Creature Comforts
When you think of a hotel room, you probably think of a vanilla, national chain twin with a loud extractor fan and pictures of flowers on the wall. That’s the standard, but hotel rooms get far, far more exciting than that. Ever fancied a ten pin bowling alley in your room? How about spending the night in a giant dog-shaped building? Very far from vanilla. Whether it’s down to their looks, their price tags, or their outright awesomeness, these are some of the craziest hotel rooms in the world!
30. Hằng Nga Guesthouse, Vietnam
The Hang Nga Crazy House in Da Lat is a fusion of vibrant colors, warped architecture, and wacky design. It’s difficult to explain in words but imagine Alice in Wonderland meets LSD. The guesthouse has several uniquely themed rooms, like the Termite room and Kangaroo room, found at the end of warren-like corridors and trippy stairwells.
29. Clink Hostel, London
The Clink 78 Hostel in London’s central King’s Cross offers guests the chance to sleep in a prison cell within an old courthouse! The original police custody features are still in place and are even on the English heritage list.
Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). on Wikimedia
28. Dog Bark Park Inn, Idaho
This hotel definitely checks the crazy-looking box.. It offers visitors the chance to sleep inside the world’s biggest beagle! Yes, like the dog. The hotel, created and run by a pair of chainsaw artists (of course), sleeps four during the lodging season, which runs from April 1st - October 31st.
Frances Conklin. Photo was taken by Frances Conklin on Wikimedia
27. Crane Hotel Faralda, Amsterdam
Instead of sleeping in the world’s biggest beagle, in Amsterdam you can actually sleep in a crane. Crane Hotel Faralda has three luxurious suites with amazing views of the River IJ and is just minutes from the city centre. The hotel is a hotspot for international DJs and fashion brands. Seems like an odd choice to me, but maybe you’re brave enough to check it out.
26. The Boot, Tasman
Remember the nursery rhyme about the old woman who lived in a shoe? Well, this hotel lets you live it out in real life (you don’t have to be an old woman though). As the name suggests, it’s a hotel shaped like a boot. A lounge and fireplace are downstairs and a there is a small but cute bedroom on the second floor.
25. Capsule Hotel, Japan
Ok, this one is more of a concept in general rather than a specific hotel room. Since the late 70’s, capsule hotels have popped up all over Japan, offering guests (traditionally businessmen) somewhere to rest their heads and wash. The capsules themselves are rather claustrophobic and resemble morgue gurneys but are definitely an experience.
24. Montana Magica Lodge, Chile
Where to begin with this one? The Montana Magica Lodge looks like an enormous termite hill crossed with an over-enthusiastic hobbit home. Located within the Huilo Natural Reserve, this hotel is only accessible via a rope bridge. A steady stream of water runs from the top of the man-made structure to the bottom, watering the fantastic foliage on the exterior as it goes.
23. Das Pak Hotel, Austria
If you’ve ever wanted to spend the night in a renovated concrete sewage pipe (who hasn’t) then you need to spend a night at Austria’s Das Pak Hotel. There are five ‘rooms’ at Das Pak and it is situated close to the Danube River. Don’t worry, the pipes have been cleaned.
Hasmik Ghazaryan Olson on Unsplash
22. The Turret at The Witchery by the Castle
Not one of the nine suites at Edinburgh’s The Witchery by the Castle would look out of place as the luxurious yet slightly seedy setting of a steamy scene in Game of Thrones. With tapestries lining the walls and antiques providing the finishing touches, the rooms are decadent, extravagant, and a little bit bonkers. The Turret suite is the newest addition and allows for some brilliant views out across the city.
21. VIP Suite in Palacio de Sal, Bolivia
Smack bang in the middle of Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flats in the world, lies the Palacio de Sal hotel. In keeping with the landscape around it, the hotel is made entirely from pure salt. Including the walls, the tables, the chairs and even the beds. The VIP suite offers the best views of the flats, however there’s a strict no licking the walls rule.
20. Hotel Casanus, Belgium
This is probably the strangest hotel on the list, and that’s saying something. Hotel Casanus, located in the Verbeke Foundation Art Park near Antwerp, offers guests the chance to spend the night inside an enormous sculpture of a human colon. Oh, don’t fret, the sphincter is included too.
19. Glass Igloos at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland
I think this might be the most romantic thing in the world: lying in bed with a loved one watching the incredible northern lights swirl amongst the stars. This is a possibility in the famous glass igloos at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort. They are available throughout the northern lights season, which runs from 24th August to the end of April.
18. V8 Hotel, Germany
As the name suggests, the V8 Hotel is one for the motorheads. Housed in a former state airport, the hotel has 34 rooms, all themed around the world of motorcars and racing. For reference, the V12 Mercedes Suite is spread over four floors and offers panoramic views of the surrounding area.
© Ra Boe / Wikipedia on Wikimedia
17. The Kingpin Suite at the Palms Resort, Las Vegas
Vegas is renowned for over the top showmanship, and that sentiment is pretty much summed up by the Kingpin Suite at Palms Resort. The suite has two full bowling alleys, a pool table, theatre sized television screen, bar, and private butler service. What more could you possibly want?
Photos by flipchip / LasVegasVegas.com on Wikimedia
16. The Hardwood Suite at the Palms Resort, Las Vegas
This whole list could be comprised solely of rooms at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas. For the sake of variety I’ll make this the last one, and man is it baller. Literally. The Hardwood Suite boasts an indoor basketball court and full-size locker room in addition to the living room, dining room, and bedrooms. Just remember, yelling Kobe as you take a shot improves accuracy by 30%.
