As a professional travel journalist and TV host, I’ve visited more than 70 countries and slept in hundreds of hotels. And I’ll admit, most of the accommodations were unremarkable. I’d key into my room and find a comfortable enough mattress with white pillows and tucked-in sheets. But every now and then, a hotel will break the cookie-cutter mold and surprise me with an extraordinary bed.
Some of my favorite sleeping experiences are etched in my mind because of their ingenuity. I’m always amazed by the way Japanese hotels maximize the tiniest spaces, including capsule rooms not much wider than a coffin. Some beds impress me with the views. I vividly remember dozing off to the sight of Cape Town’s Table Mountain while curled up on a down comforter. And some stays bemuse me with their creativity, such as a Boston space-themed bunk bed that unfurled with the push of a button.
My travels taught me that a hotel mattress can be more than a place to spend the night. A sleep experience can be as transformative as exploring a new city, showing me another way of discovering what comfort means for locals and natives in the area.
Here are the most incredible hotel beds that I dream of returning to. I also interviewed a few more expert travelers and got their picks, all of which you should consider visiting.
Hotel Gracery (Godzilla Hotel)
Tokyo, Japan
Only in Japan is there a theme hotel dedicated to Godzilla, King of the Monsters and star of dozens of action films.
Hotel Gracery, a 30-story tower in the heart of Shinjuku’s nightlife district, sticks out due to the giant Godzilla statue perched on top. Every night, the scaly beast comes to life: He flashes his eyes, shakes his head, and spews fog from between his fangs.
If you are a fan of the Godzilla movies, you should book the special Godzilla Room, which is covered in retro posters and window decals that make it seem as if Mothra and SpaceGodzilla are terrorizing Tokyo.
The most striking and exciting aspect of the room is the monster’s enormous, gray-green claw that appears to have smashed through the wall, right between two tiny beds. When you lie in the bed and look up, it’ll feel as if Godzilla is going to reach out and snatch you up.
Starting rate: $72 U.S./night
Buubble
Golden Circle, Iceland
The most incredible bed I know of is the Buubble in Iceland. Spread out in a forest southeast of Reykjavik and dubbed the "5 million stars hotel", this nine-bubble accommodation gives no privacy (the blow-up rooms are made of see-through plastic) other than for the trees around them and the fact that they are in a secret location, not marked on the map.
What they do provide is the most incredible opportunity to see the northern lights. From the comfort of your heated bed, you can be fully mesmerized by the dancing auroras above, even if it is -20 Celsius outside. Only one thing is true: You won't want to fall asleep.
— Mar Pages, editor of luxury travel portal Once in a Lifetime Journey.
Starting rate: $255 U.S./night
Sala Lodges
Siem Reap, Cambodia
With swaying sugar palms, rice paddies, and banana trees, 11 traditional Khmer houses sit on stilts in a lush tropical garden at Sala Lodges in Siem Reap. This luxury eco lodge is a unique chance to experience traditional Cambodian living as wooden stilt bungalows are traditional in rural Cambodia.
The bed sits in the main room in an open plan design and is furnished by beautiful Cambodian antiques; it retains its rustic character, but with an infusion of luxury. Lying in the plush mosquito netted bed, in the middle of a fully preserved family home, you truly feel immersed in Cambodian tradition.
— Meg Jerrard, founder of Solo Female Travelers Club.
Starting rate: $248 U.S./night
Nine Hours Capsule Pod Hotel
Tokyo Narita International Airport, Japan
Efficiency and eccentricity is what you come to expect when visiting Tokyo — and you don't even have to leave the airport to experience it! Enter: Tokyo Narita Airport's Nine Hours Capsule Pod Hotel. Located inside Narita's Terminal 2, it is the perfect place to get some great shut eye on a budget (relative to Tokyo!) as well as kill some time, in a productive way, if you have a long layover.
Sure, at first entering the capsule can feel a little like being in a coffin — or what I think that would feel like — but once you start playing with all the gadgets inside the pod, you’ll suddenly discover the true meaning of sleep optimized. From adjustable white noise, different light tones, eye masks, and shockingly comfortable "mattress" and pillow, and, poof, I was out like a light. It was one of the best sleeps I have ever had.
Once my time was up, I took a shower and was ready to go on the final 12 hours of my 20-hour trip clean, comfortable, and with beautifully blown out hair. Since then, whenever I see a pod in at an airport I am in!
— Andrea Feczko, a travel expert and TV Host (ABC's Vacation Creation, TV Land's 100 Best Places).
Starting rate: $14 U.S./hour for the first hour, and $5 U.S./hour thereafter
Mikea Lodge
Toliara Province, Madagascar
Madagascar is already an off the beaten path destination but if you want to make it a more luxurious journey, I highly suggest heading to the Mikea Lodge in the Toliara Province. After a two-hour off-road drive along the beach from the nearest major city, and then another two-hour boat ride along the crystal-clear Mozambique Sea, a pair of “zebus” (think cow meets camel) come to greet you and take you the final 100 feet needed to get to shore. There, you will find beach huts with a stunning bed, outdoor showers, and views of the turquoise water.
If that's too glam for you, they also have an option to go camping next to the beautiful Baobab Trees. The Mikea Lodge is named after the hunter and gatherer tribe in the area — one of the last remaining hunter and gatherer tribes in the world — and you may also get to meet some of the tribe members on your way to the camping destination. It was one of the most humbling and emotional encounters I have ever had while traveling. Outfitted with beautiful tents and a spread of champagne and cheese, this is another way to experience the beauty of Madagascar under the baobab trees.
— Andrea Feczko, a travel expert and TV Host (ABC's Vacation Creation, TV Land's 100 Best Places).
Starting rate: $122 U.S./night
Taskonaklar Cave Hotel
Cappadocia, Turkey
If you love the Flintstones (Los Picapiedra in Spanish), then the concept of humans living in caves is probably fascinating. But not impossible. In Cappadocia, Turkey there are unique cave hotels fully accessible with Wi-Fi, allowing you to get a taste of pre-historic life with a touch of luxury.
And yes, despite the cave being carved out of solid hard rock, the mattress at Taskonaklar Cave Hotel is as soft as a Turkish delight on a hot summer day. Make exiting your cave and doing some hiking in the beautiful Cappadocia Valley one of your favorite travel memories of all time.
Also the best part about at the Cave Hotel? Waking up at 6 a.m. to watch the hot air balloons flying over the Cappadocia Valley. There’s nothing that can bring you more joy than watching this spectacular show that takes place above your head.
— Raphael Alexander Zoren, Mexican travel blogger and photographer for Journey Wonders.
Starting rate: $146 U.S./night
