A Night to Remember: The World’s Most Unusual Hotels

Travel is often most vividly remembered through cities, landscapes, and the people we encounter. But sometimes what stays with you the longest is the place where you spent the night. Around the world, some hotels are far more than accommodation - they are experiences in themselves: rooms inside cranes, airplanes, lighthouses, or even deep underwater. In places like these, a night’s stay becomes an adventure, and the view from the window turns into a story you never forget.

Here are several hotels that prove imagination in tourism truly has no limits.

Hotel in a Crane (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

On the banks of the IJ River, in Amsterdam’s industrial NDSM district, stands the remarkable Faralda Crane Hotel - a luxury hotel located inside a former harbor crane about 50 meters high.

Once part of a shipyard, this industrial structure has been transformed into a unique hotel with only a few exclusive suites, each designed differently. Glass walls provide spectacular views of the city and the water, while at the very top, guests can enjoy a terrace with a jacuzzi.

Staying here is more than just spending the night - it’s an experience of living inside extraordinary architecture that blends industrial history with modern luxury.

Hotel in an Airplane (Costa Rica)

High above the tropical rainforest near Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica, one of the world’s most unusual hotels awaits: Hotel Costa Verde 727.

This restored Boeing 727 from 1965 has been placed on a platform above the jungle canopy. The aircraft cabin has been converted into a luxurious suite with wooden interiors, two bedrooms, and a spacious terrace.

From there, guests enjoy breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and dense jungle, often spotting monkeys, toucans, and other tropical wildlife.

Hotel in a Lighthouse (Scotland)

On the rugged coast of Scotland stands the charming Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel, located inside a lighthouse built back in 1815.

Today, this historic building has been transformed into a small boutique hotel offering a unique seaside experience. Guests can stay in rooms overlooking dramatic cliffs and the endless horizon of the Irish Sea.

The sound of waves and the glow of the lighthouse create an atmosphere no traditional hotel could replicate.

Hotel in an Old Mine (Sweden)

For those seeking something completely different, there is the Sala Silvermine Mine Suite in Sweden - one of the deepest hotel rooms in the world.

The suite is located 155 meters underground, within a former silver mine. Temperatures remain around two degrees Celsius, so guests sleep in warm thermal sleeping bags while surrounded by total silence.

It’s an experience that feels closer to an expedition than a typical hotel stay.

Ice Hotel (Sweden)

In the village of Jukkasjärvi in northern Sweden stands the famous ICEHOTEL, the world’s first hotel built entirely from ice and snow.

Every winter, artists from around the world gather to sculpt rooms, corridors, and artworks from massive blocks of ice taken from the Torne River. Each season brings a completely new design, meaning the hotel is never the same twice.

Guests sleep in thermal sleeping bags on ice beds while temperatures inside the rooms remain below freezing.

Underwater Hotel (Maldives)

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to sleep beneath the ocean’s surface, the answer lies in the Muraka Suite at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

This luxurious residence features an underwater bedroom with panoramic glass walls that allow guests to watch coral reefs and tropical fish swimming past.

Staying here feels like sleeping inside a private aquarium - except everything around you is the real ocean.

Cliffside Capsule (Peru)

For adrenaline seekers, the Skylodge Adventure Suites in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru offer a truly unforgettable experience.

These transparent capsules are attached to a cliff about 400 meters above the valley floor. Guests reach them by climbing the rock face or by zip-line.

Once there, the reward is a spectacular view of the valley and a star-filled sky from a glass capsule suspended above the abyss. Spending the night here isn’t for everyone - but those who dare say the view is worth every step.

Written by: Ognjen Tešić / HEDONIST