For travellers who love uniqueness and diversity, finding a truly adventure-worthy hotel may seem like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack, but from transparent rooms that hang over the edge of a sheer rocky space overlooking Peru's Sacred Valley to glass igloos in Finland and rooms built around a bullfighting ring in a Mexican metropolis, at least one of these ingenious options is sure to fit the bill.
Credit: naturavive.comNatura Vive Skylodge, Sacred Valley, PeruNatura Vive Skylodge, Sacred Valley, Peru
Natura Vive Skylodge, Sacred Valley, Peru (prices and photos)
Welcome to Natura Vive Skylodge, which offers some of the world's most incredible views from what might be the most terrifying hotel rooms ever built. Adrenaline seekers can sleep in transparent glass cases that cling to one of the highest peaks in Peru's Sacred Valley. If you are brave enough to endure a night, you will enjoy magnificent views through the heart of the Inca Empire, with a package that includes breakfast and a gourmet dinner, complete with wine.
If you think you are brave enough to stay the night, you probably need to know there is a catch. To reach your room, you'll have to climb a 400-foot rock face. Guests can climb using a Via Ferrata or take an intrepid hike through the zip lines. There are three capsule suites to choose from that can accommodate a total of eight. Constructed of aerospace-grade aluminium and weatherproof polycarbonate, each suite has four beds, all with high-quality mattresses and cotton sheets, quilts and down pillows. There is also a dining area and a private bathroom with eco-friendly toilet and sink. If you're worried about curious condors peeping out as they pass by, each one also has privacy curtains.
Credit: US Embassy SwedenTreehotel, Harads, Sweden
Treehotel, Harads, Sweden (prices and photos)
Located in the pine forest near Harads, Sweden, the Treehotel offers six unique 'treerooms'. These are not your usual treehouses, and each offers a very distinct look, such as the realistic Bird's Nest and the witty reflective Mirrorcube that creates a particularly fabulous hiding place in the trees, disguised by mirrored walls that reflect the surroundings. The UFO, pictured here, offers the chance to live out your childhood dreams in a room reminiscent of the final scene of the film, "ET" It is made of durable composite material and has a modern and comfortable interior built for five, complete with a double bed, three separate single beds, a bathroom and a living room.
Guests can also enjoy Britta's Pensionat, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in an authentic 1950s setting. It includes a restaurant, bar, sauna and relaxation area with TV and internet.
Credit: wikimedia.orgNo Man's Fort, Solent, Portsmouth, EnglandNo Man's Fort, Solent, Portsmouth, England
No Man's Fort, Solent, Portsmouth, England (prices and photos)
No Man's Fort is one of the most extreme hotels in the world. This former Victorian-era fort was built between 1867 and 1880 to protect the city from an attack by Napoleon III at the request of Prime Minister Lord Palmerston. After extensive renovation, the artificial island was transformed into a luxury hotel. The four-storey structure contains 22 rooms, all furnished in nautical style with original iron ceilings and windows made from old gun ports. At the top is a private lighthouse with a glass-floored penthouse suite. The unusual structure also includes two heliports, a Jacuzzi, a laser search arena, a disco, a wine bar and spa facilities with treatments using salt from the surrounding waters.
Credit: wikimedia.orgHotel Quinta Real Zacatecas, Zacatecas, MexicoHotel Quinta Real Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico
Hotel Quinta Real Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico (rates and photos)
Hotel Quinta Real Zacatecas was built from the grandstands of a 17thcentury bullring that saw its last bullfight in 1975. Combining the luxury of a modern all-suite hotel with the splendour of the original colonial architecture, it overlooks the city's ancient arched viaduct. Of the 49 accommodations, the most attractive are the high-end suites that offer views of the cobblestone-paved bullring. Beds are recessed under a stone or wooden arch. The hotel also offers a memorable setting for dining at La Plaza, its three-storey, sun-drenched restaurant, with views of the ring, Fatima Cathedral and the aqueduct. The brick-walled Botarel bar in the old bull pen hosts live music at weekends and wines from Mexico and around the world.
