From the fascinating and quirky to the weird and wonderful, here’s our pick of the top most unusual places to stay. Featuring glass igloos, treerooms and an underwater hotel.
Some 50,000 people visit the ICEHOTEL in Sweden each year. Located in the small village of Jukkasjärvi, activities on offer include skiing, husky sledding and northern lights tours. Every winter ice from the Torne River is transformed into the world’s largest hotel which is made only from snow and ice. The ICEHOTEL provides a canvas for artists from the world over with the walls, floors and ceiling providing a blank canvas for their creativity. It was the first ever ICEHOTEL and has been reborn in a different guise for the past 26 years. One day we must stay here, the attention to detail is quite staggering and I’m intrigued to know how well I’d sleep surrounded by ice and furs. Image credit: ICEHOTEL (Paulina Holmgren).
Lying in a glass igloo watching the northern lights amid a starry sky is another one for the bucket list. Each igloo at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finland is designed for two people, it includes a toilet and there’s the option for an additional bed too. Our favoured Kelo-Glass igloos combine the warmth of a cosy log cabin with the views and sleep up to six. How amazing would it be to just lie in your bed and watch the goings on above? The igloos are available from mid August to the end of April. Image credit: Kakslauttan Arctic Resort.
By contrast, Hippo Point in Kenya is an exclusive wildlife conservancy located on an isthmus at an altitude of 6,200 feet. This microclimate has 350 species of bird and 1,200 animals roaming the grounds including hyenas and as you’d expect hippos. It’s a sophisticated African environment where you can enjoy nature and if you’re lucky you might even get to jog with a zebra! Accommodation includes a 1932 British country house where you’ll spot buffalo, giraffe, hippos and gazelles and the 120 foot Dodo’s Folly (pictured) which is rated one of the top wildlife retreats in the world. Image credit: Hippo Point.
In the middle of the Chilean Patagonian Rainforest, under the Andes mountain range, is the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve. It’s a private natural reserve and ecotourism project dedicated to wildlife conservation. It’s home to Huilo Huilo Falls and the rather amazing Magic Mountain Hotel which has a waterfall cascading from the pinnacle of its roof. In addition to this main lodge pictured here, there are secluded forest lodges. Shown above is the Nothufagus Hotel and Spa. Image credit: Magic Mountain Hotel (Christabell Palma).
The Underwater Room at the Manta Resort was devised by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg. After creating the The Utter Inn (Otter Inn) in Lake Mälaren in Västerås near Stockholm, he’s designed a work of art on Pemba Island. It has been separated from the mainland and Zanzibar for decades resulting in a mosaic of forests, hidden beaches and lagoons. The Underwater Room includes a lounge and bathroom on a landing deck at sea level with an area on the roof for star gazing. The bedroom is four meters below sea level and offers 360 degree views of the ocean where you can watch shoals of fish swim by. You can read more about the Underwater Room here. Image credit: Genberg Art UW Ltd (Jesper Anhede).
Similarly, El Cosmico is a community lodging concept conceived by hotelier Liz Lambert who is the creative force behind Austin’s Hotel San José and Hotel Saint Cecilia. Located in 21 acres on the edge of Marfa in Texas, she has created an artistic campground of trailers, yurts, tepees, tents and communal hangouts. Having stayed in a railway carriage in New Zealand, we love the idea of the restored vintage trailers although we’re itching to experience a yurt too. The safari and scout tents, Siouxstyle tepees, yurts and tent campsites at El Cosmico are for those looking for a more rustic experience. The common spaces are dispersed throughout the grounds. Image credit: El Cosmico (Nick Simonite)
Our final offering is The Tree Hotel in Sweden. It provides contemporary accommodation in a magnificent location near the Lule river in Harads. With views of the valley, forest and river you can take a walk and make the most of your surroundings. The ‘treerooms’ accommodation is designed to provide people with the opportunity to experience nature from the tree-tops whilst providing something relaxing yet different. The seven tree rooms are suspended 4-6 metres above the ground and accessible by ramp, bridge or electric stairs. The Cabin (pictured above) is like a capsule, the Bird’s Nest resembles exactly that so you’re camouflaged and the Mirrorcube is a glass hide-out among the trees. Or perhaps you fancy the UFO? Image credit: The Tree Hotel.
I want to go in the underwater room X all looks amazing!