Original subtitles

Imagine staying the night deep in the desert,

sleeping underneath the stars...

..lodging in an airship hidden in a forest...

..or holidaying in a resort perched on top of a glacier.

In this series, we venture across the globe...

It's literally built into the rock. You wouldn't even know it was here.

..to reveal some of the world's most unique hotels...

hidden in the most surprising of places.

Even people who are from here, they have no idea

that this is here.

From reinvented bunkers...

and converted jumbo jets...

I've never experienced something like this.

It's just a really cool place.

..to floating hideaways and futuristic escapes...

Like nothing I've ever seen before!

We meet the teams who keep them running...

We're inviting people to create unforgettable experiences.

..and the guests living their dreams...

This is an entrance you don't normally see, isn't it?

Wow!

..as we explore...

This time, we travel to the Scottish wilderness

in search of space ships.

There's a secret path, and then if you come round the corner...

you see the airship.

We visit the Welsh mountains to probe

some mysterious-looking spheres...

They are very hidden.

Very individual, very secret.

And we explore a tower in Greece

with a deadly history.

To me, it feels like going back in time.

It felt like, for me, going back into a fairy tale.

Our adventure begins deep in the mountains of Italy.

700km north of Rome,

and more than 3,000m above sea level,

soars the majestic Hochjochferner Glacier.

The glacier sits on top of Mount Grawand.

It is considered an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

During the winter months, those in search of an adrenalin fix

flock to this ski resort.

And in summers, hikers take advantage of

the mountain air and spectacular views.

Deep in the Val Senales Valley

is the village of Maso Corto.

It's a bustling hub for tourists all year round.

Ski lifts...

and a cable car dart off in different directions,

shuttling people around the mountains.

Perched right up in the clouds...

accessed in winter only by the cable car's uppermost station,

is...

the Grawand Glacier Hotel.

Like a futuristic eagle's nest,

frozen in ice, this is the highest mountain hotel in Europe.

From the ground, you'd never know this place existed.

You are at the end of the valley.

And you look up to the mountain,

and at the top you see a little house,

but it's a large house.

The hotel took three years to build, and opened in 1975.

A cable car was constructed first, and used to

transport workers and materials up to the mountain peak.

Here, you can immerse yourself in a peaceful world of ice and snow,

far away from civilisation, a place where

you can leave the stress of everyday life

thousands of metres below you.

We are surrounded by over 126 mountain peaks.

If you wake up in the morning, and you look around,

it's like being in the cinema.

It's great. You see all the mountains.

You'll see the sun coming up.

That's very, very special.

Every inch of this hotel was designed with views in mind...

..from the restaurant...

..to the bedrooms...

..and the viewing deck.

Looking north towards Austria is the Weisseespitze.

To the east, there's the Similaun.

And due south is the imposing Mount Cevadale.

STRONG WINDS BLOW

Because of its location, the hotel has a distinctive shape.

Some say it looks like a space ship

that's landed on a ridge in the glacier.

It's built across two levels.

On the lower floor, 30 double rooms with panoramic windows

span either side of the rear of the hotel.

There are also five triple rooms,

and a family suite along the wider section at the front,

as well as a boot room, a gym,

sauna, a treatment room,

and a laundry room.

On the upper level is the reception,

a bar, and a restaurant with panoramic windows

to take in the incredible scenery,

alongside an open-air viewing deck.

The style is Alpine style,

with big windows.

You don't need TV, you have only to look at the mountains.

There's no doubt the views are breath-taking,

but so is the altitude.

Oxygen levels here are 30 per cent lower than those at sea level.

The first night, maybe, for a lot of people,

because the highness of 3,000m,

maybe they don't sleep very well,

but after the second or third, you really will enjoy it.

During peak season, the hotel can accommodate up to 80 guests.

And those guests need round-the-clock service.

So, to keep things running smoothly,

there are 20 staff permanently living on site.

Helmut Mellauner joined the front of house team about a month ago,

and the first thing he had to overcome was the altitude.

I had to get acclimatised, you know.

To the oxygen.

All these physical circumstances,

but after three days everything is fine.

It is a secret place to me.

Although I come from this province here,

up till almost one month and a half ago

I didn't even know that this place exists.

Getting to the hotel is an experience in itself.

