You could stay at a safe, "normal" hotel. Or you could have the experience of a lifetime in one of these amazingly weird hotels.
24 of the World’s Weirdest and Most Unique Hotels
Updated on Jun. 27, 2025
SiloStay in Christchurch, New Zealand
If farmhouse accommodations aren’t country enough for you, how about sleeping in a silo? SiloStay features eight silos designed by Stuart Wright-Stow and his F3 team, each with space for two people. You can dine and lounge downstairs, then head up the spiral staircase to your queen-size bed, private bathroom and outdoor balcony on the second level. A ground-floor silo also offers accessible accommodations for farm fanatics as well as families of up to two adults and two children. Eco-minded travelers will appreciate the earth-friendly features throughout the property, including a pellet boiler that heats and powers the complex, and a Biolytix system that uses worms to break down waste.
Hotel Costa Verde in Quepos, Costa Rica
Have trouble sleeping on a plane? What if it were permanently parked? At Hotel Costa Verde, a vintage Boeing 727 has been converted into a two-bedroom suite, set in a Costa Rican jungle between Manuel Antonio National Park and the Pacific Ocean. No worries of airplane claustrophobia here; there’s plenty of space to move about the cabin, and guests can also lounge on the sundeck, sip cocktails at the bar and cool off in the property’s cliff-side pools.
The Liberty Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts
While most people prefer to stay out of prison, some travelers will pay to spend their vacation in one. Of course, you certainly won’t sleep in a barren cell at the (now luxury) Liberty Hotel, but the property does offer a nod to its past life as the Charles Street Jail with prison-themed names for its rooms and lounges. Dine at The Clink restaurant or grab a drink at The Alibi, the hotel’s cocktail bar and former jailhouse drunk tank.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the only prison converted into a hotel. The trend has grown in recent years. Now, you can sleep in a former jail cell at Hostel Celica in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Satisfy your criminal curiosity with an overnight at St. Drogo’s, a small-town jail-turned-boutique hotel in Upstate New York. Or enjoy a five-star stay, quite unlike previous inmates, at The Interlude (formerly the Pentridge Prison) in Melbourne, Australia, or the Four Seasons Sultanahmet (once known as the Sultanahmet Jail) in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The Jubilee Railroad Wilderness Lodge in Dunsmuir, California
All aboard for a true train lover’s fantasy! Situated on 43 densely forested acres just five minutes from the Dunsmuir Station, this wonderfully weird hotel includes accommodations retrofitted from old train cabooses. There’s also a farm-to-table restaurant on-site—inside an original Pullman Club Car from the 1800s. Yes, this means you can take a modern Amtrak train to Dunsmuir, then sleep and dine in the historic train cars at Jubilee.
Below the surface, something special has long been bubbling up here. This area is home to the state’s largest underground natural aquifers of pristine water and the largest spring-fed river system in the western U.S. The Winnemem Wintu, the original people of these lands, called this area “the place of strong waters,” and when trains made their way here in the late 1800s, people from San Francisco eagerly boarded the Wonderland Express to reach these “healing waters.”
If you’re a train and horror film fanatic in search of another weird hotel, check out The Antlers Inn in Texas, where you can sleep in a renovated train caboose and dine inside the restored Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie set.
Crane Hotel Faralda in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Have you ever seen a construction crane and thought “I could sleep there”? Apparently, the creators of Crane Hotel Faralda did! They built three two-story luxury suites in a dockside construction crane in Amsterdam. The “Free Spirit” suite dangles at 115 feet, while the “Secret” suite hangs at 131 feet, and a stay in the “Mystique” will have you flying high at 147 feet. Fully embrace your aerial Amsterdam experience with a dive from the Crane Hotel Faralda’s bungee platform, a dip in the pool and a cocktail at the Sky High Panoramic Lounge. Another quirky (or queasy) touch? The crane still sways in the wind, so your views from the Crane Hotel Faralda are ever-changing.
Tarangire Treetops by Elewana in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
This unique lodge in Tanzania will fulfill your childhood treehouse fantasies while also providing you with the grown-up luxuries of copper tubs, open-air showers and lantern-lit dinners. Here you can wake to the sound of elephants walking below or giraffes chewing their morning meal, then frolic along the baobab and marula treetop walkways. “It doesn’t feel like a lodge,” Georgia Fowkes, a travel content creator and travel advisor at Altezza Travel, says after staying at Tarangire Treetops while coordinating a custom tree-to-coast itinerary for honeymoon clients. “It feels like someone built a childhood dream—then left it open for giraffes to wander through while you sleep above the trees.”
