Is there really any point in traveling if you can’t post a picture from an envy-inducing hotel balcony, then sit back and stare at the likes rolling in instead of the view? Hotels around the world are designing themselves to have increasingly competitive balcony views, so screen-scrollers around the world will stop, take a screenshot, and say, “Holy Lagos filter where is that?” The key to a fantastic balcony view is its expression of place, combining images that could be taken nowhere else with views that drop your jaw as soon as you walk into the room. They don’t always come cheap, but if you’re looking for the best balcony views in the world, these hotels get the job done.
The Most Jaw-Dropping Hotel Balcony Views in the World
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Cavo Tagoo — Mykonos, Greece
Photo: Cavo Tagoo
This five-star hotel just outside Mykonos Town, is built into a former quarry on the island’s western coast, so nearly every balcony faces straight out to the Aegean. The stepped layout means terraces sit above each other so the views uninterrupted. The west-facing position puts you front and center for sunset — one of the best spots on the island (or arguably on Earth) to stretch out on a lounger and watch the sky change without leaving your room. Many suites come with plunge pools or Jacuzzis set right at the edge of the terrace, including the cave-style suites carved into the rock, where your pool sits directly in front of the sea view with nothing in between. If you’re booking, it’s worth checking how far forward your selected terrace sits — those closest to the edge have the best views.
Villa Beatrice — Portofino, Italy
Photo: Belmond Hotels
From the terraces at Villa Beatrice, the Gulf of Tigullio opens out below, with Portofino’s harbor off to the side and the Ligurian Sea running past the headland. Built in 1913 for shipbuilder Attilio Odero, designed by Gino Coppedè, and reopened by Belmond in 2025 as its first fully serviced private villa, the house carries the old-money drama Portofino was built on. In the years when Ava Gardner, Clark Gable, and Elizabeth Taylor were turning the village into a Riviera stage set, this place was in private hands, so this view feels extra special.
NIHI Sumba — Indonesia
Photo: NIHI Sumba
The bucket list remote resort of NIHI Sumba is best known for its direct access to Nihiwatu — one of Indonesia’s most sought-after surf breaks — and its setting along a protected stretch of coastline. The villas sit along a hillside above the beach, each with a terrace facing the Indian Ocean, so you’re looking straight out at the break as waves roll in one after another. There’s no surrounding development here, which means nothing interrupts the view along the full length of the bay. Many villas have private pools set at the front edge of the terrace, facing the water, and it’s not unusual to see wild horses running along the beach below.
Amangiri — Canyon Point, Utah
Photo: Aman Resorts
Step out onto the terrace at Amangiri and you’re dropped straight into southern Utah’s canyon country, with pale sandstone walls, open desert, and nothing else in sight for miles. Set deep in the Colorado Plateau near the Arizona border, the resort looks out over rock formations that change color through the day as the sun moves across the landscape. Many suites open directly onto this view, with outdoor lounges, fire pits, and private pools facing the desert. The main pool curves around a massive boulder at the center of the property, and that same sense of scale carries through to the rooms, where the landscape is so dramatic it will take your breath away.
Shangri-La Paris — Paris, France
Photo: Shangri-La
Shangri-La Paris sits in a former Bonaparte residence across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, and a handful of rooms are positioned directly opposite it. Book an Eiffel Tower View Room or one of the terrace suites and the tower fills the balcony. The view looks out over the river, with no rooftops or landmarks interrupting the line of sight, making this one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower you’ll get anywhere in the city. If you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime stay for a special trip to Paris, this is a room to save for.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab — Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Photo: Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab has been the focal point of this stretch of Dubai coastline for years, and Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab is built right beside it on its own peninsula — which is a bold move when your neighbor is the building everyone came to photograph. From the balconies, that sail-shaped hotel sits just offshore, taking up a large part of the view, with the Gulf stretching out behind it. The positioning means nothing sits between the room and open water, just the landmark and the sea. The building curves outward like a superyacht, so balconies project forward, and in the larger suites, terraces wrap around with pools set along the edge, all facing the same direction.