Unless you have a helicopter, the cable car is the only way

up the final 1,000m during the winter months.

It takes just six minutes, and it shuttles around 2,000 people a day.

It's almost 40 years old, and has made around half a million trips

up and down the mountain.

The machine is nearing the end of its working life.

So the hotel is gearing up to build a new one

which will cost around 14 million euros,

as this place can't operate without it.

The cable car will be a bigger one.

So it can bring about 80 people in one cable car,

and bring about 700, 800 people per hour

to the mountain.

The cable car isn't just essential for

shuttling guests up and down the mountain.

It's used to deliver crucial supplies such as food,

beverages, and laundry.

It's also used by maintenance teams, and it transports staff.

Georgio Della Gatta has worked as

the hotel's receptionist for five years.

I love the morning, because at seven there is the sunrise,

and it's very, very wonderful,

and you see the purple colour in the sky,

and you have that ten minutes of quiet, and then start work.

Not many jobs offer such spectacular views,

or that fresh mountain air,

but it takes dedication to live on site full-time.

For the first time, it's not easy, and I try to find some hobby.

Painting.

Read many books.

This hotel was built to allow winter sports enthusiasts

access to incredible ski slopes.

But there's another extraordinary attraction worth seeing here

that had been hidden in the ice for more than 50 centuries.

30 years ago, in late summer,

a couple of mountain hikers stumbled across

one of the most remarkable finds in archaeological history.

A perfectly preserved 5,300-year-old mummy,

frozen in the glacier.

The best thing here - Otzi.

The oldest man in the world.

Circa 5,000 years old!

Found here.

Known as Otzi the Iceman, he's been laid to rest

in a specially designed refrigerated tomb

that will preserve his body for many centuries to come.

A viewing platform was built 400m from the hotel

to commemorate his life.

From it, you can see the place where he was discovered.

Construction of this striking platform was no easy task.

Built in parts off-site, they were transported by trucks

as far as possible up the mountain.

Then they were lifted into position by helicopter,

and assembled on the mountain peak.

It was a great challenge to build this platform,

because it's all built with steel.

There are steps to go up.

Building anything at this altitude has always been a challenge.

The most recent addition to the hotel is

the panoramic roof terrace up on the top floor.

It's a good place to sit back, to escape hectic everyday life.

Once you're out here, very relaxing moments you can spend

out here, even if you only stay five minutes.

It's one of those captivating views

that's hard to tear your eyes away from.

But when you do, there will always be the thrill of the slopes.

WIND WHISTLES

Still to come...

we uncover a remote Scottish hideaway...

It's not just a wee hotel, it's like a kind of secret club.

You're only going to know where it is if you've been told.

And an ancient and protected Greek tower of war.

We had to build all these terraces

to plant literally olive trees, since we're not allowed

to make any other constructions next to the building.

We're exploring some of the world's most secret getaways,

from remote lodges hidden in rainforests...

..to cottages built on lava fields.

Our next stop is located in Scotland.

Three-and-a-half hours from the nearest major airport,

surrounded by sea and 1,000m high mountains,

is an area cut off from civilisation.

The nearest large town is a five-hour round trip,

and almost no-one lives here.

Or even visits.

It's a place to get away from everything.

For those seeking to escape it all,

one ferry, or 45km of single track lanes

along Scotland's Morvern Peninsula

lead to something that looks more like

a scientific outpost than a hotel.

But it's the ultimate retreat for

those looking to escape civilisation.

Shandelle Horsford manages the site with her husband Daniel.

The path here leads down to Drimnin, it's a secret path

that only guests really know about.

Then if you come round the corner, you see the airship.

This mini-hotel measures 9m by 4.3m.

It can sleep two in an ornate, bespoke double bed.

There's a shower and toilet, a galley and breakfast bar,

and a study-living area with fold-out dining table and desk.

At either end, a huge floor-to-ceiling curved window

boasts views across the nearby wilderness.

The building is made from an aluminium framework

that was assembled by hand on site.

This space-age structure has some unusual features inside.

Coming into the airship, you'll come into a nice, cosy living area.

We've got the woodburning stove, a full galley kitchen,

and a lovely, cosy sort of snuggle couch.

You walk in, and it's, like, so calming.

You only have what you need. Everything's just there.

And just...oh, relaxing.

