Also check out 10 of the world's most unusual places to spend the night!
Wouldn't it be fun to stay the night in a cave, a castle, a lighthouse or a wigwam? How about a concrete pipe? Or a bullfighting ring? Or a dog?! Underground, above ground, and underwater, here are more of the quirkiest hotels in the world!
1. Hôtel de Glace
Quebec, Canada
Staying in the Ice Hotel is a bit like sleeping in a 5-star igloo, so don't forget your parka and long johns! This breathtaking "icetablishment" is open from January to April and features an ice chapel, theme suites, an ice bar, and an art gallery — with ice sculptures, of course. Activities include cross-country skiing, ice fishing, archery, snowmobiling, snow tubing and even dogsled driving. Have an ice stay!
(image credit: Allen's VISION)
(image credit: melolou)
2. Malmaison Oxford Castle
England, U.K.
(image credit: Rose Davies)
(image credit: cw_anderson)
Once a prison, Malmaison is now a hotel where guests are sentenced to luxury. The staff canteen is built in the old hanging pit and A Wing has its own bona fide lady ghost. The old exercise yard is a modern gym and the visitors' room is a dimly lit nightclub with high-backed baronial chairs and a sexy, black pool table. A restaurant occupies the vaulted dungeons. Stay here and you won't be very eager to escape.
3. Imperial Boat House
Ko Samui, Thailand
(image credit: Starbuck Powersurge)
(image credit: Starbuck Powersurge)
With 34 authentic teakwood rice barges converted into land-locked luxury suites, the Imperial Boat House on the beach is guaranteed smooth sailing to nautical nirvana. The beach-front, boat-shaped pool even features cannons — no doubt to keep the pirates at bay. ;o)
4. Fantasyland Hotel & Resort
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
(via: Unusual Hotels of the World)
(via: Unusual Hotels of the World)
With over-the-top fixtures and themed rooms, the Fantasyland Hotel and Resort is a shock to the senses. Great for families to visit even in the winter, it boasts a 217,800 square-foot indoor water park, an indoor ice rink, indoor golf and an indoor roller coaster ride.
5. Wigwam Motel
Holbrook, Arizona
(image credit: Umpqua)
(image credit: marj k)
Operating along the historic U.S. Route 66, the wigwams are actually teepee-style cement tents. A throwback to the 50s with classic cars parked outside, an old railroad nearby and vintage accommodations inside the teepees, the Wigwam Motel is a great stop for travelers looking to step back to simpler times.
6. Yunak Evleri
Urgup, Turkey
(via: cappadocia.travel)
(via: cappadocia.travel)
Carved out of a stunning mountain-side cliff, the honeycombed Yunak Evleri Cave Hotel includes six cave houses with rooms connected by narrow maze-like passageways and stone stairways. Decorated in Ottoman style, Yunek Evleri provides private patios offering dramatic views of the Turkish Mesa.
7. Quinta Real Zacatecas
Zacatecas, Mexico
(image credit: Lucy Nieto)
(image credit: Lucy Nieto)
This hotel is buuilt around a 17th century bullfighting ring! It's no longer operational, though, so leave the red cape at home. The Quinta Real Zacatecas incorporates the feel of "Old Mexico," with its colonial architecture. Beautifully illuminated at night, the hotel also faces the city's ancient arched aqueduct and the local village's quaint shops complete the unique experience.
8. Madonna Inn
San Luis Obispo, California
(image credit: Omar Omar)
(image credit: Omar Omar)
(image credit: emdot)
Barbie would be very comfortable in the garish, chaltet-style Madonna Inn where nearly everything, it seems, is pink. Each room in the Madonna Inn is uniquely designed and themed and there is a rock waterfall urinal in the men's room (some tourists visit just to see the fabled bathroom!).
9. Dog Bark Park Inn
Cottonwood, Idaho
(via: Ohio Barns)
(via: Dog Bark Park Inn)
Ruff it! This not so-subtly named property is a humongous dog-shaped building that features a completely dog-themed interior. You'll get better than dog food at the Dog Bark Park Inn, however, as well as beautiful views of the mountains and farmlands. Additional canine touches include dog-shaped cookies placed on the pillows.
10. McMenamin's Kennedy School
Portland, Oregon
(image credit: allaboutgeorge)
(image credit: meganificent)
You're never too cool for school at Kennedy, as the authentic classroom feel of a converted school house offers guests a trip down memory lane. Terrific accommodations, including blackboards in the rooms, a movie theater and a soaking pool in the former teacher's lounge put this quirky hotel on the honor roll.
11. King Pacific Lodge
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
(image credit: DreamEchos-back in the Drivers Seat)
(image via: King Pacific Lodge)
Only reachable by seaplane, the King Pacific Lodge features five-star accommodations on a floating barge. The all-inclusive lodge provides remarkable food, spectacular views, an amazing spa, a number of outstanding outdoor activities, including whale-watching, hiking, kayaking and salmon fishing, and unparalleled serenity (all for a mere $6,500 a night!).
12. The Canopy Treehouses
Tarzali, Queensland, Australia
(image via: The Canopy Treehouses)
(image via: The Canopy Treehouses)
Set high on stilts among the canopy of a rain forest, the Canopy Treehouses offer an authentic nature experience complete with spectacular views and peaceful seclusion. If you stay here, however, be prepared to share space with wildlife of all kinds, from platypus to possum to parrots. If you like your wildlife wild, you'll love this place!
13. The Witchery by the Castle
Edinburgh, Scotland
(image credit: bflickr)
(image credit: Dwilkinson08)
Part medieval, part gothic and all opulence, The Witchery on Edinburgh's Royal Mile offers an over-the-top experience for its guests. In a historic 15th century building that is only a stone's throw from famous Edinburgh Castle, visitors enjoy an amazing array of antiques — and an amorous ambiance.
14. Das Parkhotel
Ottensheim, Austria
(image via: dasparkhotel)
(image via: dasparkhotel)
What began as a pipe dream for architect Andreas Strauss became a concrete reality in 2005, when he built Das Parkhotel in 9-ton, cement drainage pipes in a public park on the banks of the Danube River at Ottensheim, upriver from the historic city of Linz.
The interiors are spartan chic with Internet access; but toilets, food, and a bar are a walk away. Reserve online and receive an access code via email to open the door upon arrival. The cost? Whatever you feel like paying.
15. Poseidon Undersea Resort
Fiji
(image via: Poseidon Undersea Resort)
(image via: Poseidon Undersea Resort)
The Poseidon Undersea Resort is a $105 million hotel currently being built 40 feet below the coast of Fiji, with 270-degree floodlit views of active coral reefs. The resort will also feature a wedding chapel and spa. The cost? $15,000 a week per double.
16. Lighthouses
Croatia
(image credit: Mllerustad)
(image credit: Marcin Kowalski)
If you are looking for peace in Croatia, famous for its rugged, rocky coastline, consider renting a lighthouse. There are 11 of them available for rent along the Adriatic. All are active, with full-time keepers who can prepare meals for visitors.
17. Underground Motels
Australia
(image credit: Richard Gifford)
(image credit: ronchyto)
Stay underground and enjoy the comfort of quiet and tastefully decorated dugout rooms. Try the Underground Motel in South Australia's Coober Pedy, an opal-mining town, or the White Cliffs Underground Motel in New South Wales where you also eat in an underground dining room.
(sources: TripAdvisor, Frommer's, and Reuters)
Be sure to check out 10 of the world's most unusual places to spend the night!
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10 of the world's most unusual places to spend the night
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