Nights to Remember - Unusual Hotels

August 22, 2006 12:19 AM

If you've ever felt that yet another vacation in other beachfront paradise would be a waste of your precious leisure time, the Unusual Hotels of the World website is for you. From Treehouse Hotels to mountain Inns carved directly into (out of?) the rock face to Ice Hotels to Undersea lodgings, there's no shortage of vacation spots worldwide that you'll remember far longer than the traditional spa/swim up bar combo.
posted by jonson (12 comments total)

Neato. I didn't realize there were so many ice motels.. I've seen them in movies but always thought they weren't really viable. I guess they must have an underlying structure with an ice coating.

Also, I would gladly sleep in a 2-story beagle.
posted by cj_ at 12:53 AM on August 22, 2006

I think some of the pictures labelled "Ice Hotel Sweden" are actually pictures of l'Hôtel de Glace Québec-Canada near Québec city.
posted by SSinVan at 1:34 AM on August 22, 2006

Dog Bark Park Inn: the worlds largest Beagle, offering unique accommodation inside its 2 story body.
posted by patricio at 4:52 AM on August 22, 2006

Good stuff but not sure about the self-described 'comprehensive'. I'd add 3 hotels in Sri Lanka: a step back in time at the Bandarawela Hotel, the Kandalama Hotel is a gigantic place cut into a rock -- rooms facing the tank (reservoir) have massive spa baths & showers in the window; and a converted tea factory, bizarrely called The Tea Factory.

I've stayed at the first two and I'd go back to the Kandalama in a flash as it's probably the best hotel I've stayed in.
posted by i_cola at 5:22 AM on August 22, 2006

Very cool link! I'd heard about the ice hotels, of course, but some of the other ones have neat themes and I'd never know about them but for this site. Thanks jonson!
posted by Zinger at 6:18 AM on August 22, 2006

Yes, i_cola. I'd add at least two more beautiful cave hotels in Turkey: Esbelli Evi in Ürgüp and... hm. I guess I don't have the name of the place in Nevsehir. I had a single room in Esbelli, simple and quiet. And in the other place I had a double with my wife and it was fanciest cave I've ever been in.
posted by booth at 7:20 AM on August 22, 2006

i_cola & booth - thanks for the great recommendations!
posted by jonson at 7:38 AM on August 22, 2006

As an Edmonton resident, I apologize for this.
posted by hangashore at 8:07 AM on August 22, 2006

As an Edmonton resident, I apologize for this.
posted by hangashore

Truck
Hit the sack in the back of a pick-up with the truck room. The queen size bed is placed in the box of an actual pick-up truck. The room is also decorated with an antique gas pump and traffic lights.

Raise your hand if you haven't wakened up in some version of this.
posted by leftcoastbob at 9:12 AM on August 22, 2006

hangashore: No need to apologize. There may be regional variations, but weird is universal.

They also make a nice brunch on sundays.
posted by zeypher at 10:41 AM on August 22, 2006

Wow, I had no idea there were so many unusual hotels! Great link. I will be adding some of these places to my "Must Visit" list.
posted by geeky at 11:02 AM on August 22, 2006

Wow, that is one Eurocentric website, with locations like "Parthenon, U.S.A." (Airport: Springfield). Gee, we did not learn about that state in 4th grade geography.
posted by Scram at 10:06 AM on August 23, 2006