Hotels with the most beautiful outdoor showers

Summer is the season of pure hedonism, of spending as much time as possible outside in as little clothing as possible. Days should be spent soaking up the sun and saltwater in some far-flung seaside locale (perhaps the Mediterranean). When it comes time to rinse off all of that briny goodness, there is only one place to do so: an outdoor shower.

A delightful New York Times piece dubbed the outdoor shower “pure summer vernacular.” It is both practical and pleasurable. Sure, it keeps sand and dirt out of the house, but the real reason for stripping down and sudsing up outside is just for fun.

The act has a sacred and sinful quality to it. A breeze or a bird makes you hyperaware of your own nakedness, which is the most natural thing in the world; after all, showering outside was the norm for most of humanity’s existence until indoor plumbing was introduced in the early nineteenth century.

Nonetheless, it exudes an air of illicit indulgence. It requires you to leave your house (a welcome requirement after these recent pandemic years) and bring your most private daily task — washing your body — into the public sphere. It embodies summer escapism, tinged with the “sense of the marvelous suffusing everyday existence,” as French surrealist Louis Aragon put it.

While the ideal outdoor shower is one at your own home (for convenience), I can’t say I wouldn’t recommend washing up beside the Indian Ocean. From lavish outdoor setups in Kenya to rustic bucket rigs along the Gulf of Mexico, there’s a list of some of the best places to get clean.

#1 The Maritime Hotel, New York City

This nautically themed hotel was designed as the National Maritime Union headquarters in 1968 by modernist architect Albert Ledner, who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright. It has a boatload of charming details, from porthole windows to sweeping views of Chelsea. What awaits on the private white-tiled patios overlooking the Hudson River, however, is perhaps even more unique: the elusive metropolitan outdoor shower. Is there anything more romantic on a hot summer day? There are many things you can do outside in New York City, but getting naked in public is not one of them. So go ahead and strip in the middle of Manhattan in broad daylight.

Rooms and prices

#2 Awasi Atacama, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

Awasi Atacama’s private patio is an outdoor shower enthusiast’s dream. The adobe enclosure includes a luxurious shower as well as two lounge chairs in case all that washing up becomes too much. The 12-room, carbon-neutral Relais & Châteaux property is an ideal home base for Atacama Desert explorations — the hotel even provides each room with its own private guide and 4WD, allowing you to explore at your own pace.

#3 Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives

The newly renovated Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is paradise manifest, spread across two private islands and home to the world’s first undersea restaurant. Waking up to an endless view of the Indian Ocean is bliss; combine that with a floating breakfast in your personal infinity pool and a shower next to the lapping waves, and you have pure, unadulterated hedonism. While the hotel’s airy beach villas have more architecturally stunning outdoor showers, I was drawn to the rustic, handheld experience at the overwater villas. To begin with, it was a simple way to keep my villa clean (although the friendly and talented housekeeping team also saw to that, even drawing me a rose-petal-filled bath in what was ultimately a successful attempt to get me to bathe inside, just once). Furthermore, it provided me with an excuse to spend a few extra minutes outside each day, admiring all of that sparkling blue brilliance.

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#4 Hotel Azúcar, Veracruz, Mexico

The bucket rig at Hotel Azúcar hits all the right notes for those who prefer a more rustic experience without sacrificing comfort or aesthetic. The straightforward setup strikes the right balance of novelty and efficiency, and it’s only a short walk from the beach. The hotel, owned by Mexico City-based Grupo Habita, is a laid-back beach retreat with thatch-roof huts, pink accents, and plenty of palm trees.

Rooms and prices

#5 The Wensley, Wensleydale, Australia

The phrase “great outdoors” only begins to describe the 80 acres of rolling hillside on which this luxuriously rustic Airbnb is perched. The Wensley, a spacious, secluded retreat in Wensleydale, a rural community in Victoria, brings the outdoors in with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, wooden and natural finishes, and an airy space for dinner parties with friends (the space sleeps 10). While the home is so beautifully curated that it would be tempting to stay inside, there is one thing that calls you outside: the outdoor shower, complete with its own galvanized French tub where you can soak while stargazing.

#6 Sasaab, Samburu, Kenya

An outdoor shower is one thing; an entire outdoor bathroom is something else entirely. You can indulge in a healthy dose of natural exhibitionism at the Safari Collection’s luxurious Sasaab lodge in Samburu: Bathe naked while elephant herds do the same outside your spacious Moroccan-inspired room. The open-air concept quickly makes you feel at one with your surroundings, even though it is under the cover of a thatched roof and still exposed to the elements. A private aquamarine plunge pool is also available, which is ideal for cooling off between game drives in the nearby Samburu National Reserve.

#7 Nihi Sumba, Indonesia

The two-bedroom Lantoro villa at Nihi Sumba is an hour from Bali and features sweeping views of the Indian Ocean, a plunge pool, and private beach access. The villa is designed to feel like your home away from home, with bright blue accents that emphasize the vibrancy of the water. The outdoor shower is a tactile experience: you walk along a trail of sun-kissed stones to reach it, which is nestled in a forest glade surrounded by sand and lush ferns.

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