Free Spirit Spheres in British Columbia, Canada
Looking for an adults-only experience among the trees? Opt for the Free Spirit Spheres, three globular wooden and fiberglass rooms suspended in the rainforests of Vancouver Island. The journey to each sphere is unique and may involve small bridges and spiral staircases in this wood nymph wonderland. But you’ll also have some human comforts: All the spheres are equipped with Wi-Fi, built-in speakers, electric heat and composting outdoor toilets, with access to a private heated bathhouse and shared sauna, barbecue and kitchen below.
Hotel of Ice in Bâlea Lac, Romania
Hotel of Ice, located near Bâlea Lake in Romania’s Fagaras Mountains, is accessible only by cable car. And that’s just the beginning of this icy adventure. The hotel itself—which includes dome-shaped accommodations, a restaurant and a church—is built from ice “bricks,” handcrafted from the lake water by local artisans. All the frozen structures melt when the weather warms up in the spring, and the hotel is reconstructed in a different theme each winter. So if you appreciate novelty and a good lesson in impermanence, this hotel is for you!
Borealis Basecamp in Fairbanks, Alaska
Want the comforts of your warm bed and the magic of the Aurora Borealis? Kelly Lewis, a frequent traveler and the CEO of boutique tour company Damesly, recommends heading to one of her favorite unique hotels, Borealis Basecamp in Fairbanks, Alaska. The 16-foot window on the roof of the fiberglass domes gives you a direct view of the sky. “You can lie in a soft, cozy bed and watch the Northern Lights dance above your head,” says Lewis. “It’s out-of-this-world fantastic. We stay here every year on our Damesly Alaska tour.”
If you’re keen on culture and traveling to Canada, you can find a similar Northern Lights experience—combined with Métis heritage and ancestral knowledge—in the Sky Watching Domes at Métis Crossing in Alberta.
Prairie Hotel in Parachilna, South Australia
Do your dreams of experiencing Australia’s outback include overnighting in a remote location, exploring ancient fossil fields and feasting on food from the bush? Then put the Prairie Hotel on your itinerary, pronto. At this quirky lodge, set on the rust-red plains of Parachilna, the energy-efficient outback architecture protects you from the dust and sun, with some rooms (like the one I stayed in!) partially submerged underground. At the on-site restaurant, you can fuel up on a “feral feast” of emu pâte, kangaroo fillet and other unique outback flavors before venturing to the nearby Nilpena Ediacara Fossil Fields to get a peek into this area’s 555-million-year-old past.
Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, Michigan
If horse-drawn carriages are your preferred mode of transportation, you’ve got to get to Grand Hotel. This National Historic Landmark sits on an island that’s been car-free since July 6, 1968, with transportation provided solely by horse-drawn carriages and bicycles (and snowmobiles during the winter). This island is the only place in the U.S. where you’ll be shuttled around a golf course by a horse and carriage.
Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island’s quirky claims to fame don’t stop there. The hotel also has the world’s longest front porch and 388 distinct rooms and suites (no two are alike), and the island holds the title of “Fudge Capital of the World,” producing more than 10,000 pounds of fudge daily during the summer season.
Shash Diné Eco-Retreat in Page, Arizona
Go off the grid (for real—no electricity or running water here!) and connect with the land and local culture at Shash Diné Eco-Retreat. Located on a working sheep farm near Page, Arizona, the rustic hotel introduces guests to the culture of the Diné, or Navajo People, and offers a chance to commune with nature during your stay in a canvas bell tent or covered sheepherder wagon. In the winter, there’s also the option to overnight in a container-like cabin or a traditional, dome-shaped Navajo dwelling called a hogan—one of which was the home of the retreat owner’s grandmother. Here, you can kick-start your day with a refreshing bucket shower and a hearty Navajo breakfast of blue corn porridge.
Banyan Tree AlUla in Saudi Arabia
Banyan Tree AlUla’s uniquely tented villas, decked in handcrafted antiques and positioned amid ancient, rugged rock formations, are a nod to the region’s Nabataean traditions. But the Arabian-style accommodations aren’t even the most captivating thing about this hotel. The man-made rock pool mimics the way a wadi (canyon) would fill when it rains, convincingly tricking the eye like a desert mirage.
