast lounge container and a sauna container (in the process of being completed), to boot. Information: sleepingaround.eu.

Snoozebox

 

Each of these air-conditioned hotel rooms (a k a shipping containers) has a bed, a flat-screen television, a safe, a shower, a basin, a toilet and free Wi-Fi. Snoozebox was in London during the summer Olympics and plans to be at other popular events and festivals this spring and summer. They include the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s World Endurance Championship, the April auto race in Silverstone, England (rooms from £129 a night, including a continental breakfast); the Open Championship — the British golf major — in Muirfield, Scotland, in July (from £99 a night); and the Edinburgh Festival, the arts celebration founded in 1947, in August (prices to be determined). A complete list of coming locations is online. Information: snoozebox.com.

The Pop-Up Hotel

 

This British brand combines two trends in one — temporary hotels and glamping (high-end camping) — with luxury bell and safari tents that include duvets, showers and a makeup parlor. While permanent-hotel chains aim for a certain level of predictability, the Pop-Up Hotel strives to make each experience different. For instance, in May, the hotel will be at the Tour of Wessex, the cycling competition in Somerset, enabling guests to sleep in a field near the start/finish line (there’s even a porter to help you with your luggage). In June, the hotel will be at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset (where there will also be a pop-up restaurant and bar). And in September, the hotel will be at the Goodwood Revival in West Sussex, a gathering of the sorts of historic cars and motorcycles that would have competed at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in its heyday, between 1948 and 1966. In an experience that is literally a car lover’s dream, guests sleep next to the vintage and classic models on display. The company is scouting potential locations outside Britain, like the Caribbean and Australia, for the off-peak months. Information: thepopuphotel.com.

A Room for London

This one-bedroom hotel (talk about exclusive) is actually a boat balanced atop the roof of Southbank Center, the London art complex on the bank of the Thames. Inspired by the boat that the author Joseph Conrad navigated up the River Congo in the 19th century before writing “Heart of Darkness,” it has decks that offer views of London icons like Big Ben and St. Paul’s Cathedral. For a shot at staying there (£300, or about $440 at $1.47 to the pound, a night for one or two adults), you must participate in a lottery. A collaboration between Living Architecture (which rents out eye-popping houses throughout Britain that are designed by modern architects) and Artangel (which commissions projects by contemporary artists), the hotel will be open through the end of the year. To book a stay in June, July or August, enter the next lottery from April 17 through 24. Winners will be selected randomly. Other available dates in 2013 will be released in future ballots. For e-mail updates about availability, sign up for Living Architecture’s newsletter. Information:aroomforlondon.co.uk.

Other Options

Travelers who want to sleep in something other than a tent at international festivals have a number of options nowadays, which can be reserved through the festival organizers. Take for example Podpads, which look like children’s playhouses (or homes for Hobbits), with colorful walls and windows in shapes like hearts or clovers. A solar panel on a big yellow sunflower attached to each house provides low voltage power. There are also different styles of pads for differing budgets and numbers of guests, like bunkpads (which offer more floor space and have a higher roof) and unidomepads (a cross between circus tents and yurts, with a clear acrylic top from which to stargaze). Several other companies, like Yurts and Squrts and Hearthworks, offer upscale accommodations that include tipis, cloud yurts and squrts — mini-yurts that look like Smurf mushroom houses.