AS ABOVE

Dont forget to look up when you stay at these five-star hotels

- coco Marett

We love a hotel with a view. And sometimes-as is the case for these stunning hotels-that view is the sky. Whether it's a suite in rural Italy with a ceiling that opens at the flick of a switch, an over water observatory in the middle of the Indian Ocean helmed by a resident astronomer or sleeping under a blanket of stars in a World Heritage-listed national park, when it comes to exploring the wonders above, the sky's the limit.

ANDBEYOND SOSSUVLEI DESERT LODGE, NAMIBIA

The Namib is the world's oldest living desert, and at the heart of its vast, quiet expanse is the 12,715-hectare Sossusvlei Private Desert Reserve, home to the and Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. The lodge borders a recognised International Dark-Sky Reserve-a designation awarded by non-profit group Dark-Sky International certifying that the area enjoys some of the darkest skies on Earth, unspoilt by light pollution. To add to this great news for stargazers, the resort's design makes liberal use of glass, making the most of the stellar location to enable guests to marvel at the night skies without barriers. Also on-site is a state-of-the-art observatory, managed by a resident astronomer.

The 12 stone suites at and Beyond Sossuvlei sit along the curve of the desert escarpment, each with a secluded veranda, a private plunge pool, a living room with a fireplace, a bar stocked with Namibian gins, South African rums and more, and a retractable skylight above the bed.

L'ALBERETA, ITALY

You might think you have some moves in the bedroom, but have you ever flicked a switch and watched the ceiling above your bed open to reveal a sea of stars or a sundrenched Italian sky? We didn't think so.

In the Cabriolet Suite at L'Albereta, you can do just that.