Choosing a good hotel is an important detail when planning a trip. After all, it’s where you’ll spend the nights and partly the days. But makes a hotel great? Is it the service, the design, the architecture, the atmosphere, the views? It’s a combination of all that. Some hotels are indeed unique and remarkable and some have really unusual designs which can be enough to make you want to visit them.
1. Prahran Hotel Pub Made From Gigantic Concrete Pipes.
The Prahran Hotel is located in Melbourne and it was a project by Techne Architects.Made from giant concrete pipes. The pipe booths feature leather upholstery and linen and they form three levels. The rear of the pub was renovated and it now has a dramatic look.{found on thecoolhunter}.
2. Giant Wine Barrel Room.
How would you like to go to Germany and stay in a wine barrel room? It’s not something from a fairy tale. On a farm in Sasbachwalden village there are five such rooms. Each one is named after the kind of wine which was stored in that particular barrel. The rooms have bathrooms, they are heated and they also have lovely rocky gardens.
3. Hotel Hüttenpalast.
If you want an adventure like maybe going somewhere and being on your own but you don’t exactly want to give up the comfort of sleeping in a hotel room, you can have both. There something called Hotel Hittenpalast in Berlin and it’s perfect for the outdoor types. Here you’ll see caravans which have been brought indoors and parked in the middle of the living room.
4. Hayema Heerd.
The Hayema Heerd is located in Oldehove, Netherlands and it’s a very unusual hotel if we can even call it that. It’s a mix of straw bale, igloo and hayloft accommodations. Guests can choose between a classic hayloft straw bed or a straw castle with cow skins on the floor. They can also choose to stay in a straw igloo with glass panels and clear views of the sky.
5. Chile’s Water-Spewing Volcano Hotel.
In Chile there’s a hotel that looks like something described in a fantasy novel. Montaña Mágica Lodgem, also known as Magic Mountain Lodge is a hotel built on a natural reserve and it looks like a volcano. It sprouts a waterfall instead of lava. If you want to see a real volcano, there’s one you can actually see right from the hotel: The Arenal Volcano.
6. Sun Cruise Hotel.
Cruises can be very dreamy and beautiful and you wish you could stay there longer. Well, at the Sun Cruise Hotel you can stay for as long as you want. It lets you experience all the fun and luxury of a cruise but without getting sea sick. The hotel looks like a ship and it was built on top of a cliff in 2002. You can find it in South Korea.
7. Airplanes turned into hotels.
An entire airplane has been converted into a single luxury suite for two guests. It has a Jacuzzi, a sauna, TVs, blue-ray DVD player, wireless internet, air conditioning and everything else you can think of. The airplane can also be rented as a meeting space. It can accommodate up to 15 persons. The plane is an Ilyushin 18 built in 1960.{found ondailymail and book here}.
In this rainforest resort in Costa Rica you get the chance to stay at a hotel which is actually a 1965 Boeing 727. The airplane was transformed into a two-bedroom suite perched on the edge of the rainforest and overlooking the beach and the ocean. The plane was transported here piece by piece from the San Jose airport.
A Boeing 747 was transformed into a hostel and it can be found in Stockholm. It has rooms for one or three persons. The jet arrived at its current location in 2008. It offers a total of 27 rooms and it even has a bar and a restaurant. The staff is dressed like the airline crew to make the whole experience feel more authentic.
Forts and Castles.
8. Hotel Burg Oberranna.
The Fortress of Oberranna was built in the 12th century and now the castle has been restored and converted into a luxury hotel. The hotel can be found in the Wachau Valley in austria. Guests can explore the surrounding on foot or horseback like in the old days. The area is a world heritage site filled with monasteries and churches.
9. Chateau de Bagnols.
Chateau de Bagnols is located in France, in a tiny village. It’s a historic building with towers and turrets and it even has a moat. The castle is now a hotel. It has an old area and a new area and they’re decorated in the 13th and 15th century styles. The suites have marble bathrooms, antique four-poster beds and the whole hotel is unique.
10. Spitbank Fort Sea Hotel.
This is the Spitbank Fort Sea Hotel. It’s one of three 3 forts which were built off the Victorian Coast in the 1700s. This one was renovated and transformed into a luxury boutique hotel. It offers a series of Commodore Rooms, Admiral Suite and a Crow’s Nest. There’s also the possibility of renting the whole fort for events such as weddings.
11. Fort Leicester.
Fort Leicester is located in the British Channel and it’s now a hotel. It was named after the first Earl of Leicester. It has 6 ft thick walls and a luxurious interior. The suites feature Egyptian cotton sheets and gold cutlery and the views are amazing. The high terrace is the perfect place for star gazing and for barbeques.{found on site}.
12. La Crete Fort.
La Crete Fort was built in the 19th century to prevent Napoleon from invading England. Today, the fort is a luxury hotel set on top of a cliff and with panoramic views over the ocean and the surrounding islands and archipelagos. The interior design is a mix of old and new with an emphasis on the historic part of the design.{found on site}.
