If you’re planning a special occasion, or simply fancy something a little different this year, you’re in for a treat!
We have put together 13 of the most unique and unforgettable bucket list hotels around the world that you can book right now. From the downright weird, to a different twist on luxury – here are some incredible places open to guests around the globe.
The quirkiness race among hotels is on a different level at the moment. As travelers, we want something different that provides a memorable and exciting experience, totally unique from anything we’ve ever seen before.
Read on for our shortlist of the 13 most incredibly unique hotels in the world that are sure to go on your ultimate bucket list.
1. Treehotel (Harads, Sweden)
- One night stay from $595.00
Love the concept of being at one with nature with a futuristic twist? The complexity of building within the Harads Forests did not stop the Treehotel from offering a spectacular variety of rooms, such as the camouflaged Mirrorcube, a giant Bird’s Nest, or The UFO.
If you’re extremely lucky, you will even get to witness the magical Aurora Borealis right amongst the tall trees! The rooms are cozy with visually striking interiors, and the staff are incredibly warm and welcoming.
Treehotel has nearby spa rooms, a sauna, and an outdoor Jacuzzi that you can enjoy at night.
Other activities on offer include fun dog-sledding, ice-fishing, and snowmobile expeditions. You can also get tour packages, and have your dinner by the frozen lake or have it served up to your tree room.
They have an outstanding kitchen team that offers delicacies from local produce. Their specialties are traditional food, wild meat, and vegetables with a fusion twist. Make sure you do not miss the breakfast and dinner buffet – the wine list is impressive too.
2. Hotel Costa Verde (Costa Rica)
- One night stay from $360.00
As the most exclusive hotel in Costa Rica, the 727 fuselage is a vintage airframe that’s been converted into a fabulous two-bedroom suite! With incredible views towards the pacific, it is positioned 50-foot high on the edge of a lush green National Park, with a stylish teak interior.
This private 727 jet conversion is a truly fantastic concept and definitely provides an unforgettable hotel experience. Hotel Costa Verde has always been known for hosting perfect tropical weddings and dreamy honeymoon destinations, and the 727 fuselage provides a bucket list adventure like no other.
The cockpit houses the best view out towards the pacific ocean, skimming over the tropical landscapes that few people will ever experience.
If you love the thought of drinking coffee on your own private terrace in the jungle, whilst being joined by the inquisitive local wildlife, then this is the ultimate unique hotel stay for you!
3. Zara Cave Hotel (Cappadocia, Turkey)
- One night stay from $110
This unique hotel is Ottoman-empire-inspired, and the real charm is experiencing their cave rooms, which are uniquely decorated, in different sizes, and are perfect for an affordable luxury getaway.
The rooms are spacious and airy with stone-carved walls, giving you that amazing rustic feel. The bathrooms are just as impressive and luxurious, providing you with a relaxing and steamy hot shower after a day out exploring.
They are famous for their rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the town, where you have an astounding view of the sunrise and famous hot air balloons taking off in the morning. Perfect as an elevated backdrop for your photos!
Zara Cave Hotel is very accessible, and just a walking distance from the town and bus stops to explore nearby restaurants, markets, souvenirs, and thrift shops. They also offer an impressive traditional Turkish breakfast that shouldn’t be missed, along with as much Turkish tea and coffee as you fancy!
4. Helga’s Folly (Kandy, Sri Lanka)
- One night stay from $100
Helga’s Folly was designed by Madam Helga’s mother in the 1930s, and you will be amazed by its antique aesthetics, whimsical family heirlooms, and flamboyant fabrics and artworks from top to bottom.
It has 40 vivid, interconnected rooms in total, and on the outside, you will have a very calming view of the jungle, lake, and mountains.
Everywhere you look, you will see charming eccentricity that tells the beautiful history of the country and Helga’s family.
The great thing about Helga’s Folly is that every guest takes away a slightly different experience. For some, it provides a wonderfully weird and artistically inspiring atmosphere. For others, a mystical and slightly eery vibe.
If you don’t fancy staying here overnight, then you can pop in for a tour to learn more about it – as most guests state, it is an unforgettable experience.
5. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort (Saariselka, Finland)
- One night stay from $380.00
If getting a glimpse of the Northern Lights is high up on your bucket list, then how about staying in a glass-dome igloo with clear views of the sensational sky?
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort gives you the opportunity to witness starry skies and the Aurora Borealis while huddled in a cozy bed with freezing temperatures outside, making for the ultimate unforgettable hotel experience.
There are variations of igloos for two or four people, and they have chalets for bigger groups. For extra special occasions and honeymoons, they have romantic chambers with a fireplace and even an entire traditional house.
Oh and they have some of the world’s largest saunas, including one just by the river so that you can jump off the jetty if you’re feeling brave enough!
6. Karosta Prison (Liepaja, Latvia)
- One night stay from $35
For a truly unforgettable hotel stay, why not spend the night in prison? If you are an adventure-seeker, Karosta Prison’s ‘Extreme Night’ experience will send chills down your spine, whilst spending the night behind cold bars and in iron beds!
You’ll have ample time alone to check out the original carvings on the cell walls made by old prisoners.
This is not your typical relaxing trip. Here, you will get yelled at with grueling commands from ‘soldier guards’ and you will have to make do with prison meals. Failing to comply with prison rules is punishable with military drills or cleaning tasks.
How startling is that? Seriously, you will have to sign a waiver to agree to these rules. The Extreme Night package is from 9 pm – 9 am, with 3 hours of ‘show time’ and the remainder in your cell.
Karosta Prison is the only military prison open to tourists in Europe and comes with a dark history. Ghost Hunters from the USA dubbed Karosta Prison the most ghost-haunted place in the world!
If you don’t quite fancy staying overnight, then you can still experience this place by taking a short day tour.
7. The Muraka, Conrad (Maldives)
- One night stay from $9,750
Have a spare few thousand lying around? If so, The Muraka at Conrad Maldives should be very high up on your to-do list!
The Maldives is already a bucket list destination on its own, but imagine staying on a two-level underwater residence called ‘The Muraka’ with all the amenities that anyone can dream of.
It has three grand bedrooms, an upper deck with a pool, a family theatre, a gym, a kitchen with a private bar, and a chef.
To top these all off, it actually has a 360-degree view of the Indian Ocean that you can explore using your own private jet ski!
You’ll also have a private speedboat on standby for whenever you want to check out nearby islands, and you will have an island host for the whole duration of your stay.
Here are some alternative affordable luxury water villas in the Maldives.
8. Seaventures Dive Rig (Celebes Sea, Malaysia)
- One night stay from $145.00
If you’re an avid diver, this converted oil rig will be one of the most special places you’ve ever set foot on.
The oil rig was initially positioned in the Gulf of Mexico and transferred to the Pacific Ocean, with nearby Sipadan Island around the corner.
Previously known as Oil Rig Hotel, it is now a diver’s paradise and it has become a bucket list hotel for people around the globe that want a peek at one of the world’s best dive sites.
The hotel runs mainly on oil-operated generators, making it a fairly noisy and smelly affair (and far from luxurious). But if that doesn’t bother you, you’ll love it – the marine life around the Seaventures Dive Rig will indeed make up for its lack of luxury facilities.
You can witness different species of aquatic life, and you will be amazed by the coral reefs in all their glory. There are 25 small rooms that you can choose from, with an in-house chef who prepares delicious meals and desserts every day.
9. Giraffe Manor (Nairobi, Kenya)
- One night stay from $635
Aside from being one of the most Instagrammable boutique hotels in the whole world, Giraffe Manor is a place where you will be accompanied by… (drum roll please)—Giraffes!
You will have a meet-and-greet with them where you can feed them, stroll with them, and have your breakfast and afternoon tea with them!
These gentle giants will be sure to make this an unforgettable experience for the rest of your life. You will see giraffes poking their heads around, even into your own bedroom. This vast private land in the middle of the forest is the residence of Rothschild’s giraffes, and you can book them for a night.
