Some hotel rooms are just for sleeping, others are for sitting by the window, drink in hand, not really wanting to leave. This is a roundup of the latter.
There's something about a great hotel vista that changes the entire experience of a stay. It can turn a city break into an excuse to watch the sunset, make a mountain escape feel even more dramatic or mean that the best part of the day is simply sitting outside with a drink and nowhere else to be.
From London skylines and Moroccan gardens to vineyard-covered hillsides, alpine peaks and the Mediterranean, these are the hotels where the view isn't just a bonus, it's part of the reason to book.
Royal Lancaster London: For a Skyline That Goes On and On
In London, the view is rarely just one thing. From Royal Lancaster London, guests can take in a panorama stretching from Wembley Stadium across the city to The Shard and beyond.
Book a Deluxe Room or above and the wraparound windows make the most of the hotel's elevated position, turning the capital into something of a moving backdrop. By day, there's the ever-changing London skyline to watch; by evening, the city lights take over.
The rooms themselves are suitably comfortable, with king-sized beds, sofas, smart TVs, marble bathrooms, rain showers and White Company amenities. Suites take things further with separate living areas and deep-set Carrara marble baths.
But ultimately, it's the windows you'll remember. Particularly when London is putting on one of its spectacular sunsets.
Selman, Marrakech: For Atlas Mountain Drama
There are few settings quite as cinematic as Marrakech, and Selman Marrakech leans fully into it.
Designed by Jacques Garcia, the Arab-Moorish palace sits beneath the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, with rooms and suites looking out across manicured Andalusian gardens, the hotel's 80-metre pool and the mountains beyond.
The villas take the sense of privacy and space to another level. Villa Selman, the hotel's flagship, stretches across 700 square metres, with two bedrooms, expansive living and dining spaces and a private landscaped garden centred around a 15-metre heated pool.
Here, the view is less about sitting in front of a window and more about creating your own private world around it. Days can disappear beside the pool, with the Atlas Mountains providing a rather spectacular backdrop.
The Chancery, Dublin: For a View from Your Own Terrace
Sometimes the best hotel views aren't necessarily the most dramatic. Sometimes, it's simply having your own private spot from which to watch the city go by.
That's the appeal of The Chancery, a wellness-focused hotel in the heart of Dublin.
Its eight wellness suites are designed around relaxation, with four terrace suites offering private jacuzzi hot tubs and four deluxe rooftop rooms featuring private infrared saunas, all with the city as a backdrop.
It makes for a particularly good combination: spend the day exploring Dublin, then retreat upstairs, sink into the jacuzzi or sauna and watch the city continue around you.
A room with a view, but one that also gives you plenty of reasons to stay in it.
Plas Weunydd, Wales: For Mountains on the Doorstep
Some views are best experienced with a pair of walking boots nearby.
Set in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia), within the Slate Landscapes of North West Wales UNESCO World Heritage Site, Plas Weunydd offers a particularly dramatic version of the room-with-a-view concept.
The property combines a refurbished hotel with glamping pods and shepherd's huts, with the accommodation intentionally spread throughout the landscape to give guests a sense of privacy and connection to the surrounding wilderness.
Rather than looking out onto another building or busy road, guests can wake up to the rugged Slate Landscapes and mountains beyond. The experience changes with the weather too, from clear mountain horizons to mist rolling across the landscape.
For anyone who considers a good view a valid reason to get out of bed early, this is the place.
Cyprianerhof Dolomit Resort, Dolomites: For the Ultimate Alpine Backdrop
There are mountain views, and then there are the Dolomites.
Tucked away in Carezza, Cyprianerhof Dolomit Resort combines five-star luxury and extensive wellness facilities with an extraordinary alpine setting.
The standout is Suite Antermoja, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame the Rosengarten massif. The suite also comes with its own private spa, including a sauna, steam bath and bathtub, as well as a rooftop pool and outdoor dining area.
It's the kind of view that makes you want to slow down rather than rush out to explore, although the mountains outside are certainly worth venturing into.
The beauty here is being able to enjoy the Dolomites in whichever way suits you: hiking through them, swimming above them or simply watching them change colour as the light moves across the peaks.
Sunborn Gibraltar: For the Mediterranean on Your Doorstep
And finally, for a view that feels distinctly different from the others, there's Sunborn Gibraltar.
Moored in Ocean Village Marina, the five-star floating superyacht hotel offers sweeping views across the Mediterranean, with the marina itself providing a lively backdrop of restaurants, bars and boats.
The Rock of Gibraltar is visible from many areas of the hotel, adding yet another layer to the view and it's close enough to explore on foot.
There's something inherently enjoyable about staying somewhere where the scenery is constantly changing. Watch boats come and go from the terrace, look out across the water or simply enjoy the novelty of waking up on a yacht in the middle of the marina.
When the View Becomes Part of the Stay
A great hotel view can be surprisingly transformative. It changes how you spend your morning, where you have your first coffee and whether you really want to leave the room at all.
And perhaps that's the best kind of hotel view: one that isn't simply something you notice when you arrive, but something you find yourself returning to throughout the stay.
Because sometimes, the best amenity a hotel can offer is the one you can't put on a room-service menu.