13. Caravan hotels.
In Cornwell, England you can find a selection of traditional caravans and cabins. Guests can stay in a converted 1940s railway wagon or in a cabin. This particular one is a large cabin resembling a gypsy caravan and it’s all made of polished wood. There’s also a 1930s steam-roller cabin featuring a cozy interior.{found on site}.
14. Converted Radio Tower.
La Corbiere Radio Tower is located in Jersey in the English Channel. It was originally a German observation tower built during World War II. Its gray exterior was for camouflage and it has been preserved as such. The tower is now a holiday accommodation maintained by a local heritage organization.
Underground hotels.
15. Sala Silvermine.
Sala Silvermine is one of the best preserved mine settings in the world and also where this unusual hotel can be found. The hotel suite is situated 509 ft below the ground. The hotel is unaccompanied by a dining area, a museum, a theater and all sorts of other spaces. The décor is unique and very interesting. The hotel is located in Sweden
16. Null Stern.
The Null Stern is a concept hotel which, in 2010, was transformed into a museum. It’s located in the Swiss nuclear bunker.It has two-foot thick blast-proof walls and doors and a butler used to take care off the guests’ needs. Currently, Null Stern is a museum only but there are plans for similar projects.{found on site}.
17. Utter Inn Underwater Hotel.
The Utter Inn is one of the most beautiful and most unusual hotels in the world. The underwater hotel by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg takes you in a fantasy world with fish swimming past your window. The above-water entrance looks like a traditional Swedish house but it’s in the middle of a lake. It’s a very peaceful and quiet hotel, wonderful if you wish to relax.
Ice Hotels.
18. Iglu Dorf.
Located in Engelberg, Switzerland, this igloo hotel was built using 3000 tons of snow from locations around Switzerland and Andorra. It offers a variety of rooms made from ice and snow. The romantic rooms feature ice-carved tablets and mood lighting. The guests use sleeping bags to keep them warm. The hotel has a sauna and an open-air whirlpool.{found on site}.
19. Romania Ice Hotel.
Another unique ice hotel can be found in Romania. This one is not just a collection of igloos but an actual hotel built out of ice. Everything inside is made of ice, even the beds. They has multiple mattresses and reindeer fur so they won’t feel cold at all. There’s also a table made of ice in a dining room also made of ice. The hotel can be accessed by cable-car only.{found on pintravel}.
Tent Hotels.
20. Cottar’s 1920 Tent.
In Kenya you can experience wonderful adventures and you get to stay at a hotel that’s actually a tent. The 1920s tent is situated in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, in a remote and beautiful part with wonderful views and where you can still catch a glimpse at the untouched nature. Safari guides take you on trips and you get to see elephants, lions and more.{found on site}.
21. Richard’s Camp.
Also in Kenya there’s another great place you can visit. This is Richard’s Camp, a collection of luxurious tents powered by solar electricity. Located in the secluded woodland, the tents let you admire the surroundings and enjoy dinner under the stars. Guides then take you to see the hippo baths and explore the area.
Treehouse Hotels
22. Cedar Creek Hotel.
The Cedar Creek Treehouse hotel is situated 50 feet from the ground and it has two floors. It’s built around a 200 year old cedar tree which runs through the middle of the house and creates a secure structure. The top floor is the sleeping area and it has a balcony with views of the mountains.The hotel is powered by solar energy.{found on site}.
23. Tree Houses Alicourts.
The Tree Houses Alicourts is a hotel located in France. It’s a series of tree houses with bridges to connect them. They have no running water or electricity so if you decide to stay here then you should be ready to live like in the old days. The treehouses are part of a resort which include a spa, swimming lake and indoor pool complex.
24. Nature Observatorio Manzanillo.
The Nature Observatorio Manzanillo is located in Costa Rica and it’s basically a two-floor room and observation deck suspended from a tree using nylon ropes. The whole thing was built without using any screws and nails. It uses rainfall water and electricity is provided by solar panels. Situated deep in the jungle, you have to park the car on the road and then hike here.{found on site}.
Prisons transformed into hotels.
25. Karosta Prison.
The Karosta Prison is located in Liepaja, Latvia. It can be visited and, if you’re brave enough, you can even spend the night here. You get to sleep in the cells and find out more about the prison by joining tours. This unusual hotel also has special packages for weddings so if you want something unusual you should check out this place.{found onsite}.
26. Historic Jail Transformed into a Luxurious Modern Hotel.
The Het Arresthuis hotel also used to be a prison but now it’s a lavish hotel. Here you won;t be sleeping in cells like prisoners but in luxurious rooms. The hotel also has 7 suites with names such as The Jailer, The Lawyer or The Judge. The courtyard was transformed into an outdoor cafe.
