Have you got a head for heights? If so, you’re in for a real treat!
Just for you, we’ve combed our listings to present the very best international settings for living the high life. Style and comfort is a given, of course, but we think you’re going to be amazed at what’s on offer here. These exceptional places aren’t just highly situated, but highly sought-after, for those ‘once in a lifetime’ breaks we all crave.
So pack your bags, and prepare to be captivated by eco bubbles magically suspended from Corsican cliffs, an authentic Suffolk windmill that dates back to 1891, a cosy bolthole in a crane suspended high over a Dutch pier, and a treetop bedroom in the heart of Panamá’s tropical paradise…amongst many others!
Our travels begin with the tallest folly in the UK – Kent’s wistfully imposing Hadlow Tower. Winner of the prestigious Angel Award for its restoration, the five-storey tower provides 360-degree, panoramic views over scenic countryside.
Discover plenty of indulgent styling, rich colours and plush furnishings inside, all worthy of a magical fairytale. Indeed, the three bedrooms are story-themed, so you can decide if you want to be Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, or Snow White throughout your stay. Whichever you choose, you’re sure to live happily ever after!
Glamping Corsica (above and main image), a unique eco-paradise in the heart of Ospedale Forest, comprises ‘Cocoon Village’ – three serene eco-bubbles for two, dramatically suspended from a cliff. Here you can indulge in the most truly breathtaking views of the sparkling Gulf of Porto-Vecchio, and out to Sardinia.
Ideal for those who really want to wind down and switch off, you’ll find no running water or electricity here (a dry toilet and a solar shower are provided in your bubble). Instead, you can simply immerse yourselves in the whispering trees, the wide open sky, and the lush forest enchantment all around.
Fancy putting some wind back in your sails? Then a stay at The Windmill Suffolk might be just the thing! Situated two miles north of historic Lavenham, this adults-only bolthole is an ideal romantic retreat.
Though the windmill dates back to 1891, its contemporary restoration – including an award-winning metallic roof – will take your breath away. Luxury is firmly at the forefront, which is more than proven as you climb the spiral staircase to the fourth-floor POD. An indulgent living space complete with velvet sofas, hand-crafted beams and a viewing deck complete with telescope, you’ll surely never want to leave.
How about something slightly more quirky? Harbour Crane Experience promises all that and so much more!
Standing 17 metres above the pier, your cosy sea-blue compartment allows you to view all the comings and goings of Harlingen harbour, on the north Netherlands coast.
Simply take the lift up to the crane’s platform (there are two lifts; the other carries you straight into the belly of the machine room) to discover a futuristic world of living and sleeping comfort that includes red walls, blue accents and tube lights. Better still, you can play at being a crane driver in the cabin – complete with control stick that allows 360-degree rotation. Holiday views have never looked better!
A treetop bedroom in Panamá’s tropical paradise, you’ll find Canopy Tower in the heart of Soberanía National Park, surrounded by some of the very best birdwatching spots in the area. Better still, with your room at treetop level, you can wake each morning to a tropical chorus of exotic birdsong, while fascinating varieties come to pay friendly visits.
The dedicated Observation Deck offers you an intimate, up-close picture of flourishing rainforest life that would be virtually impossible from the ground. Greet the occasional troupe of mantled howler monkeys as the sun rises over the trees, then gaze at iridescent giant Morpho butterflies and rarely-sighted birds as a ship glides languorously through the Panamá Canal. Finally, you’re in paradise.
Awarded the prestigious Perret Prize for its innovative architecture, the Czech Republic’s famed Hotel Ješted is set at an altitude of over 3,000 feet. If you’ve ever wanted to sleep with your head in the clouds, now’s your chance!
You’ll arrive via slowly-rising cable car, making the most of those superb views. Then, choose from a diverse selection of individually styled rooms (all featuring cutting-edge technology), before dining in the circular hotel restaurant. This is the high life indeed, and you won’t want to come back down to Earth any time soon.
Most of us nurse childhood dreams of living in a treehouse. With Treetops Treehouse, built into a 200 year-old North Devon oak tree, this is life amongst the leaves as you never dared to dream it before!
Ascend into the whispering leaves via the wooden staircase, and discover your own cosy little treetop world, lavishly furnished with sofas, rugs, a warming woodburner…and a copper freestanding bath in the bay window. Meanwhile, the spacious deck means you can enjoy drinking and dining amongst the branches and the birdsong.
Fancy a side order of historic culture with your high-living holiday? Helen’s Tower, once immortalised in words by none other than Alfred, Lord Tennyson, more than delivers.
Discovered deep in the woods of County Down’s Clandeboye Estate, the opulent, four-storey Helen’s Tower was built in 1848 in honour of Helen Selina Blackwood. A luxuriously furnished and idyllic bolthole for two, you can view the surrounding area of Bangor and beyond – in fact, on a clear day you may even be able to make out the distant shores of Scotland!
Dramatically perched on the white cliffs of Beachy Head, Belle Tout Lighthouse B&B is not only steeped in history, but surrounded by heavenly views of the rolling South Downs, the English Channel and the legendary Seven Sisters.
Whichever of the six comfy rooms you claim here, there’s something incredibly special about waking to the sound of seagulls and waves crashing onto the rocks below. Feel as though you’re a character in a romantic novel, as you watch for ships in the original Lantern Room with a drink in hand, or simply relax and enjoy panoramic views of spectacular sunsets.
And finally…for a holiday that has the X-Factor in spades, Catalonia’s architect-designed Casa X represents a giant leap from the traditional Spanish villa holiday. Drenched in luxury, discover this unique four bedroomed house at the top of a hill in historic Cabrils, full of tranquility yet conveniently situated just outside Barcelona.
Indulge in breathtaking views of the surrounding pine valley, majestic mountains and the Mediterranean sea from every room in the house, while an enormous glass frontage allows plenty of natural light to flood inside. With an infinity pool, Jacuzzi and sauna waiting to indulge your senses, this is a house that truly embodies a fantasy holiday home.
Even if you haven’t got a head for heights, you’re sure to have developed a taste for the high life after discovering so many wondrous locations. Find even more within our inspiring categories (which also include plenty of ground-level accommodation for the not-so-daring!)
