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Traveling offers one of the most exhilarating and enlightening experiences anyone can have. The best part is stepping outside your everyday life, discovering new destinations, meeting diverse people, and immersing yourself in new cultures. If you’re an extrovert, this is the ultimate adventure. But for introverts, the energy needed to navigate so many unfamiliar situations often calls for returning to the sanctuary of your hotel room. It’s here, in your personal retreat, that you can recharge and prepare for the next adventure. And of course, it’s better if your room is far from dull and lifeless.
While some hotel rooms resemble drab interrogation cells and others exude luxury like Queen Elizabeth’s private spa, there’s a third category that stands out. These rooms are extraordinary, often with unconventional designs or decor that completely challenge traditional ideas of living spaces. Here are ten such hotel rooms that can only be described as out of this world.
10. Igloos at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is located in Finland's Lapland, the coldest and northernmost part of the country. Its vast snowfields and towering pine forests have made it a global hotspot for Christmas lovers. Many local businesses embrace Christmas-themed events throughout the season. Essentially, it’s as close as you can get to the North Pole, both figuratively and literally (civilization is sparse above this latitude). Kakslauttanen fully embraces this atmosphere, offering an extensive range of winter activities and Arctic-inspired accommodations.
One of the most iconic attractions is the glass igloos. Nestled in a field surrounded by snow-covered pine trees, these igloos stand independently, each with its own unique design. Each igloo is a single-room structure with a full glass dome, offering some of the most intimate sky-watching experiences in the world. This setup provides an unforgettable view of the northern lights. Beyond just the glass igloos, Kakslauttanen offers snow igloos, log cabins, and hybrid cabin-igloo accommodations, adding to its diverse appeal.
9. Giraffe Manor, Kenya
Situated in Nairobi, Kenya, Giraffe Manor rests on a vast piece of private land dedicated to African wildlife conservation. The manor itself boasts colonial-style grandeur, complete with a stately mansion that stands in stark contrast to the surrounding natural landscape. Today, the Manor serves a dual purpose: it is both a rehabilitation center for endangered Rothschild’s giraffes and a unique hotel where guests can interact with these majestic creatures.
The giraffes are a common sight around the Manor, and they even wander into the hotel itself. They are drawn by the food provided, and the Manor ensures they are well-fed. Thoughtfully placed windows throughout the building allow the giraffes to poke their heads in for snacks and the occasional petting session. While the Manor’s rooms are luxurious, it’s the friendly giraffes that truly steal the show, visiting guests while they relax or enjoy a meal.
8. Space Room, Fantasyland Hotel, Canada
The Fantasyland Hotel is situated inside the massive West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This mall, the largest in North America, is home to a variety of attractions that go beyond shopping, including the world’s second-largest indoor waterpark. Staying true to its impressive location, the Fantasyland Hotel features an array of themed rooms with exceptional attention to detail. These include ancient Roman, old western, pirate, and tropical Polynesian-themed rooms. The standout among them is the space room.
The space room mimics the look of a futuristic spaceship, featuring cosmic-themed paint, a ‘porthole’ offering a view of outer space, neon LED lights, and various buttons and dials throughout. The highlight is the bunk beds, designed to resemble sleeping pods on a star-cruiser. While such a design could be kitschy in less capable hands, Fantasyland has crafted an authentic and fun experience.
7. Dog Bark Park Inn, U.S.
Found along Highway 95 in Cottonwood, Idaho, the Dog Bark Park Inn is a quirky two-bedroom bed and breakfast housed inside a giant beagle, affectionately named Sweet Willy. The unique architectural style is referred to as 'barkitecture' by its owners.
Inside this giant dog, there are two rentable rooms, both filled with dog-themed decorations, including a collection of wooden dog carvings created by one of the inn’s owners, Dennis Sullivan. The inn’s design extends to the furniture, with canine-inspired pillows, headboards, wall art, shelves, and rugs. And yes, cats are welcome here too.
6. The Airplane Room at Hotel Costa Verde, Costa Rica
Hotel Costa Verde, located in Quepos, Costa Rica, is one of the many luxurious hotels that stretch along the borders of Manuel Antonio National Park. While the park is small, it’s rich in geological and biological diversity, making it a prime destination for ecotourists. Paired with the nearby beach and upscale resort area, the whole region has become a hotspot for tourism. What sets Costa Verde apart is its distinctive lodging experience—one of its rooms is housed in a fully refurbished Boeing 727 airplane.