Credit: whitepod.com Whitepod, Les Cerniers, SwitzerlandWhitepod, Les Cerniers, Switzerland
Whitepod, Les Cerniers, Switzerland (prices and photos)
Accessible by shuttle bus, ski lift or snow bike, Whitepod offers a spectacular open-air refuge in the Swiss Alps at an altitude of almost 4,600 feet. Accommodation is in 15 pods designed to resemble igloos that are actually dome-shaped tents mounted on raised wooden platforms surrounding a renovated 19th-century alpine chalet. Each is well insulated, heated by a wood-burning stove, and has a private front terrace overlooking the valley. Guests can also make use of the Swedish sauna, massage area and common area where breakfast is served and evening drinks are sipped around the fireplace. Activities, besides simply being enchanted by the stunning views of the snow-capped mountains, include guided snowshoe hikes, ski lessons, cross-country skiing and dog sledding.
Credit: Greenland TravelFinland
Hotel Kakslauttanen, Lapland, Finland (prices and photos)
If you've ever wondered what it might be like to live in an igloo, here's your chance. Hotel Kakslauttanen, adjacent to Urho Kekkonen National Park in remote Lapland, is home to the famous Igloo Village with glass and snow igloos and the world's largest snow restaurant. Built of thermal glass that is designed to remain ice-free, the unique rooms offer the chance to watch the Northern Lights from the comfort of your own bed from around late August to late April. Not only are you virtually guaranteed a peaceful night's sleep with the snow muffling any sound from the outside world, you can enhance this unforgettable experience by embarking on a reindeer sleigh tour or a hike in the nearby Arctic Circle.
Credit: thesafaricollection.comGiraffe Manor, KenyaGiraffe Manor, Kenya
Giraffe Manor, Kenya (prices and photos)
If you've never been on safari, Giraffe Manor offers a great introduction to an iconic Nairobi building shrouded in history with lush green gardens and a sun terrace that feels like you're stepping into the movie Out of Africa. But it offers much more than that - part of its extraordinary charm, and uniqueness, is its resident herd of Rothschild giraffes. The majestic creatures often visit during the morning and evening hours, even poking their long necks in the windows in the hope of a treat. The 12-acre meadow surrounding this 10-room boutique hotel is literally full of giraffes making their way from the nearby forest sanctuary. The property is also a great launch pad to experience a real safari or take day trips to places like the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where small elephants can be fed.
Credit: Pierre__ArnaudHotel de Glase, Quebec, CanadaHotel de Glase, Quebec, Canada
Hotel de Glase, Quebec, Canada (prices and photos)
Every December, artists start building this incredible hotel that is open from 7 January to 27 March. It requires 400 tonnes of ice and 12,000 tonnes of snow, and is redesigned and rebuilt every year. Everything inside the structure is made of ice - including the fireplace and the glass from which you drink. The hotel's most luxurious and largest suite has a fireplace and a private spa. All rooms have beds with mattresses on top of ice, with Arctic sleeping bags to stay warm and cosy. Activities in the area include ice fishing, dog sledding and snowmobiling. If you are so inclined, you can even tie the knot in its chapel made of ice. When you've finally had enough of the cold, you can always go to the hot tub or sauna to warm up.
Credit: hotelcapsule.files.wordpress.comCapsule Hotel, Den Haag, NetherlandsCapsule Hotel, Den Haag, Netherlands
Capsule Hotel, Den Haag, Netherlands (prices and photos)
You might not dream of spending the night in an oil rig survival capsule, but if you ever do, well, now you can. These orange survival capsules were built in 1972 and were initially used as a hotel in 2004 when artist Denis Oudendijk decided to create an interesting art project. Surprisingly, the idea took off and turned into much more, with similar copied hotels now found in Amsterdam, France and Belgium. A stay here includes a basic James Bond survival package, complete with a library of all the 007 films, plus champagne, silk sheets and a disco ball.
Credit: fincabellavista.comFinca Bellevista, Costa RicaFinca Bellevista, Costa Rica
Finca Bellevista, Costa Rica (prices and photos)
Deep in the jungle forest of Costa Rica you will find Finca Bellevista, the world's only tree house community. It comprises 25 tree houses, some of which are privately owned, and others that are rented out to the public. Each is equipped with running hot water, a kitchen and a beautiful view of the rainforest canopy. The tree houses offer many of the comforts of home, along with the added bonus of fabulous isolation - other than encounters with sloths, toucans and the four different types of monkeys found in this region. If you don't want to spend time cooking, the community base camp offers a restaurant serving delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The communal area is used to host evening cocktails and yoga sessions.
