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Reading, studying, working, robotically flicking through late-night television programming...
If you've completely forgotten what beds are really for, a great hotel bed can be an excellent refresher course. There's something so exhilarating about hotel beds: They feel foreign, even risqué — and lying in them feels like trespassing.
It would be a sin to spend all of your time in a hotel bed doing only the ordinary: You can do better than catch up on \"Will and Grace\" reruns, can't you?
Yes, yes, yes! In fact, without so much as lifting your head off your pillow, you can sightsee. You can stargaze. You can play Superman. You can relive legendary moments in musical history — and we're just getting started.
In these fantasy hotel beds, you'll kick up your feet, rest your travel-weary self and stare at much more than just the ceiling. These beds think outside the box springs — and they're what dreams are really made of.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
Safari slumber party: Leave your teddy bear at home in favor of some real wildlife at Loisaba Wilderness, a 61,000-acre private resort located just off the equator in Northern Laikipia, Kenya. Bunk down in a four-poster, mosquito-netted Star Bed on a raised, open-air deck.
Snooze factor: Low. Whether your Star Bed sits above the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River or overlooks a vast, unfenced pastoral panorama, the view from your pillow — including elephants, lions, leopards, zebras, buffalo, hippos, cheetahs, giraffes, and wild dogs — is so exciting you may not want to sleep.
Who goes there: Anyone who ever dreamed of being Mowgli, or Tarzan, or Jane — and wasn't scared by \"Where the Wild Things Are.\" Loisaba is also a photographer's dreamland: Whether your equipment is professional or point-and-shoot, be sure your batteries are fully charged.
Undercover info: A good night's sleep here is a good thing for the community: Through the Loisaba Community Trust charitable organization, the neighboring village owns a stake in the Star Beds; their profits help fund scholarships, build classrooms, pay teacher salaries and provide school supplies for local children.
Loisaba Wilderness
Tel: 254 62 31072
Star Bed accommodations from $495 per person, including meals, alcohol and game-viewing drives.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","Chile: A bed under the stars","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/z_Partners/Concierge-CondeNast-Portfolio/Photos/2009/March-April/chile_elquidomos_001.hmedium.jpg","","Elqui Domos in Chile", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Elqui Domos", "273", "411", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
Starry-eyed surprise: The geodesic domes at Elqui Domos in Chile are designed specifically for stargazing from bed, in one of the world's few astronomy-themed hotels.
Snooze factor: Stratospheric. Each of the hotel's unique two-story structures features a custom-made bed positioned directly under a retractable roof: You can lie down, look up, and log at least 120 degrees' worth of sky. Be sure to take notes during the hotel's guests-only astronomy tour so you know what to look for from your pillow — or through the telescope on your private terrace. The dark, secluded setting in the remote Elqui Valley contributes to the brilliant clarity of the view.
Who goes there: Since Elqui Domos is one of only seven astronomic hotels in the world and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere, it's popular among vacationing professional astronomers and amateur appreciators alike.
Undercover info: What's the best time of year to go? That depends on what you want to see. The hotel provides a lunar calendar on its Web site. Can't coordinate with the moon? Not to worry. Year-round, guests will most likely spot numerous falling stars, the Southern Cross constellation, Jupiter, Pluto and Mars.
Elqui Domos
Tel: 56 9 7709 2879
Geodesic domes for up to three people from $85.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","Paris: A bed that floats","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/z_Partners/Concierge-CondeNast-Portfolio/Photos/2009/March-April/Paris%20one%20by%20five%20hotel.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Courtesy of One by the Five", "273", "410", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
Suspension of disbelief: At One by the Five, a single-suite boutique hotel in the Latin Quarter of Paris, the bed futuristically floats above the ground. (In fact, almost none of the avant-garde boudoir furnishings touch the floor.)
Snooze factor: Up all night. If this sexy, ultramodern, high-tech hotel has its way, you won't get any rest at all. From the perfume-stocked dressing parlor and the mood-lit shower to an infrared Web cam that broadcasts the bed activity (ahem) on your own closed-circuit television channel... One by the Five has a one-track mind.
