The 25 Coolest Hotels Ever

Posted by , Updated on March 21, 2024

Who said sleeping has to be boring? Ranging from mine shafts to jumbo jets, these ridiculously cool dwellings certainly serve to make the nocturnal life a whole lot more interesting. So, next time you’re thinking of settling for the budget inn down the street remember – dream a little. Here’s 25 of the coolest hotels on the block to help you out with that.
25

Das Park

Das Park, Austriawww.dasparkhotel.net

This interesting blend of modern decor and concrete sewage pipes is situated right along the banks of the Danube in the Austrian city of Linz. Each segment weighs about 9.5 tons, so you don’t have to be too concerned about your friends rolling you into the river at night.

24

The Hobbit Motel

The Hobbit Motelwww.woodlynpark.co.nz

Complete with small doors and circular windows, Woodlyn Park in New Zealand allows you to experience a night in the life of a hairy footed midget. It’s not just for geeks though, as you can opt to sleep in a beached ship or an authentic freighter plane from Vietnam next door as well.

23

The Old Mount Gambier Gaol

Mount Gambierwww.hmgetaway.com.au

Located in Southern Australia, it was opened as a prison in 1866, closed in 1995, and reopened as a hotel. For those of you that laugh in the face normalcy, you should be excited to know that the only real difference now is that the doors can be locked from the inside.

22

Exploranter

Exploranterwww.exploranter.com

Dubbed the “hotel on wheels” it goes to and fro across the continent of South America, shuttling weary travelers up mountainsides and across deserts. Don’t let the exterior fool you though, it comes fully equipped with 30 beds, hot showers, and continental breakfasts.

21

Null Stern

Null Sternwww.null-stern-hotel.ch

Although Null Stern means “zero star” in German, don’t pass judgement quite yet. Okay, we know, a former Swiss nuclear bunker turned hotel might not sound too appealing but the service is allegedly unparalleled. You can even have a butler serve you breakfast through a hidden tunnel.

20

Marmara Antalya

Marmara Antlayawww.themarmarahotels.com

They don’t call it the “spinning hotel” for no reason. Situated in a tank holding 478 tons of water, this 2750 ton Turkish hotel can make up to 1 revolution every 2 hours with the help of 6 electric motors. That’s a mouthful of numbers but really they just mean you’ll go to sleep facing the ocean and wake up facing the pool.

19

Capsule Hotel

Capsule Hotelwww.travelettes.net

Having become popular in the Netherlands, these bright orange capsules were originally escape pods located on oil rigs. Although they seem small they are deceptively spacious with the ability to comfortably accommodate up to three people. Excluding the installation of an “emergency” toilet along with some bedsheets, these pods have largely retained their original barebones flavor.

18

Quinta Real

Quinta Realwww.quintarealhotels.com

Renowned for its beauty, the Quinta Real in Zacatecas, Mexico is actually a 17th century bullring converted into a hotel. While the rooms overlook the arena, a gigantic aquaduct overlooks the rooms. Not much else compares.

17

Crane Hotel

Crane Hotelwww.travel.spotcoolstuff.com

Although this is certainly not the most space efficient hotel on our list with room for only two occupants, it definitely wins in the “cool” category. Not only does it have an extremely luxurious interior you get your own crane. The Dutch must get really bored at night.

16

Ariau Towers

Ariau Towerswww.tripadvisor.com

As the biggest treehouse in the biggest jungle in one of the biggest countries on the planet, the Ariau Towers are one of the most exotic places in the world to spend your night. Located deep within the Amazon this complex has over 4 miles worth of catwalks that snake through the canopy.

15

Magic Mountain

Magic Mountainwww.huilohuilo.com

Located in the Huilo Huilo Reserve in Southern Chile, this hotel comes fully equipped with a waterfall that originates at the peak and when turned on full blast comes cascading down over the windows. If you get bored of watching water trickle however, you can go for a leisurely stroll through the jungle. But when that gets boring? Go Skiing. No joke, the slopes are right around the corner and they’re open 365 days a year. Welcome to Chile.

14

Beckham Creek Cave Haven

Beckham Creek Cave Havenwww.beckhamcavelodge.com

Intended to fulfill your deepest longings for adventure, this mountain hotel built into the side of the Ozarks will certainly bring out your inner Grizzly. Whenever you get done hibernating though, make sure to check out the underground Jacuzzi. 500 acres of relaxation.

