7 Hotel Rooms Located Entirely Underground

Travelers have long coveted hotel rooms with sweeping views of skylines and natural landscapes. But there’s a new travel trend that’s turning that idea on its head. Underground hotels offer cozy, cavelike lodgings hidden away from the elements, where cool temperatures, deep silence, and a sense of adventure replace the usual window views. From the Australian outback to the Grand Canyon and the caves of Cappadocia, here are seven of the world’s coolest underground hotel rooms.

Deep Sleep – Wales

The deepest hotel room in the world sits 1,375 feet inside a former Victorian slate mine in Wales’ Eyri National Park (also known as Snowdonia). Operated by Go Below Underground Adventures, the accommodations at Deep Sleep consist of four twin-bed cabins and a romantic grotto room with a double bed. Each is equipped with lighting, Wi-Fi, and bedding to keep you warm. (The room temperature hovers around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.) Guests are also provided dinner and breakfast, but the hotel is open only for Saturday night stays. 

Getting to the cabins requires a 45-minute trek and with a few adrenaline-pumping activities. Outfitted with safety helmets, harnesses, and boots, visitors will navigate the mine’s eerie tunnels and passageways. The journey involves abseiling down chasms and even provides the option to zip-line over an underground lake. Remnants of machinery along the way give a glimpse into Wales’ mining and industrial past. 

Gamirasu Cave Hotel – Turkey

Nestled in the volcanic rock of Cappadocia’s Ayvali Valley, Gamirasu Cave Hotel transforms a Byzantine-era monastic retreat into an elegant subterranean stay. Many of the 35 rooms have been carved directly into the stone, with some occupying the same spaces used by priests in the 11th century. The hotel offers a fascinating blend of ancient architecture and modern amenities, including underfloor heating and hot tubs. The Cave Room, one of the hotel’s highlights, was once a priest’s shelter and features a 500-year-old writing table and a fireplace fashioned from a tandoori oven. 

The entire property sprawls across interconnected caves and stone houses, each linked by courtyards and terraces, along with a swimming pool inspired by the region’s Roman pools. It’s also the only hotel in Cappadocia with a Byzantine Orthodox church, the kitchen of which is used today to serve guests organic dishes. 

Grand Canyon Caverns Suite – Arizona 

Located on historic Route 66, Grand Canyons Cavern Inn claims to have the world’s largest, deepest, and darkest motel room. This 48-room, no-frills motel and RV park has gained fame for its unique Canyon Suite, where guests sleep 220 feet underground within the largest dry limestone caverns in the U.S. While there’s no natural light, the suite is a spacious 1,700 square feet and includes beds, a bathroom, and a living area. 

The caverns are historically significant, too. During the Cuban missile crisis of the Cold War, President John F. Kennedy had the 65 million-year-old natural wonder outfitted as a bomb shelter capable of holding 2,000 people. These days, guests can enjoy subterranean dining at the Crystal Restaurant, where meals are delivered via a combination of elevators and hoists. 

Kokopelli’s Cave – New Mexico 

This bed-and-breakfast is carved into the Ojo Alamo Formation, a prominent rock formation in the San Juan Basin of northwest New Mexico. It started life as a geologist’s office before being turned into lodging that can accommodate up to eight guests. The 1,700-square-foot property sits 70 feet beneath the surface and is accessible via steps etched into the sandstone walls. Low-rise archways connect the living area, bedroom, fully equipped kitchen, and a bathroom with a rock-cut hot tub. 

While the interior is undeniably unique, the views above ground are nothing short of breathtaking. From the clifftop patio, it’s possible to enjoy unforgettable sunsets over the La Plata River, and on clear days, the views extend over the Four Corners quadripoint of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Plus, guests are treated to continental breakfast and a bottle of wine upon arrival. 

Lookout Cave Underground Motel – Australia

Deep in Australia’s outback is the small town of Coober Pedy, a historic mining town known around the world as the “Opal Capital of the World.” To combat the extreme summer desert temperatures and cold winter nights, many townspeople have adopted a subterranean way of life, creating dwellings called “dugouts.” Over the years, this one-of-a-kind style of living has inspired several underground accommodations. One such example is the Lookout Cave Underground Motel, opened in 1993.

The motel features 15 underground rooms located 65 feet below the town’s dusty surface. Each comes packed with modern features such as en suite bathrooms, fans, smart TVs, and Wi-Fi, and can host from up to two to up to five guests. In addition, there are two underground apartments offering extra space and comfort. Both make ideal bases for visiting attractions such as the area’s underground churches and the Umoona Opal Mine and Museum. 

Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita – Italy

Matera’s ancient Sassi district is home to a UNESCO-protected labyrinth of cliff-hewn cave dwellings. At the edge of it you’ll find Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita, with 18 rooms — ranging in size from a cozy 320 square feet to an expansive 1,700 square feet — that have been built into limestone. Each preserves the raw texture of the caves, while offering modern amenities to create an upscale ambiance. 

A series of winding, cobblestone alleyways lead you to the hotel, many opening out onto patios and terraces with uninterrupted views of the Apennine countryside. Gazing to the west, guests can enjoy the rugged beauty of Parco Regionale della Murgia Materana, a regional park home to churches carved out of cliffs. When you wake up each day, you’ll be served a Southern Italian breakfast packed with local organic products, and at night, candlelit dinners are offered in a 13th-century cave church. Cooking classes, bread and cheese-making workshops, and wine tastings are also available. 

Woodlyn Park Motel – New Zealand 

At Woodlyn Park Motel on New Zealand’s North Island, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien can live just like a hobbit or a character from Lord of the Rings at one of two underground caverns. Built into a green hill, each one features snug round doors and windows that you’d expect Bilbo Baggins to pop out from at any given moment. The humble appearance is only from the outside, though — step inside to discover an apartment-style room for up to six guests, complete with a kitchenette, bathroom, and barbecue area. 

If the idea of sleeping underground sounds a little too claustrophobic, the motel has several other whimsical lodging options. Visitors can spend the night inside a train wagon, aboard a Bristol freighter jet, or in one of five cabins of a refurbished World War II ship. Popular attractions nearby include Waitomo Glowworm Caves and limestone formations of the Ruakuri Caves.