The building may have a small footprint,

but the architects worked hard to make the most of the interior space.

Striking metal and clean Scandi-style wood panels,

combined with ingenious little touches...

We have lovely fresh spring water that comes

straight from an underground source down at the bottom of the hill.

There's also a fully functioning bathroom and toilet,

flushed using rainwater collected in a reservoir below the room.

The airship's divided into two equal spaces.

From the living area we come through into the bedroom.

The rear half of the airship has a bespoke, handmade double bed,

but sleeping in this part of Scotland isn't straightforward.

It's as far as north as the sub-Arctic Hudson Bay in Canada,

so in the height of summer, the sun barely sets.

We've got full blackout curtains for the summertime,

especially when we don't actually get any darkness.

We also have the porthole covers so you can really black out everything.

Each porthole cover is actually made individually for each window,

because they're all different.

But the real charm of this getaway isn't the interior,

or even the striking spaceship-like aluminium exterior.

It's the almost complete escape from civilisation this place offers.

At both ends of it, it's got these amazing windows

that just...they're completely open.

It's like...it's like dragonfly eyes or something.

I always feel a bit like I'm in, like, a submarine.

Because when you're in the clouds and sort of you look out,

it's like more under the water than above.

The spectacular dragonfly windows, handmade from 32 separate panels,

were extremely hard to create, a challenge that means

that this airship is unlikely to ever be replicated.

They facilitate amazing views out across the rugged wilderness.

The Morvern Peninsula is probably

the least-inhabited area in Scotland.

There's no roads, it's completely wild.

A lot of people come up for the wildlife.

We see a lot of seagulls, but we also see the orcas come through.

And there's a lots of dolphins and seals that we can see.

We get a lot of young people sort of wanting to get away from the city.

We get a lot of artists coming, actually.

And they just end up sitting for ages, and looking out,

and getting inspired.

They get to sit here and look out.

On a clear day you can see Ben Mhor, and all the mountains on Mull,

and in the winter they're covered in snow,

so you can see the sea eagles flying around the snow-capped mountains.

We just wanted something different, and something completely remote

just to get away from everything else.

It really showcases Scotland's beautiful scenery and nature.

It's not just a wee hotel, it's like a kind of secret club.

You're only going to know where it is if you've been told. Yeah.

This is one of the westernmost points of the British mainland.

It's extremely remote, but there are some inhabitants.

These are our babies.

This is Glenda, and Brunhilde.

And Becky. And they're all named after our grandmas, actually!

And James Brown, the rooster.

Running a hideaway like this in such a far-flung spot

creates unique challenges.

We have a lot of laundry, and we actually take that to Oban,

so that's two and a half hours' drive

to get the laundry done once a month.

If something goes wrong with a guest's car, or we puncture a tyre

it takes us an hour and a half to get to the local garage.

To get our groceries is a full day out.

It takes us two and a half hours to get there,

and if you forget anything, it's another full day out.

A huge megacomplex here would spoil the wilderness,

so this pint-sized hotel smartly manages to blend style, comfort,

and seclusion, but building it was a challenge.

Exposed to the salty sea air of the Atlantic Ocean,

steel would rust, and the hard-to-navigate single track

running along one of Scotland's longest sea lochs

would make machinery hard to transport here.

Instead, the hotel is made from around 3,000

lightweight aluminium components,

all of which had to be precision laser-cut

and welded into sections that could be assembled on-site.

The result was a rust-proof, easily transportable design

that could be assembled in one of Scotland's wildest corners,

giving guests the perfect place to explore,

AND act as a bolthole from the elements.

60 million years ago, this area was an active volcano,

and fossils on the sea shore date from the Jurassic period

around 200 million years ago.

This place offers charming access to a spot where you're guaranteed

to be outnumbered by rare and beautiful wildlife.

This is the ultimate couple's retreat, I think.

It's very secluded, very romantic,

especially when the fire's going, and the light are all moody,

and especially when it's sort of windy and stormy outside.

It's just gorgeous.

It's definitely not your usual hotel stay.

All these ideas into a tiny, tiny little space

that actually makes you feel like you're...elsewhere.

In a sort of make-believe world, or something.

In a fantasy land, and it's not something you'd get everywhere else.

It's not four walls and a box, it's somewhere that

stretches your mind and your imagination.

