Most popular unique hotels

Formed by prehistoric volcanic activity, Lago de Atitlán or Lake Atitlán is one of the most magnificent tourist destinations in Highland, Guatemala. Situated about three hours west of Guatemala City, the aquamarine waters glisten beneath the impressive volcanoes and fertile hills that encompass it. A dozen towns are skirting the …

At first sight, it might look like a peaceful natural wonder in Switzerland, but Lake Attabad is in Pakistan and was formed over ten years ago. It resulted from an unfortunate event in 2010 when a significant landslide blocked the Hunza River's flow. The rising water levels paved the way …

The central prison of Lucerne was built in 1862 and operated until 1998. This historic building was recently repurposed, allowing you to stay in one of the 60 prison cell rooms. The hotel got its name after Barabas, a brave pacifist man who refused military service, and as a result, …

You’ve got business class, world traveler class, first-class, premium class; well this must be called super awesome class. Yes, in fact, that is what I’m calling it from now on. So take a ride in Singapore Airline’s new ‘Super Awesome Class’. * Let’s start with your leather armchair, it is …

This hotel was built by the Serbian Tim Burton, Emir Kusturica, and is based on his film Life is Miracle. Everything is constructed from wood mixing traditional with modern styles. The famous director still lives there with his family in the large main house. The design was set to recreate …

Mexico’s famous hotelier, Grupo Habita, chose New York as the location for their first hotel north of the border. Known for designing stylish spaces, they are fixed on a façade of sleek metal cladding, so you know you are about to experience something a bit special. Inside, the concept is …

The Gladstone Hotel was first opened in 1889 and is the oldest hotel in Toronto. Starting out life as a luxury accommodation for the privileged classes, it was then owned and operated by a lively widow and her 13 children. The hotel eventually fell into disrepair until it became known …

Canyon Ranch Lenox is a destination spa resort in The Berkshires in Massachusetts. It consists of an inn, an enormous Spa Complex, and the Bellefontaine Mansion – a private residence built in 1897. It has seen action as a seminary and boarding school before reopening as today’s health resort in …

In the cult 1960s show, ‘The Prisoner’, a Machiavellian sphere would swallow you up if you tried to escape from The Village. Luckily, these spheres are not the tools of a creepy fascist state. Just look at them, suspended in a web of ropes in the fertile treetops. They wouldn’t …

Located inside an English Heritage building, this has to be one of the grandest-looking youth hostels ever. It was once a magistrate’s court and served sentences to London’s criminals for over 200 years. I’m sure some of the patriarchs of Australia even went through this courthouse. Anyway, today it is …

Created in the 1960s as a vision of future living, these quirky concrete cottages are certainly unusual. The buildings are examples of the “concrete veil” style of architecture that sought to create cheap, functional, and aesthetic houses. The idea was to build a future utopian society. Today the area is …

Sveti Stefan is a fortified village built on an island connected to the Montenegro mainland by a thin causeway. It was originally a Muslim settlement built in the 15th century. When it became Christian, the 12 families living there fortified the village to protect it from the expansionist Ottoman Empire. …

In C.S Lewis’ classic Narnia tale, The Magician’s Nephew, Polly Plumber – a little girl – finds a secret part of her house and pretends it is a smuggler’s cave by leaving some empty beer bottles in there. Luckily these caves are better than that. A whole lot better. For …

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 …

ZERO Box Lodge is not just another budget hotel. Located right in the heart of beautiful Port, ZERO is a self-proclaimed “ground-breaking experience”. How so? Let’s start with the basics. There are three types of rooms or “boxes”, as they call them here. Zero is a windowless room with a …

If you are looking for something different as you pass through Bonn, the Base Camp-Bonn hostel is a funky and retro alternative to more traditional backpackers’ accommodations. Thanks to the creative mind of a movie set director, you can now stay in the only indoor vintage caravan in the world. …

This elementary school was built in 1915 in a semi-remote location in Northeast Portland. One of the first rules installed for pupils and parents in the early years forbade the taking of pop shots at the rabbits from the moving streetcar. It closed its doors as a school in 1974 …

These family-size tents will leave you in the lap of luxury under the stars. Located in the Western Ghats, a mountain range in West India, these tents perfectly combine verdant back-to-nature living and modern luxury. You have a shower, internet, television, and the best Indian cuisine available at the touch …

Minca should be on your shortlist if you plan a trip across Colombia. It lies south of Santa Marta, perched 2133 ft (650m) high up in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It has a much cooler temperature than the coastal town below, making it a popular getaway for locals and …

When you arrive at Citizen M, the unusual check-in is the first thing you notice. Rather like online check-in for flights, you just enter your details into a computer terminal and you are then issued with your room key. The ‘M’ stands for ‘Mobile Citizen of the World’ – it …