The Italian city of Matera is unlike any place you will find on this planet. The area is comprised entirely of ancient cave dwellings that were occupied up until the 1950s when the residents were forced to move into modern high rise apartments. This city was once a source of embarrassment for the country. The people lived in immense poverty, and disease was rampant through the community. Now, Matera has become a popular tourist destination filled with stunning cave hotels, such as Aquatio Cave Luxury Hotel and Spa.
Opened in 2018, Aquatio Cave is a 5-star cave-dwelling equipped to impress any guest who arrives. All of the rooms are equipped with the finest furniture and accessories. However, the overall decor is kept minimal to help accentuate the stone walls. One might think the atmosphere would come across and cold, but these cave rooms feel welcoming and cozy. It probably has something to do with the luxurious bathtubs in each room. They are huge; the ideal soaking tub.
If you can somehow manage to drag yourself out the tub, the hotel also has a 500 square meet spa that is just as stunning. There are dozens of massage and beauty rooms throughout, but the real show-stopping feature is the indoor pool. Built into 9th-century cisterns, this heated infinity-edge pool is the height of luxury.
This hotel strikes me as one of those places that I would go to simply to hang out in the hotel. I mean, I would definitely spend some time exploring the city, but at least two days would be spent inside this cozy cave-dwelling simply being pampered. After seeing this hotel, I am actually beginning to question how important views actually are to my hotel stay when you have an atmosphere like this.
Sources:
- Aquatio Hotel [Aquatio Hotel]
- Feature Picture [Instagram]