Still to come...

A historic tower built to protect people from attack

that today provides a very different type of shelter.

I never stayed in a place like this before.

It's unique for me.

We're exploring some of the world's most unusual holiday escapes,

from jumbo jet hotels...

..to farmyard milk sheds.

Our next stop is Greece.

With over 13,000km of coastline,

Greece is one of the world's most popular holiday destinations.

Far away from the large-scale tourist hotspots,

on the southernmost tip of the Greek mainland,

is Cape Tainaron.

This is one of the most remote areas in the country.

Built around 1820, near the remains of a Mediaeval tower,

is the Tainaron Blue Retreat.

This area is called the Mani Peninsula,

and this tower was built for war.

After the fall of Ancient Rome,

and the subsequent domination of Greece by the Ottoman Empire,

the Mani people resisted Turkish domination.

Local families built watchtowers like these to defend their lands,

and give warning of any hostile approach.

With victory gained over the Turks,

Greece became independent, and these towers eventually fell into ruin.

This tower was discovered by architect Kostas Zouvelos

in 1994,

although at the time, establishing a retreat here was the last thing on his mind.

About 27 years ago,

I visited Mani for the first time in order to propose to my wife.

As we passed by, we saw the ruin,

and we assumed that the view from this ruin would be very nice.

As I passed the ruin, I noticed on the cornerstone the sign for sale.

The unspoiled beauty of this spot,

and the fantastic views convinced Kostas

it would be the perfect place for a secret hotel.

So he bought the ruined tower and the surrounding land,

and made plans to restore it.

However, this was NOT a simple undertaking.

The permits were quite difficult to obtain,

because the area is highly protected,

so we spent around two years

to get all the necessary licences.

Once planning permission had been granted, the first thing to do

was to secure the building, and then restore it back to its former state.

The main steps were first of all to complete the tower,

because the upper floor was missing.

Conservation regulations restricted

any alterations to the building's appearance,

so Kostas used local stone for the reconstruction.

Using traditional methods, skilled local stonemasons

were used to rebuild the walls,

100cm thick at the base, and 60cm thick at the top.

A traditional lime mortar known as (GIVES GREEK NAME)

which had been used by the ancient Greeks

was applied internally and externally to reinforce the walls.

We tried to apply the minimum intervention.

We just put literally the appropriate and necessary elements

so as to make it a liveable space,

and to offer to our guests the feeling that they stay

in a living monument with all the authenticity of the place.

With the tower rebuilt, they constructed a road to the site,

levelled the uneven ground,

and surrounded the spot with dry stone walls.

We had to build all these terraces,

stone fences, to plant literally olive trees,

so as to obtain shade for the summer,

since we're not allowed to make any other constructions

next to the building.

Kostas used cast concrete and local stone to build an infinity pool

that teeters on the lip of the 180m drop.

The swimming pool had to be at the edge of the property,

giving infinity, offering this amazing view to the sea,

and also to be very well integrated

to the environment.

From start to finish, the whole project

took seven years to complete.

Externally, the building now looks very much

as it would have done 200 years ago.

At full capacity, three rooms can accommodate up to nine people.

On the ground floor is a double room with en-suite bathroom.

This leads through to a small suite with double room,

bathroom and separate single bedroom.

Above is another terrace,

and a shared kitchen and reception area.

And on the top floor is the master suite with bedroom, bathroom,

private balcony, and a second mezzanine bedroom.

The tower may have a Mediaeval-looking exterior,

but Kostas has made sure that the interior is more 21st Century.

The structure inside and outside

had to remain unchanged.

All the facilities and infrastructure

had to be settled invisibly.

With the stonework restored, Kostas worked with

electricians and carpenters from Athens

to create the interior levels, and make the building fit for purpose.

So, here for example, all the wiring

is behind the mortar, inside the stones,

and only the vintage switches are accessible.

Some of the rooms have high vaulted ceilings.

The modern fixtures and fittings are made from steel.

The junior suite next-door also has a plate glass wall

to separate the bedroom from the bathroom.

Above this is a room that can be shared

if the whole tower is let out to a large group.

Now we are in the reception and kitchen area.

Also, here, we built this staircase,

so as to have access to the master bedroom.

200 years ago, they didn't have this staircase,

they had just moveable wooden, simple ladders

they could easily pull up in case of an invasion.