And if you’re the type to geek out over geological formations, ancient inscriptions and rock-carved structures, you’ll also appreciate the “open-air museum” vibes here with UNESCO-listed Hegra (and its more than 100 hauntingly beautiful tombs), Jabal Ikmah (with the region’s highest concentration of inscriptions) and the quirky Elephant Rock just minutes away. If all that still doesn’t satisfy your curiosity for the uncommon, you can see Maraya—a massive art installation and event center reflecting the desert landscape in its 9,740 mirrored panels—from your home base at Banyan Tree AlUla.
Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge in Manitoba, Canada
Your wild ride starts with caribou-spotting from the bush plane en route to Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge. But the craziest thing about this hotel is not that it’s Churchill Wild’s most remote wilderness lodge. It’s that this is the only place where you can join a guided trek in polar bear territory.
While these animals can appear so darn cute and cuddly, keep in mind, they are wild, they can weigh around a ton and this is not a zoo. The lodge team will train you on polar bear protocol in case you encounter one—or many, as we did during my stay. We saw a mama polar bear with cubs on our first walk, a single polar bear cooling off in the mud, another one sauntering across the bush plane runway while we ate dinner indoors and another one resting on the ground with its eyes on us! Undoubtedly one of the most unique hotel experiences I’ve had in 20 years of travel.
Mt. Plaisir Estate Hotel in Grande Riviere, Trinidad
If witnessing turtles nesting or hatching is on your bucket list, take note. What makes Mt. Plaisir Estate Hotel unusual (and one of my personal top picks) is that it’s the only place on the planet where travelers can stay at the world’s highest-density leatherback turtle nesting site. That’s right: Massive turtles come to shore just steps from your front door. I saw them with my own eyes recently, and Len Peters, a local conservationist and chairman of the Grande Riviere Nature Tour Guide Association, confirmed that data collection dating back to the 1980s shows that 300 to 500 leatherback turtles come to this beach every night during the March-to-August mating season.
The big-hearted, eco-minded owners of Mt. Plaisir Estate Hotel regularly advocate for the turtles, to ensure this beach continues to be a safe place for them. They’ve even helped convince the town to replace white lights—which can lead turtles astray—with red ones during nesting season.
The Manta Resort in Pemba Island, Tanzania
Dream of sleeping under the sea? Fowkes recommends booking an Underwater Room, a three-level suite anchored in the Indian Ocean, at The Manta Resort. You can relax above the surface in your private floating lounge, stargaze on the roof deck, then head to bed in your sea chamber 13 feet below the surface. A staff member kayaks by once a day to check on you, but otherwise, you’re on your own to immerse in the surreal setting. “There’s a moment when the support boat pulls away and you realize it’s just you and the ocean,” Fowkes says. “I knew the Underwater Room would be cool. What I didn’t expect was how quiet it would be. No boats. No land. Just the sound of your own heartbeat underwater. I fell asleep with reef fish drifting past the windows, and woke up feeling like I’d been dropped into a Jacques Cousteau film.”
Big Cypress Lodge in Memphis, Tennessee
What do you get when you set a wilderness-themed lodge inside a pyramid in Tennessee? A truly weird hotel, of course! Big Cypress Lodge, located in the upper levels of the 32-story Memphis Pyramid, offers luxury suites, treehouse retreats and cabins. And it gets even weirder: Many of these rooms have porches overlooking the Bass Pro Shops and an indoor “swamp” complete with alligators, cypress trees and the sounds of nature. Take the world’s tallest free-standing elevator up to the Lookout to enjoy the rooftop restaurant and an observation deck with glass floors and views of the Mississippi River. Or explore the lower levels where you can practice archery and bowl in an ocean-themed alley. This blend of boutique accommodations and theme-park-level spectacle inside a geometric landmark certainly makes for a one-of-a-kind stay.
Inn at 500 Capitol in Boise, Idaho
With its on-site steakhouse and complimentary cruiser bikes, airport transfers and local wine and beer, you might mistake The Inn at 500 for just another boutique luxury property. But take a peek inside and you’ll see that it’s also a wonderfully weird hotel—in the most Idaho way. Of the 110 guest rooms, 57 are themed rooms that tell Boise’s story, from paying homage to the beloved Egyptian Theater to highlighting local Basque culture and celebrating the City of Trees. And yes, french-fry fanatics, there is indeed a Potato Suite with spud-inspired artwork that includes a large painting featuring mouthwatering fries and a framed photo of Marilyn Monroe dressed in an Idaho potato sack.
