Nine of The Most Secluded Resorts Around the World

Find some peace and quiet at this hotel located near the Arctic Circle. Fly to Oslo and transfer to a small plane that will take you on a three-hour flight to Longyearbyen: the world’s northernmost city and the capital of Svalbard—the string of Arctic islands in the Barents Sea—midway between continental Norway and the North Pole. Svalbard is the ideal vacation spot for misanthropes, because the polar bears outnumber humans and it's easy to avoid conversation while gazing at the aurora borealis. The Spitsbergen Hotel, run by the hipster hotel chain Scandic, is a comfortable base camp as you explore the former mining town and surrounding areas. Get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city (population: 2,144) with day trips to the ice fjords, dog sledding, hiking, and boat trips to even farther-flung locales.