15. The Lighthouse at No Man’s Fort, Portsmouth
To be fair, every room on this island fortress out in the Solent is pretty cool. However, the Lighthouse suite (yep you guessed it, it’s in a lighthouse) is perhaps the most unique. The hotel can only be reached by ferry, so make sure you have your sea legs.
14. Underwater Suite at the Conrad Maldives
It might not be fully completed until the end of 2018, but boy is it going to be cool! The luxury Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort, which already has an underwater restaurant, is spending $15 million on an underwater suite. Imagine spending the night in an enormous, extremely luxurious aquarium! The suite will be fitted with a gym, kitchen, and dining deck, boasting impressive views as well as the usual amenities.
13. Giraffe Manor, Nairobi
If a resident herd of giraffes roaming around the grounds doesn’t make a hotel cool then nothing does! The elegant building housing the boutique Giraffe Manor hotel is pretty impressive in itself with its 12 acres of private land and elegantly decorated rooms. But come on, feeding a giraffe from the breakfast table is the big draw here!
12. Bivacco Gervasutti, Mont Blanc
Talk about exclusive! The Bivacco Gervasutti hotel, named after the famous alpine climber, is only accessible to those who successfully climb Val Ferret. The futuristic looking capsule hotel sleeps 12 people and is lodged a dizzying 9,300 feet above sea level on the Frebouze Glacier.
11. Icehotel, Sweden
The Icehotel is pretty well known now, but it still deserves to make the list. It’s a hotel made from ice! The cold rooms in the hotel hover between -5 and -8 degrees Celsius, so make sure to bring some warm pajamas!
10. Costa Verde, Costa Rica
The Costa Verde hotel offers guests a choice of 70 rooms nestled high in the jungle canopy. All of them come with breathtaking views of the Manuel Antonio National Park and the Pacific Ocean. If you’re wondering which room got the Costa Verde on the list that would be the 727 fuselage home. It’s a two bedroom located in a fully refurbished 1965 Boeing 727 airplane!
9. The Cockpit Suite at Jumbo Stay, Sweden
Not to be outdone by Costa Verde, Jumbo Stay offers a multitude of rooms inside a full sized former jumbo jet at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport. The cockpit suite allows guests to sleep up front with panoramic views of the airport.
8. The Penthouse in Four Seasons George V, Paris
Although the palatial suite is suitably extravagant (which it ought to be given the price) the real draw of this room is the view. From the private terrace, guests can enjoy sights of the Eiffel Tower, the American Cathedral, and the Pantheon amongst other famous Parisian landmarks.
7. Royal Two Bedroom Suite at The Burj Al-Arab Jumeirah, Dubai
Dubai is renowned as an up and coming playground for the mega-rich, and this extravagant hotel room encapsulates that perfectly. The pink and purple color scheme and princess-style canopy bed look like a young girl’s dream house, and the suite also includes a cinema room, Jacuzzis, and 14 types of pillow to choose from. Lastly, if there’s anything you may want the world’s biggest ‘brigade’ of butlers are on hand to see to your needs.
6. The Penthouse Suite at The Hôtel Martinez Cannes by Hyatt, Cannes
Cannes is famous for the Cannes Film Festival, and you can bet that the biggest Hollywood stars have checked into this luxurious room for the duration. The highlight of the seventh-floor exclusive suite is the private terrace, which affords stunning views of the Côte d’Azur.
Alexis AMZ DA CRUZ on Unsplash
5. The Shahi Mahal Presidential Suite at The Raj Palace Hotel, India
When a hotel is housed in an ancient royal castle that has been restored you know that the rooms aren’t going to be cheap. To be fair, the Shahi Mahal Presidential Suite is suitably regal enough to justify the price tag (almost). The suite is finished in gold leaf, ivory, and silver, and boasts crystal chandeliers. It even has a private museum if that’s your kind of thing.
4. The Ty Warner Penthouse at The Four Seasons Hotel, New York City
The Ty Warner Penthouse perches right at the top of the 52 story Four Seasons Hotel. From that height guests can look out across the sprawl of Manhattan in style, from four cantilevered glass balconies. With just one bedroom, this suite is a little smaller than some of the other luxury rooms on this list, but the private spa can be converted into a second room upon request.
3. The Penthouse Suite at The Mark Hotel, New York City
How’s this for a central New York perk? The Penthouse Suite at The Mark Hotel, which was ranked #1 in The World’s 100 Best City Hotels by Swiss magazine Bilanz. It provides guests with their own 2,500 square foot rooftop terrace and some of the best views of Central Park money can buy. If the weather isn’t good for chilling on the terrace, guests can entertain themselves inside the two-floor suite which boasts five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a conservatory, two wet bars, and a library.
2. Royal Penthouse Suite at the Hotel President Wilson, Geneva
The Royal Penthouse Suite is the largest hotel suite in Europe covering 1680 square metres over the entire top floor of the Hotel President Wilson. The wrap-around terrace affords guests unrivalled panoramic views of mountain-lined Lake Geneva and there is even a telescope installed for a touch of star gazing. The incredibly luxurious suite is fitted out with a fitness room, billiards table, lake facing jacuzzi, bulletproof glass, and just twelve marble bathrooms. Oh how the other half lives…
1. Ville de Comte Suite in The 13, Macau
This casino and hotel is reportedly the most expensive ever built, and the price tag of its’ rooms pays testament to that. The Ville de Comte suite looks like something straight out of Tony Montana’s (Scarface) mansion with stained glass windows, chrome furniture, and a Roman bath big enough for you and seven of your mates. Oh, and you can borrow the Rolls Royce Phantom whenever you fancy it, too.
