Unusual Hotels of the World

Weary of hotel chains where a room is the same regardless of whether you are in Berlin, Madrid or London right down to the club sandwiches and complimentary chocolates on your pillowcase?

Tree house Hotel

Many travellers prefer to stay somewhere that reflects the character of the town and country they are travelling in, enjoying high tea in England, smorgasbord in Scandinavia and tapas in Spain, or travelling on scooters on the Greek islands, in black cabs in London and old-fashioned trams in Berlin. Take that one step further, and then why not choose to stay in a hotel that has its own raison d'être? The unusual hotels are "experiential" - worth a trip in themselves according to the two founders of unusual hotel guide, Simon Penn and Steve Dobson.

Database of unusual hotels

So if you want to stay somewhere off the beaten track, then the Unusual Hotels of the World website guide might be the place to go. This website only has hotels that are, well unusual. There is a superb database where you can search for unusual hotels:

• by location - continent and country
• by budget - starting at less than € 100
• by category - ranging from design and lighthouse to igloo and tree house
• by rating with five easy terms starting with "different" and working it's way up to "outrageous" and "WOW"

Besides sharing strange hotels with you, the website gives you contact/reservation information, as well as feedback from guests. Here are just a few of the unusual hotels in Europe, and the founders are always on the lookout for new unusual hotels in an unusual world.

Tree house in Sweden
The Woodpecker hotel requires a bit of agility, as access to the tree house is 13 metres up a rope ladder. Once up in the 130-year old oak tree set in a public park near Stockholm, there are spectacular views of the park and a lake. Furnished with an IKEA bed and duvet, cooking facilities, a toilet and a small library, this is a place for relaxation with birdsong.

Jesuit church in Belgium
The Quartier Latin is an 18th century church that has been converted into a hotel with spa facilities, brasserie and accommodation. Located less than an hour from central Brussels, it's an alternative to the busy EU and NATO headquarters.

Living in a Tram in Holland
Former city trams that used to run on the streets of Amsterdam and Germany have been converted to four different themed compartments, an Italian, French, English and American. An escape pod from an oilrig may look like an UFO, but inside visitors will find a fun library. The eccentric owners sleep inside a London Double Decker bus.

Cold or warm sleeps in a Finnish igloo village
Who hasn't wondered what it's like to sleep in an igloo? A hotel in Lapland caters for this fantasy offering glass and snow igloos as well as the world's largest snow restaurant. Kakslauttanen Hotel is on the way to Nordkap and the Arctic Ocean.

Hi-tech eco camp in SwitzerlandImagine staying in dome shaped tents up in the Swiss Alps with nine others. The only way up there is by ski or snowshoes and the owners don't only guarantee adventure and luxury, but also tranquillity for those seeking to restore tired bodies and jaded spirits.

Related information
Universal Hotels of the World

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