13

Burj Al Arab

Burj Al Arabwww.travel.webshots.com

With its world famous sail shape, the Burj Al Arab is so luxurious that some people mistakenly refer to it as a 7 star hotel (the maximum recognized rating is 5). But it’s not only an icon for Dubai or the United Arab Emirates, it’s also a testament to modern engineering. The world’s fourth tallest hotel is built on a pile of reclaimed dirt 250 meters out into the ocean.

12

The Old Railway Station

Old Railway Stationold-station.co.uk

These restored luxury rail cars are still busy providing a good nights sleep to their passengers near West Sussex, UK. If you ever happen to stop by the train yard though, make sure you dress for the occasion. When we say luxury rail cars, we mean luxury rail cars.

11

Dog Bark Park Inn

Dog Park Innwww.dogbarkparkinn.com

It’s like a modern day Trojan Horse, except its a dog and its located in Idaho. At two stories, the world’s largest beagle offers ample room to its guests along with plenty of surprises. See that fire hydrant in the corner? Thats where you do your business.

10

The Dream Cave

The Dream Cavewww.dreamcavehotel.com

This interesting abode is situated within the town of Goreme, Turkey which is famous for its unusual rock formations. Apart from the natural beauty of the region it could be worth the trip just to be able to say you slept in a “fairy chimney”.

9

The Winvian Cottages

Helicopter Cottagewww.winvian.com

This farm was transformed into one of the worlds most amazing getaways when the owners decided to spontaneously host a design competition. Its no joke, if you ever get a chance to visit you will be greeted by 18 cottages, each decorated according to a different theme. Dibs on the helicopter.

8

Library Hotel

Library Hotelwww.nyhotelblog.com

In a way that only a true nerd could fully appreciate, this New York City hotel associates each floor with one of the major categories in the Dewey Decimal System. It doesn’t stop there though, each room is devoted to its own subtopic. It’s a geek’s dream come true, no pun intended.

7

De Vrouwe van Stavoren

De Vrouwe van Stavorenwww.hotel-vrouwevanstavoren.nl

Heres a riddle for you: what does a gang of dutchmen do with 4 oversized Swiss wine barrels? Answer: they do what every other Dutchman on this page does and convince people to sleep in them! In spite of being extremely spacious and clean, however, your first night you will gain a new appreciation (or lack thereof) for the smell of wine.

6

Capsule Inn

Capsule Innwww.yesicanusechopsticks.com

No, that is not a laundromat. It’s Tokyo’s version of a hotel and each pod comes fully equipped with a TV, radio, and alarm clock. Hey, when you’ve got 125 million people crammed onto a bunch of skinny little islands you need to start getting creative.

5

The Schneedorf

The Schneedorfwww.schneedorf.com

No list of cool hotels would be complete with an ice lodge, and from the name to the location the Schneedorf Igloo Village high up in the Austrian Alps just radiates coolness…literally.

4

Propeller Island City Lodge

Propeller Island City Lodgewww.propeller-island.de

The brainchild of German artist Lars Stroschen, this hotel/art exhibition is composed of 30 completely unique and custom designed rooms that give you the choice of sleeping in anything from a coffin to a mine shaft.

3

The Jumbo Hostel

The Jumbo Hostelwww.jumbostay.com

Miss your flight? It might not be such a bad thing after all, at least not in Stockholm. Go ahead and try out one of the 27 rooms in this grounded 1976 Boeing 747.

2

The Poseidon Resort

The Poseidon Resortwww.globalgrasshopper.com

If you happen to have $30,000 dollars lying around and haven’t yet used your week of vacation, we suggest you consider heading over to Fiji and blowing it all underwater. As the world’s premier undersea resort you even get your own submarine. We also suggest you take us with you.

1

Giraffe Manor

Giraffe Manorwww.giraffemanor.com

What’s cooler than seeing a giraffe in Kenya? How about seeing a giraffe in Kenya take a bite out of your breakfast croissant? Originally Giraffe Manor was a sanctuary dedicated to preserving endangered Rothschild Giraffes and reintroducing them into the wild when, in 1984, a hotel was opened on the grounds. Today, it doubles as both. It’s no stretch to see why this hotel is number one.