Our Top 5 Unusual Hotels

Hot air balloons over Cappadocia at sunrise, home to some of the most unusual hotels in the world

Some hotels are just somewhere to sleep. Others are the reason you travel. If you love unusual hotels, this countdown is for you.

Therefore, we have picked five of the most memorable places to stay. First, we start underground. Then we head onto the ice, into the desert and under the northern lights. Finally, we end in the Amazon, in a room with no walls at all.

5. Unusual Hotels Inside Caves: Matera and Cappadocia

Cave dwellings of the Sassi in Matera, Italy, where unusual hotels are carved into the rock

We begin with caves. People have lived in them for thousands of years. Today, some have become wonderfully atmospheric hotels.

Terrace of a cave hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey, overlooking rooftops at dusk

In Matera, in southern Italy, the old Sassi district is a maze of stone houses and cave homes. Many now hold boutique hotels, with thick walls that stay cool in summer and warm in winter. Meanwhile, Cappadocia in Turkey offers rooms cut into soft volcanic rock. In addition, you can watch hot air balloons rise over the valleys from your terrace.

4. Ice Hotels in Sweden and Finland

Glowing ice room, one of the unusual hotels in Swedish and Finnish Lapland

Next, we turn the temperature right down. In Swedish and Finnish Lapland, ice hotels are rebuilt every winter from frozen river water and snow. As a result, no two seasons look the same.

Ice hotel exterior with arched doorways built from snow and ice blocks

Rooms stay below freezing, so guests sleep in thermal sleeping bags. However, warm lodges nearby make the experience easy and fun. For a closer look, read our guide to sleeping in an ice hotel.

3. Luxury Glamping: Unusual Hotels in the Sahara and Okavango

Camp of red tents on orange Sahara dunes, one of the most unusual hotels for luxury glamping

Glamping is camping without the hard work. Instead of a cold tent, you get real beds, hot showers and proper meals. Moreover, the setting does the rest.

Luxury safari tent, one of the most unusual hotels for glamping in Botswana

In the Sahara, desert camps sit among the dunes, so you fall asleep under a sky full of stars. Likewise, mobile safari camps in the Okavango Delta move with the seasons and the wildlife. Consequently, you sleep close to nature in real comfort. See our Sahara desert experience for a taste.

2. Glass Cabins and Igloos in Lapland

Glass cabin window onto a snowy Lapland night, an unusual hotel with aurora views

Few things beat watching the aurora from bed. In Lapland, glass cabins and igloos let you do exactly that. Indeed, the roof is the show.

Green northern lights above a snowy Lapland cabin among frosted trees

Rooms are warm and cosy, so you can lie back and wait for the lights. Meanwhile, you can still go outside for snowshoeing, huskies or reindeer by day. In short, it is winter magic without the cold nights.

1. Wall-Less Rooms in the Amazon: Our Most Unusual Hotel

Amazon rainforest around a wall-less lodge, the most unusual hotel on our list

Our number one pick has no walls. At Calanoa Lodge in the Colombian Amazon, the rooms are open to the forest, with only strong, insect-proof netting for protection. As a result, you hear every frog, bird and rustle through the night.

Palm trees reflected in a still Amazon lake under a blue sky

James stayed there and loved it. You can read his account in the Calanoa Lodge story. Better still, you can add it to our 14-night Colombia Adventure. Browse our small group trips to see more.

Which of These Unusual Hotels Would You Choose?

Each stay on this list offers something no standard hotel can. So, which one calls to you? Caves, ice, glass, canvas or open rainforest? After that, tell us, and we will help you plan the trip.

Written by James Chisnall