Despite the sin-friendly amenities, the bed itself is designed to feel like a piece of heaven: suspended from the wall three feet above the floor, with nothing below or above but pale blue walls dotted with puffy clouds and tiny, starlike lights.
Who goes there: If Judy and George Jetson wanted to spice up their relationship with a racy romantic getaway, this is where they'd go.
Undercover info: Check in for One by the Five at its slightly more conventional parent hotel, The Five, directly across the street. Your morning-after breakfast, however, will be delivered to your door.
One by the Five
Tel: 33 1 43 31 52 31
Suite from $1,275.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","Berlin: A bed that flies","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/z_Partners/Concierge-CondeNast-Portfolio/Photos/2009/March-April/berlin_hotel_006.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Lars Strochen", "273", "408", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
Up, up and awake: The Flying Bed room at the surrealist Propeller Island City Lodge in Berlin reinvents the bed as a magic-carpet ride.
Snooze factor: Eyes wide open. You may be torn as to whether you're sleeping in a fascinating art installation or a freaky social experiment. A tilted floor (angled at about 15 degrees from the horizontal) causes the Flying Bed effect, and all the furniture legs in the room have been custom-beveled to keep chairs and tables from sliding downslope. The words \"Distorted Room\" are painted on the ceiling overhead. Um, yeah. We get that.
Who goes there: Art students, international hipsters and traveling risk-takers. In fact, if your most recent trangression was jaywalking on a suburban side street, this hotel may be the shock your system is seeking.
Undercover info: Other room options offer coffin beds, a fortress bed, a bed surrounded by mirrored kaleidoscope walls and one built underneath the floorboards. Is the combined effect creepy or cool? You be the judge.
Propeller Island City Lodge
Tel: 49 30 891 9016
Flying Bed room for two $306.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","Agra: A bed with a monumental view","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/z_Partners/Concierge-CondeNast-Portfolio/Photos/2009/March-April/agra_hotel_008.hmedium.jpg","","AGRA Hotel", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Courtesy of The Oberoi Amarvilas ", "273", "330", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
Rest and reflection: In the premier rooms at the Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra, India, you can awaken to a view of the sun rising over the holy Taj Mahal.
Snooze factor: Don't sleep in. Want to admire the structural masterpiece without the swarm of day-trippers? Request a pre-sunrise wake-up call. You'll also have a decadent opportunity that most other tourists don't: the option to stay in bed around-the-clock and admire the changing colors as the sun moves across the white-domed Mughal mausoleum in the not-too-distant vista. (The hotel is located fewer than 2,000 feet from the landmark.)
Who goes there: The Taj Mahal, built by Emperor Shah Jahan in loving memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, is a must-see for hopeless romantics and architecture aficionados alike. Esteemed guests of the Oberoi Amarvilas through the years have included dignitaries ranging from Her Royal Highness Lalla Hasna, the Princess of Morocco, to His Royal Highness Will Smith, the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
Undercover info: If you do decide to leave the comfort and privacy of your bed for a closer look at the Taj, the hotel will give you a five-minute buggy ride right to the gates.
The Oberoi Amarvilas
Tel: 800 562 3764
Premier rooms with Taj Mahal views from $599.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","Shanghai: A bed for the high and mighty","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/z_Partners/Concierge-CondeNast-Portfolio/Photos/2009/March-April/shanhgai_parkhyatt_001.hmedium.jpg","","Park Hyatt Shanghai", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Courtesy of Park Hyatt Shanghai ", "273", "364", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
From such great heights: Each guest room on the 88th floor of the Park Hyatt Shanghai boasts the highest hotel bed in the world — and the view to prove it. Talk about bragging rights.
Snooze factor: Way up there. If you're looking for calm in this chaotic city setting, dream on; despite the sleek and sophisticated decor, the hotel is surrounded by Shanghai's frenzied Lujiazui financial district. But once the workday is done, you can escape to the Park Hyatt's Tai Chi courtyard, the Water's Edge Spa — or your private room. Besides sweeping views of the Bund or the Huangpu River, 88th-floor guest rooms feature a bathing area with a heated floor and a rain shower that streams water down from — surprise, surprise — unusually high 12-foot ceilings. Now that's uplifting.