Credit: auroraretreat.seWilderness Cabin, Aurora Retreats, SwedenWilderness Cabin, Aurora Retreats, Sweden
Wilderness Cabin, Aurora Retreats, Sweden (prices and photos)
Aurora Retreats in the far north of Sweden offers the chance to spend four days and three nights in a real wilderness cabin, miles away from civilisation. To get there, you'll have to spend an hour cross-country skiing, but your reward is a charming log cabin kept warm by a furnace where you can spend time enjoying the tranquillity of a Swedish winter wonderland. Don't worry, you won't have to stay curled up under blankets unless you want to. You can put on a pair of snowshoes and explore the forest or even take an ice auger and a rod to do a little ice fishing. Afterwards, you can sit in your cabin's traditional Swedish sauna to warm up and then curl up by the fireplace with a good book before looking up at the starry night sky to watch the northern lights.
Credit: attrap-reves.comSAS Attrap'Rêves, Allauch, FranceSAS Attrap'Rêves, Allauch, France
SAS Attrap'Rêves, Allauch, France (prices and photos)
SAS Attrap'Rêves offers a truly unique place to spend the night with bubble accommodation in a variety of different themes, from Zen to Thousand and One Nights. The rooms are basically large, transparent inflated spheres made from recycled materials and easily deflated at the end of the season to ensure minimal impact on the surrounding pine forest. Mostly romantic, it's a great place to stay if you want to be lulled to sleep by the star-filled sky - and, if you want privacy, the 13-foot diameter dome can be covered at night. Packages are available to enhance the experience, including extras such as a telescope and star chart, gourmet dinner, organic wine and massage.
Credit: mediastream.jumeirah.com Burj Al Arab, Dubai Burj Al Arab, Dubai
Burj Al Arab, Dubai (prices and photos)
If you have the money and want the best money can buy, there are extreme hotel rooms out there that were made just for you. Each room at the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab in Dubai, which bills itself as the world's first 7-star hotel, is a two-level suite, however, the Royal Suite offers the best of the best. In its opulent 8,400 square feet, you will find a private cinema and a rotating four-poster bed in the master bedroom, as well as a sublime, uninterrupted view of the Persian Gulf. Of course, that's not all. Among the long list of features is a 24-carat gold iPad for use throughout your stay, private ââpersonalised bars upstairs and downstairs, a library and the worldâs largest butler brigade, available 24 hours a day. When you lie your head down at night, your super deluxe bed with Egyptian cotton linen will be customised to suit your specific posture preferences and you will have a selection of 17 types of pillows.
Credit: havenkraan.nl Hotel Gru, Harlingen, the Netherlands Hotel Gru, Harlingen, the Netherlands
Crane Hotel, Harlingen, Netherlands (prices and photos)
Although this hotel is in a decidedly unglamorous dockside location, once inside, you can rotate your room 360 degrees to enjoy a panoramic view of the Wadden Sea. The hotel is a 150-foot high crane that has been transformed into a luxury retreat for two. The external stairs have been replaced by lifts for the entrance, while the old engine room in the crane's body has been transformed into a luxurious room similar to what one might find in most modern luxury hotels. It is not only comfortable, it includes the latest flat screen TV and audio equipment that will make life in your personal and working crane a dream come true - at least for some, probably not for those afraid of heights. Breakfast is included and magically delivered via the lift inside your bedroom.
Credit: wikimedia.orgJumbo Stay Hotel, Stockholm Arlanda Airport, SwedenJumbo Stay Hotel, Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Sweden
Jumbo Stay Hotel, Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Sweden (prices and photos)
The Jumbo Stay Hotel allows guests to spend the night on a plane, without leaving the ground. The former Boeing 747 has swapped engines for bedrooms to create a unique stay. You can choose between a room with bathroom, double rooms or an economy dormitory. The best room, a luxury suite with a cockpit, is complete with panoramic views where you can see planes landing at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, just 65 metres away. Guests can also relax in the common room with restored armchairs or sip martini glasses in the comfortable on-board bar.