Sina Centurion Palace — Venice, Italy
Photo: Sina Hotels
Right at the mouth of the Grand Canal, Sina Centurion Palace puts you on one of the busiest stretches of water in Venice, where vaporettos, gondolas, and water taxis pass all day. The suites with balconies face directly onto it, so the view is simply what you go to Venice for, with the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute just across the water. The hotel occupies a 19th-century Gothic palazzo, so those views are framed by tall arched openings that feel purposefully made to celebrate the historic stretch of water. It also puts you in Dorsoduro, steps from the Guggenheim and Punta della Dogana.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo — Lake Como, Italy
Photo: Grand Hotel Tremezzo
While Atitlan might be Central America’s Como, Lake Como is, well, the original. This luxury hotel in the striking mountain town has one of the most spectacular pools in the world, jutting out into the lake with snow-covered peaks reflecting off the water. While you can’t swim in your balcony, you’ll still get the exact same view, in front of which you’ll enjoy a hot espresso in a comfy robe like you were Dr. Ross himself.
Hotel Villa Honegg — Ennetbürgen, Switzerland
Photo: Hotel Villa Honegg
From the balcony at Villa Honegg, Lake Lucerne sits far below, edged by dense forest and backed by a wall of mountains that fill the horizon. The hotel stands alone on the Bürgenstock ridge, so there are no buildings or roads in view — just the lake, the slopes, and the peaks beyond. The weather can be erratic at this height; clouds often settle over the water, leaving a layer of white across the lake with mountain tops rising through it. And while every room faces this direction, each with its own balcony or terrace, it’s worth checking the terrace size when booking and opting for something with enough space for a table and chairs so you can sit out and enjoy the drama unfold.
Singita Lebombo Lodge — Kruger National Park, South Africa
Photo: Singita
Singita Lebombo’s suites are set along a cliff above the N’wanetsi River, with balconies looking out over bush where wildlife moves freely through the reserve. From here, you’re seeing the same terrain you head into on game drives, with elephants, antelope, and predators passing through the riverbed below. The lodge sits within a private concession in Kruger with no fences, so nothing interrupts that view. Suites are spaced out along the ridge, each with its own balcony facing the landscape, and some include outdoor daybeds where you can sleep out under a net with the sounds of the bush below.
Casa Polopo– Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Photo: Expedia
Go ahead and call Lake Atitlan Central America’s Como. Though it’s missing George Clooney, the views are just as spectacular from this mountainside retreat — the country’s first Relais & Chateaux hotel — with panoramic views of the lake and three towering volcanoes in the distance. The best views are found in the three-bedroom villas set 150 steps above the main house, yours for around $1,500 a night.
Kura — Uvita, Costa Rica
Photo: Kura
Walking out to the beach on the famous Whales Tail in Costa Rica can be a little disappointing since the narrow point of the tail doesn’t leave much of a beach. It is, however, still a great spot for humpback-whale watching. But a better vantage point can be found at this eight-villa boutique hotel high in the hills above it. From your balcony, you’ll have a stunning perspective on the tail, and with the right binoculars, you can spot whales swimming by too.
St. Regis Bangkok — Bangkok, Thailand
Photo: The St. Regis Bangkok
You remember those menacing-looking views of the Bangkok skyline they used as B-roll in The Hangover 2? Probably not since that movie was pretty forgettable, but it was filmed at Phulay Bay Ritz Carlton. You’ll get the same eye-popping perspective on the city from the wraparound balcony in the Owner’s Penthouse at the St. Regis. The vista is best appreciated from the 23-foot infinity pool, where the lights of the city reflect off the water at night and your 24-hour butler can bring you whatever you like without you getting out of the water.
Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort & Spa — Barga, Italy
This 180-room gem in the heart of Tuscany is set high up in the green mountains with views of wineries, medieval villages, country landscapes, and the Serchio Valley all spread out beneath you. The view is best enjoyed over breakfast, when a soft fog fills the valley and the villages below start to peak out as the sun shines brighter.
Hôtel Métropole — Monaco
Photo: Hotel Metropole
Have your own little James Bond moment when you rent out the Suite Carré d’Or penthouse at Monte Carlo’s legendary Hotel Metropole. The terrace — just the terrace, now — is 1,180 square feet with views of the Casino de Monte-Carlo, its gardens, and the Mediterranean Sea. As long as you’re living like an international spy, go ahead and order up a private dinner on the terrace — and ask your 24-hour luxury concierge to find you the “special” wine. Then maintain eye contact with your arch nemesis as you sip it slowly, wondering what, exactly, “special” means.
Hassler Roma — Rome, Italy
Photo: Hassler Roma
The architecture of Rome is the grandest in the world, and you could spend months walking through the city taking it all in. But it’s far easier to book the Penthouse Villa Medici Suite at this famous hotel set atop the Spanish Steps. From this seventh-floor terrace, you’ll see the best of Rome’s skyline, including those Spanish Steps, the Piazza di Spagna, the Barcaccia fountain, and the shopping along Via Condotti. 