9 Incredible Hotels Overlooking the World’s Most Famous Landmarks

What’s on your checklist when you’re booking a hotel? For some, it’s a Michelin-starred restaurant, a design scheme by a celebrated architect, or a central location in a given destination. For others, it’s all about the view. If you dream about waking up to an incredible sight each morning, check out these luxury hotels that overlook some of the world’s most famous landmarks, from the Eiffel Tower to the Sydney Opera House.

A scenic pool area at the Marriott Mena House with a view of the Pyramids of Giza. Photo: Courtesy of Marriott Mena House

1. Marriott Mena House, Giza, Egypt

If you’re traveling to Egypt, be sure to book a stay at Marriott Mena House, a luxury hotel that sits directly in the shadow of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Originally a 19th-century royal hunting lodge, the 40-acre property formally became a hotel in 1886, and it opened Egypt’s first swimming pool in 1890. The resort’s proximity to the pyramids offers a secondary perk beyond the views—you can avoid the worst of Cairo’s traffic on your visit to the Ancient Wonder of the World since it’s right in your backyard.

Shangri-La Hotel’s Duplex Terrace Suite. Photo: Courtesy of the Shangri-La Hotel

2. Shangri-La Hotel, Paris 

An Eiffel Tower view is one of the most in-demand requests by many visitors to Paris, and the Shangri-La truly delivers. Its Eiffel Tower View rooms are beautifully outfitted with classic French decor, but it’s the suites that are a sightseer’s paradise. Guests here have a choice between a duplex with a terrace, a contemporary-style suite, and an accommodation decorated with touches of Asian influence.

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The Sydney Opera House can be seen from a guest room at the Park Hyatt Sydney. Photo: Courtesy of the Park Hyatt Sydney

3. Park Hyatt Sydney, Sydney

The Sydney Opera House by architect Jørn Utzon is undoubtedly the most famous man-made landmark in Australia, and the Park Hyatt Sydney offers the best views of it from its location just across the water, near the Sydney Harbour Bridge. If you can’t stay overnight, at the very least book a dinner reservation in the hotel’s dining room, which also overlooks the iconic cultural landmark.

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Oberoi Amarvilas Kohinoor Suite living room with a view of the Taj Mahal. Photo: Courtesy of Oberoi Amarvilas

4. Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India

When you stay at the Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, you’re absolutely guaranteed a view of the Taj Mahal—each of its 102 rooms faces the monument, which is less than half a mile away. Guests are even given special access to the site; the concierge can arrange tours with guides that include a golf-cart transfer to the entrance. Then, after a visit to some of the world’s most exquisite design, unwind in the hotel’s picturesque surroundings, where the Moorish and Mughal architecture is superb.

Adlon Kempinski’s Restaurant Quarré. Photo: Courtesy of Adlon Kempinski

5. Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin

Berlin’s grande dame is set directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate, offering remarkable sight lines to the famed landmark. The original hotel, built in 1907, quickly became one of the top hotels in Europe before it was consumed by fire at the end of World War II. The destination was completely rebuilt in 1997, largely modeled after its original plans.

Cavallo Point Lodge property view of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. Photo: Kodiak Greenwood

6. Cavallo Point Lodge, San Francisco

While the Brooklyn Bridge might be the most famous bridge on the East Coast, the Golden Gate Bridge dominates the West Coast. There are great views of the bright orange span from the Cavallo Point Lodge (unless it’s obscured by San Francisco’s infamous cloud cover, of course). Before being converted into a lodge, the buildings at Cavallo Point were part of Fort Baker, a military installation. Today, guests can choose between restored historic accommodations (formerly the officers’ quarters) or contemporary ones.

Sky Lounge Stellar Garden on the 33rd floor of the Prince Park Tower Hotel Tokyo. Photo: Courtesy of The Prince Park Tower Hotel Tokyo

7. Prince Park Tower Tokyo, Tokyo

While we’d argue that the Tokyo’s cosmopolitan street view is a multifaceted landmark, Tokyo Tower is the crown jewel. For a prime view of the skyline and a centralized location to all the city has to offer, stay at the Prince Park Tower Tokyo, which has unobstructed views of the metropolis’s neon lights. Some of the best views are afforded at the 33rd-floor Sky Lounge, where guests are invited to sip a cocktail while they take in the scene at sunset.

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Hotel Grande Bretagne GB Roof Garden Restaurant with a view of the Acropolis. Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Grande Bretagne

8. Grand Hotel Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens

If you dine atop the Grand Hotel Bretagne in Athens, you’ll be treated to one of the most spectacular views of the Acropolis—and you won’t have to fight the crowds of tourists to see it. The property also overlooks scenic Syntagma Square, where you can catch the changing of the guard. The hotel itself is a marvel, too: Built in 1842, it still proudly displays old-world opulence.

Street view of 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. Photo: Courtesy of 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge

9. 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn

There are often two types of views in New York City—a direct sight line into the windows of another skyscraper or a sweeping vista of the skyline. Luckily, at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, there’s plenty of the latter. You’re also afforded a picture-perfect panorama of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, as the hotel sits adjacent to the historic East River span. Even if you don’t splurge on a bridge-view room, you can head up to the rooftop infinity pool to soak it all in.