Want to sleep where ancient monks once prayed? Or wake up in rooms carved from volcanic ash? Cave hotels offer some of the most unique overnight stays you’ll ever experience. These aren’t your ordinary hotel rooms – they’re stunning spaces with thousands of years of history built right into their walls.
Let’s look at 8 amazing cave hotels that’ll make your next vacation absolutely unforgettable.
1. Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita, Matera, Italy
What makes it special: Sleep in 9,000-year-old caves that were home to generations of Italians until the 1950s.
This isn’t just a hotel – it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site you can actually sleep in. The 18 rooms maintain their historical character with minimal changes, so you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
The candlelit interiors create a magical atmosphere, and yes, you’ll have modern amenities too. Imagine eating breakfast in an ancient church or warming yourself by a fireplace that’s heated rooms for centuries.
The hotel offers guided tours through the Sassi district, cooking classes featuring traditional Basilicata dishes, and meetings with local artisans. Film buffs might recognize the surroundings from “The Passion of the Christ,” which was filmed here.
2. Museum Hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey
What makes it special: Live among 4,000+ authentic artifacts that would normally sit behind museum glass.
Want to sleep next to a 5,000-year-old grain storage pit? Or wake up with Ottoman treasures at the foot of your bed? The Museum Hotel lets you do just that. This “living museum” sits atop Uchisar Valley with stunning panoramic views.
The hotel’s 30 rooms each contain museum-quality pieces from Ottoman, Seljuk, Roman, and Hittite periods. The infinity pool looks out over Cappadocia’s famous “fairy chimney” rock formations, and Lil’a Restaurant serves traditional dishes using produce from their gardens.
The true highlight? Watching hundreds of colorful hot air balloons float across the dawn sky from your private terrace.
3. Cap Rocat, Mallorca, Spain
What makes it special: Sleep inside a 19th-century military fortress that now serves as a luxury hideaway.
How often do you enter your hotel across a drawbridge and through a tunnel carved into rock? Cap Rocat transforms a former military base into an extraordinary escape with 30 rooms built within the fortress walls.
The hotel maintains its military architecture – you’ll sleep in former surveillance points and swim in a pool built in what was once a shooting range. The Sea Club restaurant sits right on the cliffside, and the spa occupies a former water cistern deep underground.
With 2 kilometers of private coastline and a 30-acre nature reserve surrounding you, this hotel offers both history and privacy that few places can match.
4. Perivolas, Santorini, Greece
What makes it special: Stay in 300-year-old cave homes once inhabited by local fishermen, now transformed into minimalist luxury.
Perivolas pioneered Santorini’s famous cave hotel style back in 1983. The 20 suites feature the curved white walls that have become iconic to the island, with splashes of color and built-in furniture that follows the natural contours of the caves.
The infinity pool seems to merge with the blue Aegean Sea below, creating one of the most photographed hotel views in the world. You won’t find TVs here – the focus is on tranquility and connecting with the dramatic setting.
The terraced layout ensures you’ll have uninterrupted caldera views, and the location keeps you just far enough from Oia’s tourist crowds without losing access to its charm.
5. Gamirasu Cave Hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey
What makes it special: Sleep in a 1,000-year-old Byzantine monastic retreat where monks lived until relatively recently.
How would you like to stay in a room where monks once meditated? Gamirasu offers 35 cave rooms in the quiet village of Ayvali, including sections of a 12th-century Byzantine church.
This hotel prioritizes authenticity above all. The rooms feature traditional handmade carpets and furnishings, and the restaurant serves organic foods grown in the surrounding valleys. After dinner, you can relax in a Turkish hammam built to ancient specifications.
The location in a small village away from tourist centers lets you experience local life and traditions. Staff from the village share their knowledge and stories, creating a cultural immersion you won’t get at larger hotels.
6. Kelebek Special Cave Hotel, Cappadocia, Turkey
What makes it special: Stay in what was once a family home, expanded room by room by the owner who grew up in these very caves.
“Kelebek” means butterfly in Turkish, named for the two fairy chimneys that rise like wings from the property. What began as a small 4-room pension in 1993 has grown to 36 rooms, many restored by the owner himself using traditional techniques.
The hotel sits on the edge of Göreme with beautiful views of Rose Valley. You can enjoy an organic breakfast with products from the owner’s farm, take a free walking tour of the village with staff members, or relax in a traditional hammam designed to ancient specifications.
This family-run hotel creates a warm atmosphere that many guests say feels more like a home than a hotel – likely because it actually was one not long ago.
7. Alexander’s Boutique Hotel, Santorini, Greece
What makes it special: Experience authentic cave houses built by sailors and fishermen centuries ago, not tourist caves created for visitors.
Located in picturesque Oia, Alexander’s 19 suites and villas occupy genuine historic cave dwellings that locals called home for generations. Unlike newer cave hotels carved specifically for tourism, these spaces have been continuously inhabited throughout Santorini’s history.
Each unit functions as a private home rather than a standard hotel room, often including fully equipped kitchens. Many suites feature private outdoor jacuzzis with caldera views, and the furnishings include antiques reflecting Greek maritime history.
The location offers a perfect balance – you’re near the heart of Oia but just removed enough from the main tourist paths to enjoy some peace.
8. The Caves, Negril, Jamaica
What makes it special: The only seaside cave hotel on our list, where natural sea caves create a Caribbean hideaway unlike any other.
The Caves offers something completely different – natural sea caves carved by waves over thousands of years, now transformed into one of the Caribbean’s most unique hotels. With just 12 colorful cottages perched on limestone cliffs, this intimate resort hosts a maximum of 28 guests.
The signature experience here is dining inside candlelit sea caves, creating possibly the most romantic dinner setting you’ll ever experience. You can jump from cliffs into crystal clear waters, swim through caves, or sip Blackwell Rum in a bar built inside a natural cavern.
Located at the far end of Negril’s West End, the hotel offers seclusion while still being close to Seven Mile Beach and other attractions.
Planning Your Cave Hotel Adventure
When to visit:
- For European and Turkish cave hotels: April-June and September-October offer pleasant temperatures and fewer tourists
- For The Caves in Jamaica: December-April provides dry weather and escape from winter
What to bring:
- Shoes with good grip for uneven stone floors
- Layers, as caves maintain consistent temperatures year-round
- Your camera – you’ll want to remember these spaces
Before you book, consider:
- Many cave hotels have numerous stairs and uneven surfaces
- Natural cave rooms often have low ceilings and few windows
- Stone walls can affect WiFi signals
A stay in a cave hotel gives you more than just a unique place to sleep – it connects you to how humans have lived in and adapted these spaces for thousands of years. When you book a cave hotel, you’re not just getting a room – you’re stepping into living history.
