Zannier Hotels Sonop

The main area is all you'd expect from a lodge of this calibre, with all focus on your comfort, and centre stage given to that stark landscape. The lounge is rich with dark woods, worn leather, Persian rugs, antiquarian books, and intriguing artworks. There's a swish cocktail and cigar lounge, a dining room crowned with a candelabra, a spa and a pool. Topping it all is a romantic open-air desert cinema, the first we've seen.

Eight single-room and two double-bedroom tents are set on the boulders, making the most of the views through large mesh windows. Actually, the units are rather more than tents – while the walls are indeed canvas, the interiors combine old-school clocks, a spinning globe, and a telescope with ultra-mod wi-fi, Bluetooth speakers, and electric kettle. Snuggle down in your huge four-poster bed, soak your cares away in your deep copper bath overlooking the desert, and linger on your private deck.

This private reserve can be explored in various ways, and at almost at any time of day. Game drives are popular, but you can also explore the desert on horseback, on an electric bike, or on a guided night walk. (Look out for free-roaming oryx, brown hyena, rabbit, fox, jackal, kudu, and leopard.) Rise to salute the sun with a desert yoga class; in the evening, catch a movie. Meals here are generous, so you'll probably enjoy the spa.