Hotels

Forbes Magazine has called this one of the top 20 coolest hotels in the world. The hotel also has the most photographed swimming pool, like, ever. The rooms are thatched huts on the outside and luxurious on the inside and the hotel lies secluded away in a secret location by …

This spa hotel is popular with locals and tourists alike. How about a stay in a Canyon Room? It has huge windows and balconies that overlook forests that explode and roll over the canyons and hills spraying birdsong in the clear morning. The ethos of Travassa is wellness and vibrant …

You won’t wake to the sound of your neighbor’s obnoxious music blasting from their in-room iPod dock here. Nor will you hear anyone talking to their friends on their mobile phones. Because it’s all banned. All the annoyances of the modern world are left behind you so you can yourself …

This 18th Century villa is still privately owned by the Sersale family, who opened their summer house as a hotel in 1951. It was just about the time the Positano region of Italy was growing as a tourist destination thanks, in no small part, to John Steinbeck's remarking in an …

“Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’, keep your wagon rollin” so the song goes, unless, that is, you’re staying in a special rolling hut. In which case, you will want to stay right where you are in Washington’s beautiful Methow Valley. The remarkably versatile wooden units were designed to be an alternative to …

The A Figa Villa in Corsica was built in the 17th Century and has been wonderfully maintained in that original style. It is the signature property in a portfolio of stunning buildings in beautiful landscapes around the Corsican coast. It houses seven people and is a traditional ‘tall house’ looking …

Coober Pedy is a small mining town in the Australian Outback. Because of the extreme temperatures (40ºC in summer), many inhabitants live in underground houses called ‘dugouts’. In fact, the name, ‘Coober Pedy’ comes from the Aboriginal name for the town, ‘kupa-piti’ which means 'white man's hole'. The area has …

Part of the hilariously named French Lick Resort, West Baden Springs, is a hotel extravaganza. When it was opened in 1902, dumb-struck locals called it the ‘8th Wonder of the World’, and its mineral water baths were said to cure everything apart from credulity. In 1917, an incredible renovation saw …

Unusually for a luxury châteaux hotel out in the countryside, The Fairmont Hotel in Banff Springs was always designed as a hotel and has been housing paying guests since its creation in 1888. Apart from an unfortunate incident in 1926 involving a raging inferno and complete destruction, it has always …

The Vintage Trailor is one of a range of accommodation in the Sierra National Forest provided by the Far Meadow organization. As iconic as the VW Camper Van and as American as Mount Rushmore, the Silver Streak trailer was first manufactured in the 1950s and has gone through many redesigns …

Alta is the northernmost city in the world that has over 10,000 inhabitants. Its location in a valley along the banks of the river Alta means it is sheltered from the vicissitudes of the climate to the extent that its land does not develop permafrost. It is one of the …

If the Ancient Greeks had decided to attack Troy using a giant dog rather than a horse it might have looked something like this. Husband and wife team, Dennis and Frances use chainsaws to carve folk-art wooden dogs and have done for the last 15 years. When their work was …

The A-Frame is one of a range of accommodation in the Sierra National Forest provided by the Far Meadow organization. The woodland cabin is as American as apple pie (which was originally a British dish but hey, let’s not argue the toss). Traditionally, cabins were built in remote wooded areas …

This boutique hotel is designed to make you feel like you are at home, or at least the guest of someone with exquisite taste and a lot of money. The furniture is vintage Swedish, the views are of the peaceful garden and there are MP3 players and individually controlled air …

This was once a convent. Built in the 16th Century, the cloisters and passageways once echoed with the sound of rosary beads and prayers. Today, it is the building that contemplates on a rock overlooking the sea while, inside, the residents relax. Thousands of religious hours have been worn into …

The Mekong River is the 12th longest river in the world. It begins in Tibet and flows through six countries all the way to the sea. In the section that flows through Laos, barges have long been used on the river as the main source of transportation for traders and …

Eschew Disney Land’s magical pretensions and come to Huilo Huilo Montaña Mágica Lodge for a truly magical experience. The magic should be plain to anyone who sees its main building. A gigantic artificial volcano spews spa waters over its rocky sides instead of lava. Windows peek from the sides like …

Built in the 1940s in the Bauhaus style, this modern architecture is striking and functional. It looks wide awake with windows that open up the side of the building and encompass views of the beautiful habitats of Pucon. Manicured gardens blossom with local plants, trees and shrubs and you can …

Staying in a North Island beach hut allows you to take part in a remarkable story of conservation. This island in Seychelles was once full of coconut trees, people, and animals working to supply the industrial coconut industry. But that collapsed in the 1970s and the island was deserted by …

So you’re fed up with anonymous hotel corridors, beige walls, and red carpets. And you have dined in too many dark-wood restaurants with leather-bound menus. So what you need to do is go to Athens and head over to the Baby Grand Hotel and get your mind blow-dried by some …