These Antarctic domes comprise the most remote hotel in the world. Photo / White Desert, Warren Rasmussen
These Antarctic domes comprise the most remote hotel in the world. Photo / White Desert, Warren Rasmussen
At $99,000 for 11 nights, it's also one of the world's most expensive
At first glance these snow-covered bubbles in the middle of the Antarctic wilderness don't seem to have a lot going for them.
The lonely lodgings are part of the world's most remote hotel, where guests have to survive subzero temperatures in the harshest climate on Earth, and pay $99,000 toboot.
But there are some pretty good reasons why the likes of Prince Harry and the Saudi Royal family have been clamouring for a stay here.
The White Desert camp in Antarctica has recently been given a five-star revamp to mark its 10th anniversary and these pictures provide a rare look inside the unique, luxury accommodation.
The warm, comfortable interior is in pretty sharp contrast to the stark, subzero conditions outside. Photo / White Desert,Warren Rasmussen
The camp comprises six heated, fibreglass domes, known as "sleeping pods". Each pod stands alone on a rugged strip of land in the interior of Antarctica, midway between a frozen lake and towering walls of ice.
Inside, the lavish interiors are really impressive.
The bedrooms come with bamboo headboards, Saarinen chairs, fur throws, and en suite bathrooms stocked with sustainable Lost Explorer-brand toiletries, created by the de Rothschild family. The walls are decorated with antique wooden skis.
The dining room, which once consisted of one long wooden table, is now outfitted with fur throws covering the chairs. There is also a library.
The hotel's guests - of which there are a maximum of 12 at any time - dine together, enjoying three-course meals with ingredients and wines flown in from Cape Town.
There are plenty of ways to keep occupied inside, when you're not out exploring the Antarctic wilderness on guided tours. Photo / White Desert, Warren Rasmussen
The meals are prepared by an in-house chef who cooks privately for the British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.
And while the price tag - $99,000 for an 11-night stay - seems more than a little excessive, guests do get plenty of bang for their buck.
The cost includes return airfares from Cape Town, as well as all food, drinks, use of guides and logistics staff, some items of polar clothing - including a well-insulated parka coat to withstand the subzero temperatures - and a "carbon tax" to offset emissions.
Guests take guided tours in the hopes of encountering Emperor penguins. Photo / 123RF
You also get breathtaking Antarctic views, and the chance to wake up surrounded by wildlife who have managed to survive some of the toughest conditions on the planet. Plus, it's no easy feat to run the camp so it all comes at a cost, co-founder Robyn Woodhead told Bloomberg.
"[It requires] some of the most complex and remote logistics in the world," she said. "Everything for the hotel refurbishment had to come in on an Il-76 cargo plane, costing €15 [$23] per kilogram.
It's not easy running a business in the most remote place on Earth. Photo / 123RF
"Many of the simple elements, such as getting water for the construction work, involved drilling through a two-metre-thick ice lake. Everything freezes far quicker than normal conditions here. The metal freezes to your hands, so our team had to be extremely focused and careful when working.