Charmed Resorts in Alberta, Canada
Searching for a storybook experience for your next family vacation? Keep the little ones entertained at Charmed Resorts, where each of the 16 cottages brings a popular fairy tale to life. Let the kids’ imaginations run wild as they wander the secret passageways of Beast’s Castle, search for Tinkerbelle’s tiny home at the Lost Boy’s Treehouse, play Peter Pan at Hook’s Pirate Ship or embark on other adventures. Parents will be happy to know these cottages aren’t just child’s play; each one includes an electric fireplace, a kitchenette, a private fire pit and a wood-fired hot tub.
Nayara Hangaroa in Rapa Nui, Chile
Nayara Hangaroa’s distinct, circular, cocoon-like villas are not only visually interesting, they’re also backed by science and the advice of a shaman! Before collaborating with any architects or designers, Nayara consulted a shaman who advised them to use circular shapes to promote better sleep. Intrigued by this concept, a rep for Nayara shared that she recently dug into the topic and found that psychological studies have also shown the part of the brain associated with fear and anxiety is quieted when people look at curves rather than angular objects.
You’ll also find thoughtful architectural and design choices beyond the villas. Conceived by architect Tomas Bunster with interior design by Paula Gutierrez, the colors, textures, grass roofs, thick walls and layout of the overall property are intended to blend with the natural environment and pay homage to the ceremonial village of Orongo and the traditional architecture of Rapa Nui culture.
Rio Perdido Hotel in Guanacaste, Costa Rica
While many visitors flock to the popular beaches and rainforests Costa Rica is famous for, a peaceful oasis (and one of my favorite unique hotels) is hiding in the dry forest just one hour from Liberia Airport. Located along a thermal river, Rio Perdido Hotel quietly exists in harmony with nature. No air conditioning in the restaurant? No problem! Rio Perdido’s use of bioclimatic architecture—that includes elevated platforms, natural air circulation, generous roof overhangs that protect from sun and rain, and materials to reflect solar heat—ensures comfortable temps, even when you dine during peak sunlight hours, as I did.
The bungalows’ biophilic design (a fancy way of saying “design that aims to connect people with nature”) might even appear oddly simple at first glance. But it’s all intentional and may benefit your health. The minimalistic earth-colored decor and wooden accents can have a grounding effect, and the large windows offer the chance for meditative, unobstructed views of the forest, monkeys and hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife. This is thanks to another deliberate yet subtle design concept called passive wellness that naturally promotes well-being without guests’ effort. Who knew wonderfully weird hotels could be so good for you!
The Veil in Astana, Kazakhstan
Want to go back to the future in style? This is the hotel for you. The Veil’s facade, with its striking peaked roof and dark windows contrasted against beige walls, feels both ancient and futuristic. And that’s precisely the point: It’s intended to reflect the country’s cultural heritage and physical diversity alongside the city’s opulence and rapid modernization. Step inside and you’ll find the drama continues with abstract furnishings, archways and spiral staircases balanced by wooden and metallic accents, luxurious fabrics and soft lighting.
Avantgarde Refined Cappadocia in Türkiye
If you’ve ever felt like crawling into a cave, here’s your chance. And it’s surprisingly much more comfortable than you might imagine a rock dwelling to be! Think of it like an elevated earth cocoon that merges traditional cave accommodations with modern comforts, where you can rest easy with the support of underfloor heating, a pillow menu and an adjustable bed. And when you’re ready to emerge, you’ll find a serenity garden outside and opportunities to engage with local artisans through pottery, art and culture workshops.
The World’s Smallest Hotel in Al Jaya, Jordan
Would you spend the night inside a broken-down Volkswagen Beetle in the desert? Hundreds of visitors to Jordan have. The so-called “World’s Smallest Hotel” is an old, stripped-down VW Beetle, furnished with a mattress, handmade blankets and embroidered pillows, and parked on the roadside just five minutes from Shobak Castle. While the accommodations are undeniably small and simple, the Jordanian hospitality is plentiful. The hotel’s owner, Mohammed Malaheem (also known in the neighborhood as Abu Ali), warmly welcomes international visitors and serves up home-cooked meals prepared by his wife and daughter.
About the experts
|
Why trust us
Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. For this piece on unique and weird hotels, freelancer Sunny Fitzgerald tapped her experience as a travel journalist. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
