Friday, May 30, 2025
The concept of hurkle-durkling, a centuries-old Scottish term meaning to lie in bed when one should be up and about, has been revitalized as a global travel trend embraced by modern travelers seeking ultimate relaxation. Thanks to social media platforms like TikTok, this indulgent approach to holidays—prioritizing lounging over constant activity—is reshaping how people experience travel. The World Hilton Group reports that one in five travelers worldwide now enjoys hurkle-durkling while on holiday, transforming hotel rooms, cozy cabins, and cruise suites into sanctuaries where guests prefer to spend most of their time.
This shift challenges traditional notions of vacations packed with sightseeing and adventure. Instead, accommodations are being designed or highlighted for their comfort, views, and ability to provide an immersive, restful environment. These destinations inspire travelers to reclaim downtime, encouraging a slower, more mindful approach to travel where the room itself is a main attraction.
Near Rovaniemi in Lapland, the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel offers guests an opportunity to hurkle-durkle in a unique setting. While the surrounding area offers winter activities like ice skating and snowshoeing, the hotel’s design emphasizes the joy of staying put in bed, with rooms crafted to maximize views of the snowy forest and night sky. Winter visits heighten the experience by reducing daylight hours and increasing chances to witness the Northern Lights, inviting guests to luxuriate in their cozy nests amid stunning natural beauty.
In the Scottish Highlands’ Glencoe region, the birthplace of hurkle-durkling, RiverBeds Wee Lodges set the bar high for cozy retreats. These 12-square-meter eco-huts, dubbed “a castle inside a cabin,” feature thick insulation, hot tubs on the deck, and sumptuous beds positioned next to large round windows framing serene woodland views. Guests receive daily breakfast delivered to their cabins, making it effortless to stay in bed and enjoy nature’s tranquility. This destination is a model example of how comfort and environment combine to create hurkle-durkling bliss.
At the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, a wholly unique underwater bedroom experience awaits in The Muraka residence. Positioned five meters below the sea, the transparent curved roof lets guests lie back and watch tropical marine life glide overhead—from colorful fish to manta rays and whale sharks. This immersive aquatic environment makes the act of lying in bed a mesmerizing spectacle, transforming the room itself into a window on one of the planet’s richest ecosystems.
Cruise holidays offer natural hurkle-durkling opportunities, especially on sea days. Celebrity Cruises’ Iconic Suites, located above the ship’s bridge, provide panoramic ocean views directly in front of the bed, allowing guests to gaze endlessly at the horizon. The luxurious suites come with personal butler service, elevating relaxation to a level of personalized indulgence. For travelers seeking a combination of motion and comfort, these suites redefine staying in bed as a supreme vacation experience.
Typical safaris involve early mornings and active excursions, but Mfuwe Lodge in South Luangwa National Park offers a different take. Guests often observe elephants strolling through the lodge’s reception area, while lagoons nearby attract hippos, giraffes, crocodiles, and antelopes—often visible from the comfort of one’s bed or porch. This close wildlife interaction without the need to leave one’s room offers a rare kind of hurkle-durkling, blending adventure with restful immersion in nature.
In Italy’s Alps, Chalet al Foss introduces the “Foss Breakfast” experience: guests can enjoy a long, lazy breakfast served on an oversized tray while comfortably nestled in a heated outdoor bed surrounded by snow-capped mountain views. For those who prefer indoor coziness, the chalet also offers beds positioned to maximize spectacular alpine vistas. This retreat capitalizes on the allure of relaxation paired with breathtaking scenery.
Cape Town’s The Silo Hotel transforms a former grain silo into a luxury accommodation marvel, where the Royal Suite features enormous pillowed windows framing views of the Atlantic Ocean, Robben Island, and nearby mountains. The hotel’s design and furnishings invite guests to remain ensconced in bed, absorbing the spectacular panorama. Such an architectural feat elevates hurkle-durkling into an experience of sublime comfort and visual delight.
At The Cape, A Thompson Hotel in Cabo San Lucas, the Ocean View Panoramic Suite with Plunge Pool offers commanding views of the dramatic coastline, including the famous rock arch. The suite features a king-size bed, luxury linens, a freestanding copper tub, and binoculars for whale watching, creating a private sanctuary where lounging in bed with ocean vistas is the centerpiece of the holiday.
Okinawa’s Treeful Treehouse Resort fulfills childhood dreams with treetop rooms designed to harmonize with nature. Guests can enjoy 360-degree forest views, indulge in spa treatments, or experience a waterfall sauna—all from the comfort of their elevated beds. The resort’s serene environment encourages slow, restorative hurkle-durkling, surrounded by natural beauty.
For awe-inspiring views of Niagara Falls without the crowds or wet weather, the Marriott Fallsview offers floor-to-ceiling windows from guest rooms. It has become a viral sensation on social media for the iconic “Girl in the bed” selfie overlooking one of the world’s most photographed natural wonders. This hotel exemplifies how spectacular views accessible from bed elevate relaxation to a captivating art form.
Located on Kangaroo Island, Southern Ocean Lodge’s custom king “Baillie Bed” faces expansive floor-to-ceiling windows framing pristine coastline views. Guests can unwind in-suite with an in-room bar, a private terrace, a lounge with a fireplace, or a deep soaking tub. The lodge’s design invites travelers to savor the landscape from bed, blending luxury with natural grandeur.
This trend toward hurkle-durkling holidays reflects a broader evolution in traveler preferences and the hospitality industry. Increasingly, travelers seek more than a place to sleep—they desire accommodations that become integral to their vacation experience. Hotels and resorts are responding by offering immersive, restful environments with breathtaking views, personalized services, and amenities designed for lingering comfort.
From Arctic snow-covered forests to underwater bedrooms, these 11 locations demonstrate how diverse environments can be reimagined as tranquil retreats. Hurkle-durkling encourages travelers to slow down, prioritize well-being, and connect deeply with their surroundings without needing to leave their rooms.
This shift has global travel implications, as destinations worldwide may capitalize on this demand by marketing their accommodations as sanctuaries for rest and contemplation. It signals an opportunity for the travel industry to innovate beyond activity-based tourism and embrace wellness, mindfulness, and luxury through design and service.
Key features of hurkle-durkling stays include panoramic views accessible directly from the bed, unique architectural and natural settings enhancing the lounging experience, integration of personalized services such as in-room dining and butlers, incorporation of wellness amenities, and locations spanning diverse climates and continents from the Arctic to the tropics.
Ultimately, hurkle-durkling represents a cultural and travel phenomenon where leisure is redefined by the luxury of doing nothing but enjoying the moment. These special stays appeal to modern travelers seeking balance, comfort, and connection, fostering a new form of holiday that celebrates stillness and place as much as adventure.
