We usually find cheap hotels used only to get some sleep and store our luggage. But there are some exciting hotels being worthy of a bit more money and time.
#1: JumboStay Hotel, Arlanda
Ever complained about small leg room on flights and trouble sleeping? In Sweden they rebuilt a jumbo jet into a hotel, where the most exclusive room of course is the cockpit.
A cockpit room can be booked from around 200 EUR per night, but simpler, shared, rooms can be booked from 48 EUR per night.
#2: Four Seasons, Bora Bora
Okay, no list of exiting hotels is complete without Four Seasons on Bora Bora. Most have probably heard of this hotel before, but for those of you that haven’t: Bora Bora is an island paradise in the Pacific Ocean. Four Seasons, usually making hotels of a very high standard, built amazing huts in the water on the beach of the island.
If you have a fair amount of money and a need to spend it fast, look no further. Four Seasons offers an around the world trip where they take you from place to place in a custom made Four Seasons airplane (Boeing 737 rebuild, to first/business class only), and when arriving at a new destination, you are of course checked in to one of their hotels. Keeping in mind that Bora Bora is in the middle of nowhere, the around the world trip simplifies the job of getting there. Price? If you have to ask, you probably cannot afford it …
#3: Propeller Island City Lodge, Berlin
What happens when you combine a far from ordinary artist with hotel design? A picture says more than a thousand words. Take a look at those pictures here.
Each room should probably have a separate number on the list here … There are rooms where the bed appears to be levitating, a room full of mirrors, and one where you sleep in coffins instead of beds. Both visual design and designated music for the rooms is made by the same artist, and the result is special to say the least. With a price tag between 69 and 190 EUR per night, depending on which room you choose, this hotel/art exhibit is an experience that can be gained without ruining your budget.
#4: Yotel, New York City
Yotel is a modern hotel on Manhattan in New York with branches in London, Paris and Amsterdam. In this hotel, everything is “yo” such as doYo, studiYo and Yo notes, so of course there is a robot called Yobot to take care of your luggage. The rooms are very space-efficient and inspired by space shuttles. We visited this hotel in 2014 and were very fond of the experience.
#5: Icehotel, Northern Sweden
There is a hotel located in Northern Sweden made out of ice. Here you may sleep in an ice room on a bed made out of … yes, ice. If you wish to visit this special hotel, but prefer slightly warmer surroundings, they offer non-ice rooms as well. An additional bonus of visiting this hotel is the possibility to see Aurora Borealis, also known as northern lights. Icehotel’s webpage contains information about how to dress and how to prepare to spend the night in this rather special place.
In addition to Icehotel, other hotels offer the same concept; among others Kirkenes Snow Hotel and Kakslauttanen in Finland. On Wikipedia you can find a list of similar hotels.
#6: Faralda Crane Hotel, Amsterdam
Cranes are also on the list of things rebuilt to hotels; in Amsterdam you can spend the night in one. Take a look at the video below for an introduction to this hotel.
#7: Atlantis, Dubai/Nassau
Like Four Seasons in Bora Bora, Atlantis is a paradise built within a paradise. Inspired by the myths of Atlantis, they first built a hotel in Nassau, Bahamas. To add to the luxury, the hotel offers vast areas with aquariums, diving with fish and even a waterslide passing through an aquarium filled with sharks! If you have the money for it, a room with “aquarium view” can be booked. Why have an ocean view above the ocean when you can have one below?
We have previously visited the hotels in both Nassau and Dubai, but never spent the night. As a daytime tourist you get access to the area, some of the facilities and the possibility of a guided tour through the aquarium. In Dubai the hotel is located at the very end of the Palm, making it even more exiting to visit.
#8: Dog Bark Park Inn, Idaho
Idaho is probably not the most visited place in the US, but if you’re there, why not stay in a hotel shaped like a dog?
#9: Treehotel, Northern Sweden
Much like Propeller Island City Lodge, Treehotel in Northern Sweden is a collection of very special rooms. The common denominator here is that all rooms are suspended above ground. Want to check in to a cube with mirrors on the outside, or a UFO?
#10: Jules’ Undersea Lodge, Florida
How awesome would it be to live under water? Jules’ Undersea Lodge nearby Key West in Florida have rebuilt an old research laboratory into an underwater hotel room. For the somewhat scary price of 800 USD per night, two people can enjoy the view below the surface.
