'World's most remote hotel' costs £26k-a-night and is only reached by helicopter

19 October 2023 , 15:30

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Sheldon Chalet is one of the most exclusive and remote hotels in the world (Image: Sheldon Chalet)

The world's most remote hotel costs £26,000 a night to visit and can only be accessed via helicopter.

Sheldon mountain chalet in Alaska’s Denali National Park is not easy to get to. It is perched on an isolated rock 1,800m above the sea level, towering over the Don Sheldon Amphitheatre on the flanks of North America’s highest mountain, Denali.

There are no roads, railways, or walking trails to access the chalet, and the closest town of Talkeenta is 55 miles away as the crow flies. That means the only way to get to the luxury lodge is to fly in a private helicopter.

If you want to do that you have to do so with the Sheldon family, the only people permitted to fly private helicopters over the Denali National Park. They have owned and operated a property there since 1966, when Don and Roberta Sheldon built the close-by Mountain House to provide respite for climbers exploring the valley.

The lodge cannot be reached by the ground (Sheldon Chalet)

The Sheldon Chalet was later built in 2018 after the family found Don’s original construction plans to build his dream home before he unexpectedly died in the 1970’s. His off-spring would later bring Sheldon Chalet to life. Three generations later, today the chalet is managed by Robert and Marnie Sheldon and their son, Ryan, who each help to carefully curate every guest’s stay.

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The chalet runs partly on solar generated energy and accommodates just ten guests at a time on an exclusive-use basis. Each room has stunning views of the mountains. If you want to hire out the whole lodge, it will cost you just shy of £35,000 for ten people for one night. If four go, it'll cost £26,000.

If you're lucky enough to stay there, you'll have a very good chance of seeing the Northern lights. During the long Alaskan winter nights when there are just four hours of daylight, but the darkness is often broken up by the solar phenomenon. There is no wi-fi at the chalet, meaning guests are able to fully disconnect from the outside world. As well as relaxing in the warm, reading a good book or taking in the dramatic views, you can do this by indulging in a gourmet glacier picnic, ice climb and meteor shower gazing session.

Guests enjoy meals cooked by the chalet’sfour chefs who use locally sourced Alaskan ingredients and tailor bespoke menus for every individual guest. One of Sheldon Chalet’s chefs has previously cooked for US presidents and Hollywood stars, while the other is a keen hunter and fisherman who incorporates both in the dishes he prepares.

The first thing guests are greeted with once they exit the private helicopter is an Alaskan seafood extravaganza, paired with Champagne. One guest who stayed at the chalet said: “I felt so small. It was so massive. I felt completely inconsequential when I was there. I thought, how did I even get here? I had tears in my eyes”. Another described the stay as ‘spiritually intoxicating’.

Milo Boyd