Businesses that start on cocktail napkins sometimes have the added boost of alcohol to stimulate imaginations.
Unusual Hotels of the World is a comprehensive resource for showcasing the imaginative and unusual. It was started by three friends, who were all creative travelers, over a pub lunch, fueled by a few beers.
The three then spent several years visiting and promoting destinations before putting together Unusual Hotels of the World.
The site allows you to access information and book rooms in an igloo, in a tree, in an art museum, even under water. Hotels range from the luxurious ($350+ per night) to the modest (from $100 a night). Some are already known but many will be new discoveries for most travelers. All have a WOW factor rating with slide shows of the properties.
If you missed the childhood pleasure of sleeping in a backyard tree house, you can do so now at Out N’About Treesort and Treehouse Institute in Cave Junction, Oregon. Amenities here are modest: a sink, toilet, and small fridge, but probably better than the ones in most backyards. Or instead, study the eco-system in luxury from the treetops at Ariau Amazon Towers in Manaus, Brazil, built entirely at the level of the Rainforest Canopy.
Only suitably qualified divers can stay at Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, FL. The well appointed “chambers” are 21 feet under water, and reachable only in SCUBA gear.
Macabre thrill seekers can order Midnight Express on pay-per -view at the Gamirasu Cave Hotel. The former Turkish prison, built in a cave in the Cappadocia region of the country is now a luxury hotel. Hash is not available on the room service menu.
The Hôtel De Glace (The Ice Hotel) in Quebec, Canada, takes 5 weeks, 500 tons of ice, and 15,000 tons of snow to construct each season, and receives guests from about January through March, before melting into spring.
The site also offers books and guides to escape the tedious and explore unusual, strange, and secret places in popular European cities. For instance, Unusual Shopping in Paris by Jeanne Valere, offers over 100 places where you can find unusual gifts and experiences. Make a cast of your foot, visit a designer at home, or have your haircut during a full moon. Make your next vacation an uncommon adventure.
