12 harbor Hotels

USA's prime example of Beaux-Arts architecture was built in 1914. It's the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées of America if you wish. Back then, it cost $1 million to build the Recreation Pier, which served as a landing point for immigrants arriving in the USA. After it closed operations in 1937, …

The Finns' beloved passion of spending their free time sweating in wooden huts above 200 Fahrenheit (90°C) is something they share with their Estonian brothers. The Iglupark is a unique concept in the hippest part of Tallinn, where life circles around saunas. Iglupark is a new project consisting of three …

Housed in an ex-Russian aircraft carrier, the Kiev, this ship-turned-hotel offers 148 guest rooms for travelers looking for a unique stay. The luxury hotel is part of Binhai Aircraft, an 861,113 square feet (80,000 square meters) military theme park that opened in 2004 in east Tianjin, China. The interiors are …

Pelican Point Lodge is one of those hotels that isn’t just accommodation but a destination in itself. The lodge took its name from the Pelican Point, where it’s situated. It’s a remote peninsula off the coast of Namibia with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Walvis Bay on …

Located in Ipswich, United Kingdom, the Salthouse Harbour Hotel offers contemporary rooms with quirky furnishings, colorful decor, and local artwork featured throughout. Set on a waterfront, the building dates back to the 1800s, when it once served as a merchant’s warehouse. Original features such as arched windows and iron columns …

For those looking to wander the unfurling coastlines of the Spanish coast, appreciate a variety of artistic styles, and enjoy Catalan culture and cuisine, La Barceloneta Boardwalk is the ideal location to explore all the splendors of Barcelona. The W Barcelona hotel is situated in the heart of the bustling …

“Rotterdam is anywhere alone” sang The Beautiful South in the 1990s. God knows what they were on about. But one place in Rotterdam that certainly isn’t just anywhere is the Mainport by Inntel Hotels. The black glass and metal exterior make a statement from the outset. Your room has some …

Ålesund is a seaport in Norway and is home to a large concentration of Art Nouveau Architecture – an ostentatious style that utilizes sweeping organic forms and a harmony of shape popular in Europe in the early 20th Century. The town makes for a unique visit. But hang on; what …

Guaranteed to confuse any alcoholic, in this hotel you are supposed to sleep in the wine barrels. The hotel is located in the harbor town of Stavoren which is one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands. It used to be a wealthy seaport where legend has it, a proud …

Not just the location for the awesome Australian children’s program, Round the Twist lighthouses are also hotels. And they save lives too. Let’s hear it for lighthouses! This tower was active for over 75 years with parts of it dating back over 200 years when a huge flame was used …

Unusually for a decommissioned lifeboat hotel (wow, I’ve talked about so many unique hotels that this phrase doesn’t even seem strange), this one is still functioning. You can hire a captain to take you, your partner, and your whole hotel out into the open sea. Now that sounds fun! This …

Minimalism meets reclaimed structures in a pretty Japanese harbor. Visionary architects, Yasutaka Yoshimura, have based their design for chic holiday cottages on ship containers. The containers are stacked on top of each other to create two floors. One end is all glass, and the walls are white to reflect light …