The master suite is now at the top of this steep flight of stairs,

and occupies the two top levels of the tower.

Above this is a private terrace for visitors to take in the views.

There is also a private restaurant on site.

Here, the resort chef serves up a menu

based on traditional local recipes.

To me, it feels like going back in time.

Stepping back in time.

And it felt like, for me, going back into a fairy tale.

And so for me, it was magic.

As we walked in, the first thing we saw - this huge, amazing view

of the sea, like, never-ending sea.

And rocks on the left, and a little bay down just below us.

It's infinity.

I never stayed in a place like this before.

It's unique for me.

For me, it's more peaceful in the mind...

..to stay here, to clear my mind, to relax,

to enjoy the view, to enjoy this unique place.

(QUOTES GREEK SAYING) as we say in Greece.

Meaning everywhere and always.

The tower may have been built to protect people from attack,

but today, it provides a very different type of shelter.

Still to come...

..two unusual spheres that look like they've landed from outer space...

It's a kind of Narnian experience where you go through the wardrobe,

and it's a different world.

We're exploring some of the world's most secret escapes,

from mountain top retreats...

..to lakeside log cabins.

Next, we're heading to Wales.

The Cambrian Mountains lie 70 miles from Cardiff, in Powys.

The stone in these ancient hills was forged around 440 million years ago.

It's an area steeped in romance.

This is, effectively, the land of dragons,

poets, singers.

It's really secret. The locals don't know where it is.

It fits with the mythology and the legend

of this wonderful rugged landscape.

For those prepared to brave the trip, the wilderness here

conceals a remarkable holiday hideaway.

Down long, winding roads, with no phone signal,

two high-tech orbs seem to have dropped from the infinite cosmos.

The Earth Conker...

and the Moon Conker.

They are very hidden.

Very individual. Very secret.

Very much off the beaten track.

We want people to have that sense of secrecy and isolation,

and just feeling like they have got a chunk of nature.

Set in 81 acres of pristine forest,

the Earth Conker is made from an aluminium skeleton,

clad in up to 230mm of thick insulation,

and thermo-formed plastic panels.

It has one bedroom that can sleep two guests.

In the sphere's base is underfloor heating.

Power and water are channelled through its legs.

Further across the site is the Moon Conker,

also with room for two guests.

Anjana and David Devoy are the owners

who have created this cosmic holiday destination in the middle of nowhere.

The Earth Conker might be made from tough, space-age materials,

but inside, that hard modernism is turned on its head.

It's an kind of Narnian experience where you go through the wardrobe,

and it's a different world.

Outside, you've got this kind of hard shell,

designed thing that's dropped out of the sky.

And then inside you might expect to be a bit more sterile.

And in fact, it's lovely and soft. It's cosy.

Come in, play a game, have a cup of tea.

Loll around on the sofa, read.

One of the secret features of the Earth Conker

is this system.

It's a bed that turns into tables and chairs.

So at night, this all pushes together

and makes a nice, really big super-king bed.

It might be in the middle of nowhere, but the Earth Conker

does have access to electricity,

channelled from a barn down the hill.

So it houses a few 21st Century conveniences...

You've got a little kitchen with the electric stove.

You've got a fridge, you've got a sound bar,

you've got plugs you can charge your phone on.

There's also a gas-heated shower,

and an eco-friendly composting toilet.

For guests seeking to escape modern life completely,

the Moon Conker was designed to be totally off-grid.

It has no external electricity source, but that doesn't mean

it's foregone all the luxury.

Power for lighting is provided by solar panels,

and there's a woodburner for foraged wood,

and a pizza oven for alfresco dining.

And instead of a shower, there's an unusual feature

to help connect guests to nature.

We've got a moon-bathing bath system, if you like.

We've got our giant kettle. The flames come up through the middle.

I've got a little bit of cold water from the river,

which is already in that galvanised bath.

So we're going to add this hot water to that one.

Hopefully have something which is a pretty nice temperature to bathe in.

There we go. Now we're in.

It's just a lovely spot to do a little bit of

really relaxing, tranquil bathing.

And then we've got some nice Epsom salts, a little bit of essential oil

to complete the bathing experience.

We're inviting people to create unforgettable experiences.

