While some may overlook the hotel bathroom and head straight to the bed to get a glimpse into how well they will sleep at night, the bathroom is becoming a statement of style and serenity in itself. The thought of coming back to your room after a day of exploration and sinking into an oversize tub overflowing with scented bubbles? It likely doesn't get much better than that while on vacation. The ultraluxurious bathtub lends to incomparable views while bathing, and tubs are even planted in a peaceful, outdoor oasis. Take the outdoor soaking tub at the Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, which allows you to breathe in the lightly salted air, a mere stone’s throw away from the beach. Or how about the ancient oversize tub at the Il Salviatino hotel in Italy, made from stones that dates back thousands of years? Spanning the Baja desert in Mexico to the bustling city of Toronto, here are eight outstanding tubs that were designed to melt away your stresses.
Solaz (Los Cabos, Mexico)
The Mexican architectural firm Sordo Madaleno conceptualized and designed a bathroom in the resort (which opened in September 2018) to reflect the desert vegetation of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, the region where it's located. Materials used included quarry stone, granite, marble, and wood—a combination that results in a lavish tub overlooking the Sea of Cortez and offering glimpses of the white-sand beach. solazloscabos.com
Soneva Fushi (Maldives)
Soneva Fushi was designed by sustainable Soneva brand cofounder Eva Malmström Shivdasani, with every villa featuring an open-air bathroom with outdoor bathing areas surrounded by nature. At Soneva Fushi, you can bathe in a soaking tub next to a private outdoor waterfall with the sounds of fruit bats flying overhead and the skittering of tropical birds and colorful geckos. soneva.com
Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa (Cayman Islands)
The 4,700-square-foot Presidential Suite at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa offers sweeping views of the award-winning Seven Mile Beach (the stretch of sand was recently named "The Caribbean's Best Beach" in Caribbean Travel and Life magazine). The designers Dayna Lee and Ted Berner made certain that guests could see the Caribbean Sea from every room, including the master bathroom, which featues a white onyx floating tub to relax in while watching the sunset. seafireresortandspa.com
The Ivy Hotel (Baltimore)
What was once a 19th-century mansion has since turned into an 18-room hotel. The Ivy Hotel is outfitted in Victoria & Albert freestanding slipper tubs made from what it terms "Englishcast." The finely ground volcanic limestone tub design is inspired by traditional freestanding slipper bathtubs, with a modern spin void of claw-feet on the bottom. You can relax with the tub’s extended backrest designed to fit a perfect angle of recline to support the head and shoulders, and then step out onto the heated French limestone floors. theivybaltimore.com
Four Seasons Hotel (Toronto)
Each room and suite at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto features a spacious bathroom with custom marble bathtubs designed by Canadian design firm Yabu Pushelberg. Crafted in a cotton color with soft rounded edges, the deep soaking tubs offer a place to relax while taking in views of the downtown landscape. fourseasons.com/toronto/
Il Salviatino (Florence, Italy)
From its origins as a humble farmhouse to a luxury Renaissance villa, Il Salviatino is set within the sloping hills of Fiesole. The property’s Affresco Suite, named after an 1886 ceiling fresco by Domenico Bruschi, houses a freestanding sarcophagus tub made of ancient Roman stone dating back to 200 A.D. You can open the doors connecting the bathroom and the suite to take in two oil canvases by Gabriel van der Leeuw known as Il Fiammingo as you bathe. salviatino.com
Andaz Mayakoba (Tulum, Mexico)
Architect and Costa Rica native Ronald Zürcher designed this beautiful property, drawing inspiration from the local trees, bedrock, and water. A few of Andaz Mayakoba’s suites feature soaking tubs, with the most notable one in the 4,575-square-foot bi-level Presidential Suite villa. The round soaking tub affords views of the beach and landscaped pathways through its sliding glass doors. hyatt.com/andaz-mayakoba
Copal Tree Lodge (Punta Gorda, Belize)
A luxury eco-accommodation, Copal Tree Lodge is located on a 3,000-acre sustainable farm in Punta Gorda, the southernmost part of Belize. If you’re staying in one of the resort's four Signature Canopy Suites perched above the jungle canopy, you can take in the landscape of the Maya Mountains from the soaking tub situated on the suite’s wraparound balcony. copaltreelodge.com