Its that time of year were drizzly weather and falling temperatures make us dream of a holiday. And where better to escape reality than to go a wacky hotel; whether it be a Boeing 727 in the jungle, glass bubbles under the northern lights, an Indian Palace in the middle of a lake or a Latvian prison camp. Take a look at the most unusual hotels in the World.
Costa Verde, Quepos Costa Rica
A hotel within a Boeing 727
Like a scene from the TV show Lost, the Costa Verde hotel has a two bedroom suite housed within a 1965 Boeing 727 jet that has seemingly crash landed in the jungle. The plane juts out over the jungle canopy by 15m to give its occupants the feeling they are flying when inside their quarters; albeit flying with the sound of Toucan’s and Monkeys from the on-board balcony. Let’s just hope there are no snakes on this plane.
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Karslautten Hotel, Finland
A glass dome hotel under the Northern Lights
Nestled in the wilderness near Finland’s Urho Kekkonen National Park, the Karslautten hotel is made up of over 20 glass domed igloos - allowing each guest to watch the mesmerising Northern Lights from their very own beds. Every igloo has its own ensuite, king/twin beds, endless views of the night sky and, thankfully, is well insulated from the minus 22 degree temperature outside.
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The Caves Resort, Jamaica
A stunning resort with a unique dining proposition
Poised upon 9 miles of honey coloured limestone cliffs on Jamaica’s west coast the Caves resort is paradise. This however is not what sets the hotel apart; that would be the numerous caves that dot its coastline. One of these natural caves houses the resorts seductive private dining restaurant where guests can enjoy an astonishing candlelit dinner.
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Magic Mountain Lodge, Chilie
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Like its name suggests, the Magic Mountain really is a wacky fantasy come to life. The rooms are burrowed inside a conical granite tower that appears to have come from a children’s cartoon. The tower spews water from its pinnacle that cascades down the guest room windows, only adding to the bizarreness. Originally built as a place for friends of the owner to stay while they enjoyed the hunting and fishing trips in the stunning Patagonia region, thankfully the resort is now open to all.
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Sala Silvermine, Sweden
Sleep 155m underground
Sala Silvermine is a Mecca amongst mines, being one of the oldest and best preserved mines from the 19th century. Nowadays it lays claim to hosting the world’s deepest bedroom, 155m below the surface. The corridors maybe damp, cold and dark, but the winding galleries, vast caverns and mystical underwater lakes will win over any guest looking for an experience.
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Tree Hotel, Sweden
The Invisible hotel
A quite remarkable hotel, designed with one simple concept…….to be invisible. Located within a hardwood forest in Idyllic Northern Sweden, the developers wanted to make the hotel blend in with its surroundings and be at one with the forest. A feat which they have thoroughly achieved; One of the suites of the hotel is a floating cube high in the forest, with reflective glass on all 6 faces. In total there are six absolutely unique tree houses for guests to enjoy.
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Fairy Chimney Hotel, Turkey
Fairytale hotel built within fairy chimneys
Another enchanting hotel, the Fairy Chimney Hotel in Turkeys Unesco heritage site Cappadocia blows guests away with its amazing natural architecture. Large parts of the hotel are carved out of the areas famous tufa rock cones amongst soaring buttes, sudden caves and sweeping arches. The setting is like to a movie set in the Stone Age, which the hotel brings up to modern standards with luxuries such as underfloor and Hamman style bathrooms.
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Karosta Prison Hotel, Latvia
Soviet Prison/Hotel?
Originally constructed in 1906 as military hospital at the base of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, the dilapidated building actually spent most of the last century as a Nazi and Soviet Prison. Many Latvian deserters where sent to the camp for solitary confinement and/or eventual death. Today, despite years of being obsolete, the prison has reopened (and rebranded?) as a boutique hotel where courageous tourists can enrol for an authentic jail experience. On arrival visitors can either ask for the full Karosta experience – including a prisoner garb, interrogation, harassment and being locked into a cold dank dark prison cell for the night.
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Free Spirit Spheres, Canada
Eye balls in the forest
About as unusual as it gets, the Free Spirit spheres, located deep within a Vancouver Island forest, are eye ball like structures suspended from the trees by nothing but guide ropes. Each one is beautifully handcrafted with natural wood joinery and brass trims. One discerning travel remarked "...At night it felt like as though we were adrift in a sea of trees and stars."
