Experiential travel is the new luxury escape, and the Starlight Room Dolomites has played a winning hand, appealing to holidaymakers on a deeper emotional level. High up in the Italian Alps sits a solitary hotel room for 340 USD a night. With scarcely enough space for the bare necessities, it can't exactly be compared to the Ritz, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in experiential value.
That is because this charming little wooden cabin, which is set on faux-skis, has been created with a glass ceiling and walls to allow you to bathe in the splendour of the night sky while admiring the beauty of the peaks of Cimon della Pala and the Pale di San Martino in this UNESCO World Heritage site. Located only a few kilometres from Italy's most famous ski resort, Cortina, the unique cabin is accessed only via snowmobile or by snowshoes, if you don't mind a short hike.
It is the brainchild of Raniero Campigotto, a manager at the nearby five-room Rifugio Col Gallina, who realised how valuable a night sky free from light pollution has become these days. The cabin's double glazing and internal climate control will keep you insulated from the elements, but its lack of curtains means you'd best be prepared to rise bright and early.