The airplane is perched on a ledge, offering spectacular views of the coastline, giving the illusion that it’s stuck amidst the lush jungle canopy. The interior of the plane, however, presents a striking contrast with its metal exterior—it’s entirely lined with dark wood, including the walls, ceiling, floors, and furniture. This gives it a unique charm, creating an atmosphere that feels both rustic and adventurous, almost like a set from the TV series *Lost*.
5. Utter Inn, Sweden
The Utter Inn is a fascinating hotel situated both on and in Lake Malaren, in Vasteras, Sweden. When I say 'on and in,' I mean the hotel is split into two rooms—one floats on the surface of the lake, while the other is submerged beneath the water.
The hotel is only reachable by boat (naturally) and from the outside, it resembles a tool shed or an oversized outhouse. A deck, which also serves as a dock, encircles the building. Inside, the upper room features a trapdoor that leads down to a submerged room. The windows are portholes, providing views of the murky yellow lake water surrounding the hotel. It’s both one of the simplest and strangest places on this list.
4. Treehotel, Sweden
The Treehotel is situated in Edeforsvagen, Swedish Lapland, and offers an unconventional experience. It consists of seven unique treehouses scattered across a forest in the Lule River valley. Each treehouse, suspended four to six meters off the ground, is a one-room unit built around towering, old-growth conifers. Each house was designed by a different Scandinavian architect, which results in a striking variety of designs, with every treehouse feeling distinct and daring.
Some of the treehouses, like The Cabin and The Dragonfly, are relatively traditional, with simple, boxy exteriors. However, others are anything but ordinary. The UFO treehouse, for instance, is exactly as its name suggests—a large, chrome flying saucer perched on several trees, complete with an 'entrance ramp' leading down to the ground. Inside, the room is circular, with small portholes offering views of the world below.
3. Null Stern Hotel, Switzerland
The Null Stern Hotel, renowned for transforming an abandoned nuclear bunker into a hotel, has taken things a step further with its expansion, Zero Real Estate. Situated in the Swiss Alps, the ‘rooms’ here are unlike anything else on this list. In fact, they’re more unique than any other accommodations you’ll find. The seven rooms have neither walls nor ceilings. Instead, each room is simply a bed with a nightstand, placed on basic flooring. It might sound like a con, but the real draw lies in the location.
These seven rooms are scattered across the Swiss Alps, offering incredible panoramic views of the surrounding landscape—thanks to the lack of walls and ceilings. The sight of snow-covered peaks and rolling hills adorned with wildflowers stretches for miles in every direction. This gives Zero Real Estate’s rooms a sense of being the perfect spots for stargazing. Even better, each room comes with full service from a local 'butler' who treks up to the room, providing food, drinks, and a bit of local charm. If the weather’s on your side, this could be an unforgettable experience.
2. Hotel CasAnus, Belgium
Hotel CasAnus in Stekene, Belgium, requires little explanation, as its name says it all. Originally conceived as a massive sculpture, the hotel is shaped like an anatomically correct rectum. At one end, there’s a similarly precise sphincter. The exterior is red, lumpy, and veined, while the inside is white, retaining the smooth, organic look of the outside. And yes, there’s a functioning toilet within the rectum, turning the whole place into an almost surreal, scatological Mobius strip.
1. Helga’s Folly, Sri Lanka
Helga’s Folly, located in Kandy, Sri Lanka, markets itself as an 'anti-hotel,' and it truly lives up to the name. The entire building, from its exterior to the common spaces and all 17 rooms, is enveloped in a wild mix of art that spans every possible style, transforming the place into more of a psychedelic experience than a traditional resort.
Rather than embracing the serene tones and minimalism typical of most hotels, the rooms at Helga’s Folly are sensory overloads, with every wall and surface brimming with color and intricate details. The place is an art lover’s dream, featuring mobiles, mirrors, sculptures, skeletons, tapestries, mosaics, plants, graffiti, murals, taxidermy, and countless other eccentric distractions. If you’re hoping to step inside a 3D version of Ginsberg’s 'Howl,' this is the spot to be.
