Recording studios, photography hides and Warhol art: Inside the world’s most unique hotel suites

Inside the world's most unique hotel suites. - Copyright Roberto Nickson

Published on 26/02/2024 - 17:45•Updated 27/02/2024 - 15:54

If you have a few thousand euros to splash on a night away, you could book a room with a private recording studio or a penthouse that can be transformed into a giant ballroom.

Luxury hotels lavish private pools, bespoke butler services and champagne minibars on their guests.

But some hotel suites go one step further, providing one-of-a-kind experiences far beyond pillow menus.

If you have a few thousand euros to splash on a night away, you could book a room with a private recording studio or a penthouse that can be transformed into a giant ballroom.

Here’s what awaits inside the world’s most unique hotel suites.

Best for art lovers: A hotel suite decorated with Andy Warhol paintings

At Rome Cavalieri’s Penthouse Suite, a private rooftop terrace affords panoramic views of the Eternal City, including iconic sites like the Vatican and the Colosseum.

But if you like your art a little more recent, the room caters for that too. The walls of the suite showcase works by Andy Warhol while the furniture includes pieces designed by Karl Lagerfeld and a bathroom with crystal Swarovski taps.

Best for stargazing: A hotel suite with a retractable roof

L’Albereta hotel is set in the rose-bowered vineyards of Italy’s Franciacorta, fringed by Alpine foothills.

Guests looking for a celestial experience should book into the Cabriolet suite where the entire ceiling opens up to reveal the night sky at the touch of a button.

Best for nature-spotting: A hotel suite with a photographic hide

At Chiawa Camp in Zambia, the Star Bed Tower sits four meters above the banks of the Zambezi River.

It overlooks Scout’s Hollow, an inlet where myriad wildlife comes to drink during the day and night.

As dusk arrives, the tower is lit by candlelight and next to each side of the bed is a red-filtered flashlight to view nocturnal creatures (and a two-way radio for any emergencies).

The tower's ground floor is set up as a photographic hide for daytime wildlife photoshoots.

Best for music lovers: A hotel suite with a private recording studio

If you’ve ever felt the urge to record a track while on vacation, the Cave Royale at Six Senses Ibiza is the suite for you.

The rooms pay homage to the avant-garde music and art scene associated with the island.

Along with a terrace that leads out to the water’s edge and a private jacuzzi, there is direct access to a state-of-the-art recording studio through a hidden door in the room.

Best for history lovers: A hotel suite with private chapel access

Castello di Semivicoli is a wine resort in Italy’s Abruzzo region. Owned by the Masciarelli winemaking family, the historic mansion is replete with working fireplaces, period furniture and frescoed ceilings.

The junior Monastero suite is so named because it offers guests secret access to the house’s private chapel.

The room also comes with modern amenities like a hydromassage tub.

Best for book lovers: A hotel suite with a private library

Once the château of Baron Jacques Pineau de Viennay, the Hotel Château du Grand-Lucé in France’s Loire Valley is now a hotel of neoclassical splendour.

The prime Baron’s Suite has five-metre-high ceilings, oak floors and a private library.

The room’s Salon Chinois is decorated in handpainted Chinoiserie murals by artist Jean-Baptiste Pillement, who was also responsible for painting Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon at Versailles.

Best for impressing: A hotel suite with its own postcode

Rosewood London is situated in the heart of the UK capital and is housed inside a repurposed Edwardian mansion.

The 208-square-metre Manor House suite boasts two double bedrooms, marble bathrooms, and a dedicated butler service.

When booked with the six connecting rooms in the Manor House Wing, it has its own private entrance from the street and claims to be the only suite in the world with its own postcode.