Oculis Lodge sounds pretty dreamy: a dome-built structure with a 15-foot skylight overhead, that lets you stare at stars until you fall asleep. Although it’s being built in the wilds of Washington in the Cascade Range, it’s a luxury rental with a heated yoga space, a private six-person Jacuzzi and four-person sauna, and smart home technology. When it opens this April, the first stays will go to Indiegogo funders, but the rest of us can still get in on it (as of this writing, the Kickstarter has raised $276,039, far exceeding its $10,000 goal).
The eco-friendly concrete dome itself will use 50 percent less energy to heat and cool than a similar structure made of different materials. Architecturally, the 700 square foot dome is fascinating and lets you sink into nature with that skylight right over the bed. The interior, interestingly, is oval, not round! Inside, there’s a bedroom with a king sized bed and a full bath, then an upstairs loft that can hold four people. The design features a sunken living room for reliving 70s dreams (as well as another great view through that skylight), and a full kitchen. The unit consists of three connected round units: the dome itself, an outdoor pad with a firepit lounge, and the Jacuzzi area. On the deck is a hammock for more star gazing. There’s even—you guessed it—a telescope provided for getting closer to those interstellar views.
Nearby is Mount Baker, just a 25 minute drive to its ski slopes—this mountain once garnered the world record for the most snowfall in a single winter season! It has glacier-covered peaks, mountain meadows and old-growth forest with tons of activities for all seasons: hundreds of miles of trails for hiking (including past waterfalls and rivers), biking, skiing. The Oculis Lodge will be surrounded by 7 acres of undeveloped land, about as private as it gets. What do you eat while in this wilderness? You can preorder food through the website and it’ll be stocked in your fridge by the time you arrive; this includes organic fruits and vegetables, breakfast and dinner kits.
Can’t wait for the opening? The same design is already in place in Costa Rica at the Igloo Beach Lodge—but these rooms at Oculis will be larger and permit longer stays.
Want to see our roundup of three amazing lodges for stargazing?
These treehouse Airbnb rentals are off the hook, too.