Just when you thought glamping couldn’t get any more aesthetically pleasing, bubble tents with stargazer-friendly transparent roofs have popped up everywhere—including the vineyards of Baja, California, and the Arctic Circle. These “five-million-star hotels” offer travelers some of the trappings of luxury accommodations (high thread-count sheets, memory-foam mattress, climate control), plus the magic of sleeping under the stars. From inflatable tents to sturdy Alaskan domes, here are nine hotels and Airbnbs that prove that life in a bubble isn’t always a bad thing.
Buubble
There’s a good chance you’ll see the northern lights from your bed at Buubble.
Courtesy of Buubble
- Location: Outside Reykholt and Selfoss, Iceland
- Book now
Buubble has one location near the town of Reykholt, on the route of Iceland’s Golden Circle, and another outside Selfoss on the South Coast—but the exact coordinates are protected to ensure guests’ privacy. Each bubble tent is heated to guard against the Arctic chill and has a ventilation system that promises to keep the interior climates fresh and dry. You will have to bundle up, however, to reach the bathroom, located in a nearby service house. Count constellations or, in the right season, watch the aurora borealis dance in the night sky from the comfort of your bed. Book your one-night bubble stay as part of a tour or on its own: Buubble offers a Golden Circle Tour (with stops at the Geyser hot spring, Gullfoss, the Secret Lagoon, and Thingvellir National Park), as well as a South Coast Tour (with stops at Seljalandsfoss, Skogafoss, and a black-sand beach).
Igloos at Borealis Basecamp
Fall asleep watching the aurora borealis thanks to the giant windows in these fiberglass igloos.
Courtesy of Borealis Basecamp/The Nomadic People
- Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
- Book now
Surrounded by 100 acres of boreal forest in the Alaskan wilderness outside of Fairbanks, the fiberglass-domed igloos at Borealis Basecamp are modeled after those used on polar expeditions and at polar research stations—so they can certainly handle an Alaskan winter. All 20 igloos have comfortable beds, a full bathroom, and windows on the roof that stretch 16 feet wide, enabling two to three guests watch for the aurora borealis at night. It’s a perfect place to do so because the camp is located under the auroral oval, the atmospheric region where the aurora borealis is brightest. A large on-site yurt serves as a home base and restaurant, and guests can also book mushing and snowmobiling tours.
For larger families up to five guests, Borealis Basecamp is opening Family Suite Cube in August 2024. Though it doesn’t feature the same rooftop aurora viewing as the glass-domed igloos, the cube features a glass wall on the northeast end for optimal views of the northern lights.
Bubble Tent Airbnb in Joshua Tree
This bubble tent Airbnb also comes with a two-bedroom, one-bathroom villa.
Courtesy of Airbnb
- Location: Joshua Tree, California
- Book now
This dreamy Airbnb offers spectacular desert views just a five-minute drive from the town of Joshua Tree, and roughly 10 miles from Joshua Tree National Park, one of the best places in the United States to go stargazing thanks to consistently clear and dark skies. Take in the night sky from the “stargazing/meditation dome,” which is outfitted with two comfy lounge chairs and blankets. There’s also a hot tub, small pool, cold plunge bath, and a cedar sauna. Oh, and a two-bedroom, one-bathroom villa with a fully equipped kitchen.
Bubbletent Australia
Bubbletent Australia is only a two-hour drive from Sydney.
Courtesy of Nerissa J / Unsplash
- Location: Capertee, Australia
- Book now
Imagine waking up to views of one of the world’s biggest canyons. That’s a given at any of Bubbletent Australia’s three bubbles, which overlook the Capertee Valley—which is wider than the Grand Canyon—in New South Wales, about a two-hour drive from Sydney. The area is home to 237 bird species, so you can bird-watch by day and learn about Aboriginal astronomy by night. Each of the bubbles has its own wood-fired tub, firepit, and telescope. Cooking equipment is also provided, but you’ll need to bring your own food and drink—thankfully, the Mudgee wine region is less than an hour away.
Campera Hotels, Mexico
Go stargazing and stay warm inside one of the bubble tents at Campera Hotels’ Baja California Valle de Guadalupe.
Courtesy of Campera Hotel
- Location: Valle de Guadalupe and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- Book now
Campera Hotel Burbuja offers two locations to choose from: the heart of Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe wine country, which is home to dozens of family-run wineries and farm-to-table restaurants, or overlooking a lake in San Miguel de Allende’s burgeoning wine country. Each of the inflatable bubble tents at this “bubble hotel” includes a queen-size bed (cloaked in drapes for privacy) and attached private bathroom. Both locations are miles away from light pollution, which makes for great stargazing. Come morning, revel in sweeping views of the surrounding vineyards or the lake.
Dream Domes at Ridgeback Lodge
Sneak away with someone special to the romantic Sky View Domes at Ridgeback Lodge.
Courtesy of Ridgeback Lodge
- Location: New Brunswick, Canada
- Book now
No TV, no phone, no internet—that’s the promise at Canada’s Ridgeback Lodge, hidden in the New Brunswick wilderness near the Maine border. In addition to front-facing panoramic bay windows, the romantic Sky View Domes also have raised lounges with skylights designed for for stargazing. Each comes with a king-size bed, a full kitchen with a fridge and oven, and a Japanese-style wood-fired hot tub (available upon request for an extra fee).
Bubble Domes at Finn Lough
Hidden in the trees, the bubble domes at Finn Lough feature four-poster beds and 180-degree sky views.
Courtesy of Finn Lough
- Location: Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
- Book now
Wake up in a four-poster bed, pop in a Nespresso pod, and settle into an armchair to drink your morning coffee inside a stylish bubble dome at Finn Lough resort, set among the trees on a secluded lakeside peninsula in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. Guests here can spend the day hiking or fishing for pike in the Erne, then relax with sundowner drinks by the lake accompanied by toast-your-own s’mores, or watch a movie in the vintage cinema room with freshly made popcorn each night. Come bedtime, retire to your bubble for 180-degree sky views, best enjoyed while wearing the cozy bathrobe provided.
Bubble Dome Airbnb in the South of France
This bubble tent Airbnb is one of the most loved homes on Airbnb, according to guests.
Courtesy of Airbnb
- Location: Montbolo, France
- Book now
This cozy bubble Airbnb is tucked amid the trees on a rural property in France’s Languedoc-Roussillon region near the eastern Pyrenees and the Spanish border. Take in mountain views and stargaze from the bubble’s double bed, or swim in the property’s shared pool. There’s also a heater for the colder months, a shared bathroom a short walk away, and a fully equipped communal kitchen. Text the proprietor an hour before you arrive to have champagne waiting for you as part of special birthday or romantic package.
Aurora Cabins at Nellim Wilderness Hotel
- Location: Nellim, Finland
- Book now
Up in the northern reaches of Finnish Lapland, the Nellim Wilderness Hotel has a handful of glass roof Aurora Cabins where guests can watch the northern lights—visible almost 200 nights a year—while sheltered from the -22°F winds outside. Both the premium and standard Aurora Cabins include en suite toilets and showers, but the premium cabin also has a cozy interior fireplace. Feast on traditional Lappish cuisine like reindeer meat and smoked fish at the on-site restaurant, then retire to your room, with decor inspired by Indigenous Sami culture. There’s no guarantee you’ll see the aurora, but even if the lights don’t make an appearance, there’s plenty to do, including snowmobiling, dog sledding, and ice fishing.
Lauren Vespoli, Maggie Fuller, and Bailey Berg contributed reporting to this article. This article originally appeared online in 2017; it was most recently updated on April 17, 2024, to include current information.
