Monday, September 24, 2012

World's coolest hotels and resorts


iReport: World's coolest hotels and resorts

From a luxurious desert resort to an Alaskan fishing paradise, these are the best stays recommended by CNN's iReporters
Two months ago, we asked you to share news of the coolest hotels and resorts where you've stayed.
Here are your top five submissions. See other iReport coolest hotel submissions here.

Sportsman's Cove Lodge: Southeast Alaska, United States

Sportsmans Cove LodgeWe're hooked.
iReporter Craig Smith has been visiting the Sportsman's Cove Lodge in the Tongass National Forest every summer for eight years. The lodge is a 20-minute float plane flight from Ketchikan, Alaska.
Writes Smith:
"Each morning you wake up at 5 a.m. to a home-cooked breakfast, then 10 hours of fishing and finally a four-course dinner sitting around tables with all your fishing friends.
People catch halibut, four types of salmon, rock cod, Ling cod, rock fish and yellow-eye fish. The fish can be cooked on the spot or flash frozen and taken home. 
On this last trip I fought a halibut for a hour, it was about 68 kilos and it broke the line and escaped.
The most memorable catch in the last eight years was when my oldest son caught a 45-kilo halibut on his first trip. The lodge honors people at dinner each night for the largest fish caught -- he was honored the first night and was also inducted into the 100 pounds (45 kilos) halibut club.
The lodge is a great place to bring a family together. This remote lodge has no TV, radios and no distractions. After fishing 10 hours in a day you are truly tired and ready to sit down to a family meal.
You do not have to know how to fish, the people who run the lodge will take care of everything. They will do almost anything to make your experience a memory for a lifetime."
The lodge is open from June 25 to September 1 and the best time to visit is in July, according to Smith. Advanced booking is recommended, as only 30 guests are accommodated at a time.

Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Bab Al Shams Desert ResortAl Hadheerah Desert Restaurant is famed for its unobstructed view of the desert and incredible Arabic and Indian cuisine.
iReporter Ahmet Fatih Gök stayed in Bab Al Shams Desert Resort in August 2009 with his father, who was doing construction work there. The resort about 50 kilometers from Dubai.
He writes:
"I think Bab Al Shams Desert Resort is the ultimate luxury retreat. The hotel's service and ambiance are fantastic, the rooms, facilities are great and the pool is awesome.
But the coolest thing about the resort is its award-winning restaurants.
You have a chance to taste Arabic and Indian cuisine. I had food in both the open-air and indoor restaurants.
The restaurants are reviewed and suggested by many gourmets. The meals were so tasty and the variety of the foods was unbelievably wide-ranging.
You can take camel rides, do a desert safari and enjoy the swimming pool. You can also get a massage services as the hotel includes a spa and health club.
And there was a live ethnic dance show, as well.
You must see the desert sunset, which makes you feel like you are so far away from everything."
Gök suggests avoiding the resort in June, July and August because of the "extremely hot" weather.

The View Hotel: Olijato-Monument Valley, United States

The View HoteliReporter Matt Colver catches the sun rising between the Mittens.
Matthew Colver recommends The View Hotel, the only hotel at the edge of the Mounment Valley, on the border of the states of Arizona and Utah.
Colver writes:
"Last year, I stayed at the fairly new View Hotel built in Monument Valley. The hotel was built and is run by Native Americans.
You can get traditional Native American food in the restaurant -- I had mutton stew for dinner.
The gift shop is very reasonable on prices for Native American art.
But the biggest asset is the view.
The coolest thing is to get up early and watch the sunrise. There's no sunrise on Earth like the one you'll see from the View Hotel.
I got up before sunrise and left my room and went over to a patio area near the restaurant. As the sun came up, I realized that the sun would rise between the Mittens [rock formations] near my room balcony. Sure enough, I went back to my room and took the shot (above)."
It's a wonderful hotel. Just a short drive gets you into the heart of the valley where so many movies were filmed.
I also like to talk to the Navajo people. Make sure you listen to the Navajo stories. Their sense of humor is wonderful."

El Nido Resorts: Palawan, Philippines

El Nido ResortsiReporter Michael Juadiong describes the El Nido Resort as "a resort in the middle of paradise."
Michael Juadiong visited El Nido Resorts for the first time in 2011. Guests arrive either by a small chartered aircraft or a five-hour van ride from the capital of Puerto Princesa City.
Writes Juadiong:
"This is a popular high-end resort in the Philippines, on the island of Palawan, which is well-known for its beaches. This is a quiet, secluded place, perfect for a honeymoon.
The resort gives you a feeling of intimacy with nature.
My cottage had limestone cliffs in front, a rainforest behind and the sea under it.
You can hop on a boat and go to surrounding islands and see more nature.
The resort is surrounded by other islands, where you can go snorkeling, diving, spelunking, kayaking or just enjoy the view.
You can choose which islands to go to, but it's best to visit the Small and Big Lagoons.
I went rock climbing for the first time, which is actually more difficult than it looks. You grab a rock and climb by pushing with your legs. You keep doing this until you realize that you can no longer find a new rock to grab and that you are too high up to jump back down.
The best time to go is during the months of March to May, to avoid the monsoon season."

Hotel B: Cozumel, Mexico

B HotelFor divers, swimmers and pet-lovers.
Lorena Isla is a United States citizen but lives in Mexico City. She visited Hotel B in Cozumel in 2011. 
She writes:
"I love Cozumel. Hotel B is a fantastic place and is pet-friendly. I will bring my Chihuahuas to this amazing hotel next time.
It has a pier for divers and a saltwater pool. I went snorking when I was in Cozumel.
Just watching the white sands of the Caribbean from my room was fantastic."

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