The World's Most Remote Hotels

Where getting away from it all really means getting away from it all.

To get to the Bloomfield Lodge in Queensland, Australia, you must hop on a chartered plane, drive through the Outback, then cruise down a river. Then you'll find yourself in an oasis of beauty and solitude, in a hotel located in the Daintree Rainforest and right by the Great Barrier Reef. While there, you can hike through rainforests, swim in waterfalls, fish, sail and--at the end of the day--receive a well-earned massage. You'll be lucky to see another soul.

Bloomfield is just one of the places that made our list of the world's most remote hotels. Why a remote hotel? In this super-connected world, vacations often just become mobile work offices. These days, to quote the writer Elbert Hubbard, "No man needs a vacation so much as the man who just had one." But at these remote hotels--especially if you build in time for actually getting there and back--you really can find that restorative solitude. After all, parting of "getting away" is actually "getting away."

Bloomfield Lodge, Cairns Australia

To get to Bloomfield Lodge--located in the Daintree Rainforest and near the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland--one must charter a plane, drive a few hours through the Outback, then cruise down a river. What makes it all worth it: the solitude, the hikes through rainforests, the desolate beaches, the fishing and sailing and the end of the day massages.

Rates (based on double occupancy): starting at $670

Kokopelli's Cave, Farmington, New Mexico

What could be more remote than sleeping 70-feet underground, especially near the Four Corners area? Guests traverse a rough dirt road, then descend a path and, finally, a ladder. You'll be roughing it a bit (it's "bring your own food"), but the solitude of cave-dwelling will be worth it.

Rates (based on double-occupancy): starting at $260 per night.

Jules Undersea Lodge, Key Largo, Florida

Guests take the plunge--literally. Scuba dive 21 feet to your room in the former underwater laboratory, and sip a glass of wine and look out the window onto the undersea world.

Rates (based on double-occupancy): starting at $550 per night.

The Beach House at Manafaru, Maldives

This Indian Ocean joint is owned by the Waldorf Astoria, so it has some pretty high-end amenities, like a spa, infinity pools, an art gallery and a handful of restaurants. But those desolate, powdery-white beaches are the real pull.

Rates (based on double-occupancy): starting at $800 per night.

Hotel Arctic, Greenland

The Hotel Arctic is the most northerly 4-star hotel in the world. Situated in a fjord, the hotel offers the austere beauty of Greenland right at your fingertips: icebergs, snow and sunny vistas. You can even stay a night in an igloo.

Rates (based on double-occupancy): starting at $250 per night.