Who goes there: Needless to say, a sky-scraping bed 1,279 feet above street level is not intended for the acrophobic. But if you're a thrill-seeker with an appetite for power and the \"Vertical City\" is just the first stop in your plot to conquer the world, this is the bed for you.
Undercover info: Want to get really high? Take the elevator to the 100 Century Ave. bar on the 92nd floor for another moment of Zen: sipping sparkling wine while listening to live jazz and watching the sun set through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Park Hyatt Shanghai
Tel: 86 21 6888 1234
Rooms on the 88th floor from $849.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","New York City: A bed that practically tucks you in","Pillow selection at the Benjamin Hotel.","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/z_Partners/Concierge-CondeNast-Portfolio/Photos/2009/March-April/newyork_benjamin_001.hmedium.jpg","","Pillows at the Benjamin", "", "", "", "", "right", "Gail Mooney", "Gail Mooney", "273", "410", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
Just like your bed at home ... but better: The weary find rest in every room at The Benjamin Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, thanks to its hypnotizing, sleep-specific amenities.
Snooze factor: Way beyond 40 winks. Despite its metropolitan milieu, The Benjamin takes sleep seriously — and wants guests to feel at home ... assuming your home offers drool-worthy 400-plus-thread-count Egyptian linens by Anichini and a down comforter with triple sheeting.
The hotel also offers the option to buy a bedtime snack of milk and cookies or calming tea, and a \"sleep concierge\" to walk you through the 12-choice pillow menu and provide a soothing sound machine upon request. The Benjamin even offers a sleep guarantee: If you don't sleep well, it'll refund the cost of that night's stay.
Who goes there: Anyone who needs an uninterrupted night's sleep: Business travelers with big presentations. Bar exam candidates. New parents with the night off. Barack Obama.
Undercover info: The city that never sleeps? Not if The Benjamin can help it. Kick off your \"art of sleep\" education by taking the sleep retreat, a special two-night package that includes a consultation with the hotel's sleep concierge, a bedtime snack, and three contributions from the National Sleep Foundation — the Dictionary of Dreams, a sleep-inducing CD and bath salts.
The Benjamin Hotel
Tel: 866 222 2365
Rooms from $299.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
Sigh on a mountaintop: When nowhere is far enough away, book a deluxe room at Uma Paro in remote Paro, Bhutan, for views of the dramatic Himalayan mountain-scape from a luxurious, decidedly un-monk-ish bed.
Snooze factor: Rip van Winkle–worthy. The quiet, the simplicity, the solitude, the literal and figurative distance from everyday life... Whether you're drawn to its spiritual setting, serene spa, or head-clearing hikes, Uma Paro will muffle your chattering mental ticker to a whisper at most. According to the Dalai Lama, \"Sleep is the best meditation.\"
Who goes there: COMO Hotels and Resorts features what it calls Como Shambhala, a holistic health program featuring yoga and Asian-inspired therapies to treat both your body and your spirit. A vow of silence may not be necessary, but high-maintenance Type A's need not apply.
Undercover info: Rooms at Uma Paro were intentionally limited to 29 for ecological reasons. The hotel serves primarily local, organic fare, such as hand-churned butter, hand-molded farm cheeses, honey from hives in the wildflower-laden Bumthang Valley, and rice grown in nearby fields. Because accessing Uma Paro is complicated, the hotel will coordinate all Bhutan entry permissions, visas and flight arrangements — so guests can rest easy.
Uma Paro
Tel: 975 8 271 597
Deluxe rooms from $408.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","Montreal: A bed with history","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/trv-090410-lennon-bed-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel", "273", "349", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
Ono you didn't: Golden slumbers will fill your eyes in room No. 1742, the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite, at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in downtown Montreal, Canada.