They have 12 rooms in total that you can choose from. This is a real gem in Kenya that shouldn’t be missed and the perfect place for a sweet safari with a vintage feel, as it was built in the 1930s.
The courtyard provides a special ambiance to the place, and you can have your romantic candle-light dinner here or sophisticated dining inside their orchid house.
If you’re looking for an extra special experience in the Serengeti, check out these luxury tented camps and lodges!
10. Henn na Hotel (Nagasaki, Japan)
- One night stay from $125.00
Henn na Hotel is a state-of-the-art facility and is the world’s first hotel run by robots! If you’re looking for something truly unique, you can find it right here.
The robots are friendly, multi-lingual, very accommodating, and efficient in doing their jobs. Your face will be scanned for facial recognition, removing the need for room keys – making this a genuine trip to the future!
They have three room concepts: the East Arm, West Arm, and South Arm. These concepts are based on sustainable travel and energy-use, eco-friendly and waste-reducing technology that will surprise you in every way possible.
They have an entertainment zone where you can experience futuristic games and karaoke with a 360-degree screen. The rooms themselves are nothing spectacular, but you will be impressed by the hotel’s vision of the future.
11. Solent Forts (Portsmouth, UK)
- One night stay from $300.00
The Solent Forts, which once protected Portsmouth Harbour from enemies, is now a luxury retreat for an entirely exclusive getaway.
It was abandoned in the 1950s, turned into a museum in the 80s, and as we know it now, converted to a hotel since 2012—a luxurious fortress out at sea, no less.
The forts are also perfect secluded venues to house your events if you want something a little more unconventional. It has 4 functions rooms and rooftop facilities including a hot tub and a sociable fire pit.
Only 1.5 hours away from London (by train), guests can spend up to 48 hours enjoying a fun itinerary packed full of activities.
You will be welcomed with a glass of champagne, plied with more wine, rum and cheese, offered cocktail-making classes, and a wail of a time in the water on a rib blast!
12. Skylodge Adventures Suites (Cusco, Peru)
- One night stay from £450.00
Skylodge Adventure Suites offers overnight lodging inside a see-through capsule hanging 400 meters from the ground!
This adventure suite in Sacred Valley, Peru, is an experience like nothing else. Your day starts with a briefing from professional guides who will patiently help you along a two-hour hike up the mountains, either via Ferrata or ziplines, so you’ll need to be fairly fit to reach this one!
The challenge to overcome your fear of heights is all worth it when you finally reach the pods.
You won’t regret this once you see the views from the top!
The pods have super comfy queen-size beds and six windows designed for proper ventilation. At night, gourmet dinner will be served with wine, and you can star-gaze all you want. If you are extra lucky, the Milky Way will be visible too!
13. Faralda Crane Hotel (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- One night stay from $700
CNN has dubbed this “An unusual hotel you won’t believe actually exists’ – and we tend to agree with them!
This semi-luxurious hotel is on the highest crane in a shipyard and will give you breathtaking views of Amsterdam. You will have to make your own way up to your room by riding a frighteningly tall elevator – absolutely terrifying if you have a fear of heights!
Of their own admission, Faralda Crane Hotel states “You’ll either love or you’ll hate it” based on the unconventional premise of their hotel concept. With hardly any staff around, you’ll have to remember not to leave your room key behind, as there is no one to call upon to help you out!
If you want a pedicure and some room service, then this place may not be for you. But if you’d love to experience something completely different from your usual hotel stay, then try the Faralda Crane Hotel for a one-of-a-kind trip that’s sure to be unforgettable!
Best Bucket List Hotels
If you’re looking for a memorable place to stay, we’ve rounded up 13 unforgettable bucket list hotels in the world. From quirky properties like Helga’s Folly in Sri Lanka to luxury resorts in the Maldives, these are some of the top places you must try out.
Treating yourself to unusual or unique hotels doesn’t mean you have to splurge out. It’s the rich experiences we’re after, not necessarily the luxury amenities.
Did any of our picks strike your fancy? Comment below and let us know which one is your favorite, or whether there’s another hotel that should have made this list – we’d love to hear from you!