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V8 Hotel, Böblingen, Germany
A petrol heads dream
A remarkable hotel, based on a simple concept; cars. Each of the 34 rooms are individually themed after a classic car. The cars, including vintage Mercedes models, are reengineered in to bed frames in a room that takes the shape of either a car wash, petrol station or mechanics workshop. Situated in a former Zeppelin base, the hotel is well located for tours of the nearby Mercedes or Porsche factories.
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Featherbed Railroad, California, US
Sleeper cabins that go nowhere
Not quite first class, but this B&B offers all its guests club class tickets to a unique experience. All its suites are located in nine antique railroad cabooses, each one individually decorated to echo the railroads past former glory. The most notably of which is the Easy Rider caboose, with its on board Jacuzzi and Harley Davidson memorabilia.
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Prendiparte B&B, Bologna, Italy
Be Rapunzel for the night in a Medieval tower
Bologna’s medieval centre is littered with high rise towers from the period, each one built taller than the previous one to reflect that particular owner’s wealth. One of the tallest is the 60 meter high Torre Prendiparte which now days can be exclusively booked as a hotel room. Inside there is a living area, snug, bedroom, and kitchen and not to forget a spellbinding roof terrace.
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Mihir Garh, Rajasthan
A fort deep within the desert
Mihir Garh literally translates to ‘The Fort of the Sun’, and the resort lives up to this name. Sitting in splendid isolation like a mirage deep within the Thar Desert, the resort is a recently built, traditionally styled fort operated by super the luxury Relais Chateaux hotel chain. Everything within in the fort is completely bespoke and unique, from the cow dung fire places to the tapestry carpets that line the walls.
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Quinta Real Zacatecas, Mexico
A hotel built within a 17th century bull ring
The Hotel Quinta Real Zacatecas is a luxury conversion of the 17th Century San Pedro bullring into an all-suite hotel. The uniquely circular colonial architecture is married to modern interior design, creating a magnificent juxtaposition. Many of the rooms overlook the hotels beautiful piazza, the others? They overlook the town’s ancient aqueduct.
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Palacio del Sal Hotel, Bolivia
A hotel built from nothing but salt
Set 3,650m above sea level on the mirage inducing Bolivian salt flats, the Palacio de Sal is entirely constructed out of salt; yes the walls, floors, beds, chairs and even the hotels spa are made entirely of white rock salt. In addition to its unique construction the high altitude and dry climate makes the hotel ideal for stargazing and watching amazing sunset colours beam off the salt flats.
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Spit Bank Fort, Hampshire UK
An exclusively hired Gun Turret in the middle of a bay
Originally built to protect the UK navy from unwelcome visitors, this brutal concrete gun placement now welcomes those seeking a luxury stay. Isolated in the middle of the Southampton Solent the resort is about as exclusive as you can get. It features 8 bedroom suites, a Laurent Perrier champagne bar, wine cellar and games room in the accommodation quarters alone. Then you get to the observation deck where you can expect to find a fire pit, heated pool, sauna and restored lighthouse to help navigate your guests as they arrive at the private mooring station.
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Taj Lake Palace in Rajasthan, India
A marble palace built within a lake
"A real-life jewel in Lake Pichola" is how the Taj Lake Palace is described, and accurately too - the eighteenth-century palace is literally located within a lake, only to be reached by boat. Unless you are James Bond that is. During the filming of Octopussy he dressed up as a crocodile and swam to the palace, which was used as Octopussy’s lair. Inside, the palace is one of the most ornate on the planet with its sweeping corridors opening up to idyllic courtyards. The rooms are equally as impressive with gold gildings, painted motifs, mosaics, silk bolsters and stained glass.
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Giraffe Manor – Nairobi, Kenya
Have breakfast with Giraffes!
On the face of it the Giraffe Manor a colonial country house on the outskirts of Nairobi is lovely if not completely remarkable. However wait until breakfast time, when the Manors resident giraffes are encouraged to feed with guests of the resort through specially designed windows. Guests can feed them right at the table, take photos or even have a cheeky kiss.
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Poseidon Undersea Resort (Fiji)
Sleep Underwater and spend hours finding Nemo
Still under construction but nevertheless we feel that the Poseidon Resort deserves a place on this list. Set in a lagoon located just off a private Fiji island, the luxury resort will house 25 underwater suites within acrylic bubbles forty feet under the sea. Once finished, guests will be able to lie in their Egyptian cotton beds whilst gazing at tropical fish and blossoming coral life. Wow. Not to mention the underwater restaurant, bar, gym, and even a wedding chapel.
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