Sunset and sunrise rooms are the entire reason some travellers book the hotel. Specific rooms at specific properties have iconic timing.
Sunset rooms
Canaves Oia Santorini — caldera-side suites
The Santorini sunset shot from the caldera-side suites. Booking 6+ months out.
Le Sirenuse Positano — Suite 503 and similar
West-facing suites with the Positano sunset.
Belmond Hotel Caruso Ravello — Belvedere
The Amalfi Coast sunset from the Belvedere suite.
Soneva Jani — Crusoe Residence
Maldivian sunset from the overwater pool.
Aman Tokyo — west-side suites (33rd floor)
Mt. Fuji sunset from west-side suites.
Sugar Beach St Lucia — sunset villa
Pitons sunset from the resort.
Sunrise rooms
Aman Tokyo — east-side suites
Tokyo sunrise from the east-side high floors.
Hotel de Russie Rome — garden-facing rooms
Roman garden sunrise.
Capri Palace — east-facing suites
Capri sunrise from the eastern terrace rooms.
Soneva Fushi — sunrise villas
Maldivian sunrise from beach villas (different vista from sunset).
Singita Lebombo — bush-facing rooms
Bush sunrise — animals at the watering hole.
How to book
Direct booking with the hotel. Specify "sunset side" or "sunrise side" at booking. Many hotels honour the request.
For specific suites (e.g., Canaves Oia caldera-side, Le Sirenuse Suite 503), request by name. Booking 6+ months ahead is standard for these specific suites.
Photographing sunset/sunrise
Plan around the time. 30-minute window of perfect light — be set up 20 minutes before, shoot through, edit afterwards.
Wide lens for sweeping views. Telephoto for compressed sun-and-foreground compositions. Tripod for blue-hour follow-up.
Five rules
- Direct booking with the hotel — specify side
- 6+ months ahead for iconic suites
- Book the suite, not the day — sunset is the trip
- Tripod and wide lens minimum
- Edit for the moment — most sunsets need help
For more, see the photography pillar.