Snooze factor: Power nap. \"Rest in peace\" takes on a much sunnier meaning in this room, where the tranquil twosome held their famous \"Bed-In for Peace\" in 1969. It's also where they recorded the hippie hymn \"Give Peace a Chance.\"
John and Yoko didn't relax much during their \"Bed-In,\" giving around 50 journalist interviews on each of the eight days. But you should spend your time in this legendary bed in the most romantic city in North America making love (not war). John would have wanted it that way.
Who goes there: Any Beatles fan, obviously (despite the Yoko factor). But if you believe that peasant tops, hip-huggers and oversize sunglasses will never go out of style, this bed's for you, too.
Undercover info: In honor of the 40th anniversary of John and Yoko's Bed-In for Peace, the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth is offering the Imagine Package through mid-June 2009. It includes one night of accommodations, a CD of \"Give Peace a Chance\" (as well as a lyric sheet for the song) and breakfast in bed. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and Yoko Ono are also presenting a free commemorative exhibition called \"Imagine: John & Yoko's Pacifist Anthem.\"
Fairmont Queen Elizabeth
Tel: 866 540 4483
John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite from $475.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","Maldives: A Bed that's already in dreamland","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/z_Partners/Concierge-CondeNast-Portfolio/Photos/2009/March-April/maldives_hotel_005.hmedium.jpg","","Naladhu Maldives", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Courtesy of Naladhu Maldives ", "273", "410", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
The bluest sky: Reserve an Ocean House at Naladhu Maldives for bed views of the translucent turquoise lagoon ... just past your own private, infinity-edged plunge pool. Paradise, found.
Snooze factor: Luxurious lullaby. You'll be rocked to sleep by the rhythmic sound of rolling waves and the sight of a never-ending Indian Ocean twinkling under a Maldivian moon. The bedrooms, with their whitewashed walls, are the most expansive rooms in the Ocean Houses — in part to fit an oversize king bed, outfitted with the luxurious linens you'd expect at this price point. But you'll also enjoy the seaside setting while brushing your teeth in your open-air bathroom.
Who goes there: Honeymooners, naturally, but also scuba and snorkel fans. From exotic, colored coral to manta rays, dolphins, even whale sharks, the marine life in the Maldives makes it one of the most desirable diving destinations in the world.
With more than 20 spectacular sites within a half-hour radius of the resort, Naladhu's on-site dive center welcomes both novices and know-it-alls.
Undercover info: Naladhu is proud to share the Maldivian history and culture with visitors. Guests are encouraged to join native Ahmed Didi, the animated island chief, for a night of folkloric storytelling.
Naladhu Maldives
Tel: 960 664 1888
Ocean Houses from $2,000
Fairmont Queen Elizabeth
Tel: 866 540 4483
John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite from $475.
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TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i++] = new Array("","Chicago: A bed supreme","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Sections/Travel%20Section/z_Partners/Concierge-CondeNast-Portfolio/Photos/2009/March-April/chicago_peninsula_001.hmedium.jpg","","Peninsula Chicago", "", "", "", "", "right", "", "Courtesy Peninsula", "273", "410", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
TRAVEL_Concierge_BestBeds[i-1].body = "
One-touch wonderland: A Grand Deluxe Suite at the Peninsula Chicago is your best bet for unparalleled views of the Midwest's megalopolis and master-of-the-universe sleep technology.
Snooze factor: Extreme. This hotel knows how to push a control freak's buttons. Guests can manage (deep breath) the master light, the mood light, the night-light, the radio, the television, the DVD player, the fax machine, the \"privacy please\" button (which illuminates the \"do not disturb\" light on the front door), the \"make up room\" button for housekeeping, the room temperature and the alarm — all without leaving the comfort of the bed.
Who goes there: Serious shoppers. The city-central location on the Magnificent Mile means that world-class shopping is mere steps away: Your feet and your wallet will need their rest.
Undercover info: On Friday and Saturday nights, the hotel restaurant The Lobby unveils a decadent chocolate bar where guests can browse a buffet ranging from cakes and cookies to tarts and truffles. Don't let all that sugar keep you up late, though: You've got a lot of power-sleeping to do.
The Peninsula Chicago
Tel: 866 288 8889
Grand Deluxe Suites from $1,600.
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