Certain details about the Grand Canyon are relatively well-known -- it’s a National Park in Arizona, a mile deep, 270 miles long and up to 18 miles wide -- but the fact that it’s also home to the deepest, darkest motel room in the world is less common knowledge. It’s not the only cavernous hotel in America, either.
The Underground Cave Suite at the Grand Canyon Caverns is 65 million years in the making, sits 200 feet under the ground and, at 200 feet wide, 400 feet long and 70 feet high, is not only the world’s most ancient and buried suite, but also its biggest. Twenty-two stories down, the purest air reaches the room having traveled through 65 miles of limestone crevices. Up to six people can experience total darkness and absolute silence in a zero humidity environment which contains no other life forms, not even a bug. Amenities include a bathroom, living area, library, record player and a collection of National Geographic magazines nearly a century old.
Kokopelli’s Cave offers stunning panoramic, 300-foot-high views of the Four Corners states -- Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado -- from both above and inside a cliff face of the Tertiary Ojo Alamo sandstone formation. Directly beneath the man-made cave rests La Plata river valley. The suite sits 70 feet below the cliff-top surface, measures around 1,700-square-feet, boasts a master bedroom, full kitchen and dining area, and a replica Native American kiva which is a room used for religious rituals. Showering is offered courtesy of a waterfall over the bathroom’s rock walls. Don’t be surprised to be visited by squirrels, chipmunks and hummingbirds.
The 10-plus caves to which Beckham Creek Cave Lodge is linked have been in use since the 1820s, with the first in-cave log cabin built during the American Civil War. During the Cold War, this Arkansas site served as a bomb shelter in the event of a nuclear holocaust, to be sold in 1987 and re-opened as a nightclub, a celebration that was attended by entertainment A-Listers such as Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor. The 1,000-foot-high residence can be accessed via trails or by helicopter -- it even has its own helipad -- and boasts its own waterfalls, ponds and rock-climbing walls.
Located in its eponymous 52,000-acre national park, Mammoth Cave is Kentucky’s most popular tourist attraction. Above ground it offers a slew of activities such as camping, hiking and boating, and below, its 350 miles of passageways make it home to the world’s longest cave system. First toured in 1816, over a century later it was officially established as a national park and in 1981 was designated a World Heritage Site. The hotel complex incorporates 20 Woodland Cottages. Each offer basic amenities -- such as fridge and coffee maker -- for up to 16 people. There are 10 Historic Cottages which are fully furnished and can sleep two, while the 20 Sunset Terrace Rooms are ideal for families, with cable TV and close proximity to the local trail walk. The 42 Heritage Trail Rooms rest closest to the cave entrance, are fully furnished and include cable TV. The rooms also feature balconies or deck areas for scenic views of the national park.