For all the technology and design features, perhaps the real USP

of these domes is their almost-total seclusion.

Simply arriving here is an adventure in itself.

It's about experience, so having to follow signs,

and little rutted roads and potholes,

it's all part of the adventure of coming here,

and if it's a little bit secret and off the beaten track,

for us that is a BIG plus.

It's really different to going to most hotels, you know,

that sense of secrecy and isolation here is what is really special.

And there aren't very many hotels which have

a view like this one over the Cambrian Mountains.

These forests are among the oldest in Europe.

The domes are cleverly designed to

blend seamlessly with those ancient trees,

especially in autumn, when the local bracken turns

a similar shade of copper to the Earth Conker's cladding.

The oak leaves become that colour as well.

There's a large part of the year when the landscape

blends completely with the structure.

It is a very space-age looking object.

It looks as if it's landed here,

but at the same time, we wanted it also

to sort of meld with what's around it.

These remarkable hidden pods

were developed by former luxury automotive

and aerospace engineer-turned-designer Jag Virdie.

Designing something to be installed so far off the beaten track

was a huge challenge, and it required

some extraordinary engineering,

and a lot of legwork.

How do we build a conker in an area where there is absolutely no access?

It's one hundred per cent modular.

Every component is no more than about 15 kilos.

There were three of us. We between us did 184 trips

up the mountain to bring every single component to the top.

It was like, you know, watching Sherpas climbing up the mountain

with things, you know, on our heads.

That lightweight design, hand-assembled module by module on site

means the carbon footprint of these pods is extremely low.

They didn't require too much fuel to transport,

and no major construction equipment had to be

hauled across the forest to install them.

You can just put the conker down,

and it has zero impact on its environment.

And the area that's covered by the feet is four 700mm diameter pads,

so if you wanted to move it at a later date, you can just lift it,

rake over the grass, and it will go back to nature again.

It takes a certain type of person to come so far off the beaten path,

but even for the most hardy, the Welsh elements can be pretty brutal,

and David and Anjana wanted the domes

to be available all year round.

The materials for the conker are quite unique.

It's got five layers. You've got the exterior layer,

which protects you from the weather, and keeps the heat out.

Then we have the insulation underneath.

The bigger the surface area on the outside,

the more insulation you need

in order to keep it cool, or keep it warm.

The fact that it's spherical allows the surface area to be the smallest possible.

Not only do we have a small surface area on the outside,

the outside is reflective, so it reflects all the cold,

all the heat away from the conker.

The bespoke windows too help preserve heat.

They're inspired by aeroplane design, and are fixed

permanently closed to stop that warm air escaping.

At night they offer views of an awe-inspiring display.

David Wynn Morgan has been coming here since

his grandmother brought him as a child.

He works with Anjana and David, giving guided tours

that help guests make the most of the stunning night skies.

One of the most top-secret elements of the Cambrian Mountains

are its dark skies.

One of the darkest places in Europe.

People come here to discover nature by day,

and get closer to the stars by night.

It's about 6,000 stars we can see in the Cambrian Mountains in one night.

You have the most incredible view of the stars and the Milky Way.

It is so dark here that you see every last little bit

of sort of peppercorn detail in the sky.

It's extraordinary.

It's magical, actually.

It's well worth coming out to the top of this mountain just to witness these stars.

It's one of those secrets of the area.

The stunning combination of remote location,

spectacular wildlife, and unparalleled stargazing,

not to mention some stunning design,

make for a great contrast between modern and ancient

for those intrepid enough to seek out this hideaway.

It looks so luxurious in middle of the Cambrian Mountains, and it is a complete secret.

No-one would even know it's here.

It's nestled in the trees and the forests.

All you hear is the animals, the birds,

but you've got a little bit of luxury of staying

in a nice bed, so you can just fall asleep,

looking up at the sky, looking at the stars.

By many measures, these bold, bright and completely unnatural structures

shouldn't work, but the combination of design, furnishing,

and ever-so-clever little details

means this a truly special mix of modern and ancient,

all tucked away in a secret little corner of Britain.

Before we came to this valley...

It's called (GIVES WELSH NAME) which is a sheltered valley -

but I think it could equally be the hidden valley -

there wasn't anything here, you know, there were just trees.

I think we've always liked that - creating a different world somewhere else, a secret world.

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