Located in the Elqui Valley in Chile’s Norte Chico region, Elqui Domos is one of the few astronomical hotels in the world. The area is renowned for its sparkling clear skies and Elqui Domos takes advantage of this by offering lodgings in a series of geodesic domes with elevated loft beds and open rooftops as well as recently added wooden cabins designed with star-gazing in mind.
Designed by RDM Arquitectura, the new cabins or "observatories" are geared towards providing a view of the sky from your bed, lounge or private rooftop terrace.
If you prefer a spot of glamping, the geodesic domes offer simple accommodation spread over two levels. The ground level is equipped with a spacious living room and bathroom, while the second level features the main bed strategically positioned underneath a detachable roof cover. Both the geodesic domes and observatory cabins are furnished with their own telescopes for guest use.
The hotel also hosts a pool side astronomy tour to familiarize guests with the stellar evolution and cosmology of the southern skies. Guests can also partake in night time horse riding tours or attend astronomy lectures in the on-site amateur observatory. While those wishing to see how the experts view the sky, the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) is not too far away. Here visitors can appreciate astronomy through the lens of several large telescopes.
Daytime activities include hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, wine tasting and yoga. Prices at Elqui Domos start from US$120 per couple per night.
Source: Elqui Domos, RDM Arquitectura via Archdaily
