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    • Design

    America’s only bubble hotel features cosy spherical modules designed by French creative Pierre-Stéphane Dumas

    JUL 5, 2019 | By Aneesha Bhadri
    CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Furnished with a queen size bed and seating along with an ensuite bathroom; A seating area outside the bubble; The ensuite bathroom.; Photographs courtesy Basecamp Terlingua
    CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT An exterior view of the hotel; The bubble stays inflated with the help of a turbine; You can enjoy an uninterrupted view of the sky as you lie down; Photographs courtesy Basecamp Terlingua
    CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT A sight of the hotel glowing glamorously in the night; The bubble modules have been placed away from one another for privacy; Nestled in the stunning Texan dessert landscape, the bubbles offer gorgeous views of the Chisos Mountains; Photographs courtesy Basecamp Terlingua

    French designer Pierre-Stéphane Dumas, founder of BubbleTree, has crafted inflatable spherical modules called bubbles that elevate the outdoor camping experience. Meant for eco-tourism and experiential travel, these transparent domed accommodations provide all the essential creature comforts, while requiring minimum energy and materials to maintain. A turbine continuously blows air into the collapsible bubbles to maintain the shape of the structure, refresh air and reduce humidity.

    Basecamp Terlingua near Big Bend National Park in west Texas has the only bubble hotel in America. Nestled in the stunning Texan dessert landscape, the bubbles offer gorgeous views of the Chisos Mountains. Since they stay inflated with the help of an air-blowing turbine, each bubble features an airlock entrance module. It houses a queen-size bed, en suite bathroom, refrigerator, microwave, Kuerig coffee, seating section and climate control. The two bubbles at the basecamp are kept out of sight of one another, allowing privacy and seclusion.

    With the nearest grocery store, Cottonwood Grocery Store, 6 to 7 miles away, the bubble hotel offers a luxurious stay in the midst of wilderness—the perfect opportunity to unwind and indulge in me-time. There is additional seating around a private fire pit as well as an outdoor shower right outside the bubbles. The lavishly appointed lodgings with their transparent roofs offer such sublime views of starry nights that even the most faint-hearted homebodies will take up camping, or in this case, glamping.