We’re all creatures of habit. Yet sometimes breaking away from a traditional hotel can leave one feeling excited, expanded, and extraordinary. Have you ever slept under water? Or perhaps hanging off the edge of a cliff? Maybe you should.
Unusual Hotels with a Touch of Luxury
Here are five hotels we firmly feel you should add to your bucket list — and while quite unusual — each still offers the touch of luxury you seek:
1. The Muraka at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives
Half-hotel, half-aquarium, this luxury accommodation allows visitors to live undersea. And if watching schools of colorful fish swim by your head as you sleep isn’t close enough to the action, by day you might choose to dive or sail or scuba. Or perhaps you’ll choose a turtle safari, the whale and shark tours, or a night fishing expedition.
While the Muraka is the most expensive accommodation at the Conrad, and comes complete with a team of butlers, there are plenty of other luxury villas and above-water suites with beach, water and spa locations that are sure to delight.
Suspend reality and step into the underwater world of THE MURAKA. With design sitting in harmony with the natural environment, your senses are awakened – not overwhelmed. Form and function flow seamlessly, connecting our innovation to your inspired stay in a subaquatic garden.
2. Three Camel Lodge, Mongolia
If you really want to get away from it all, head for Mongolia. Why not check out the breathtaking beauty of the Gobi desert and the Gobi-Altai Mountains from a luxury ger? A ger is what the desert nomads traditionally build several times a year and then move. Not to worry, your ger will include a private bathroom, a wood stove, and custom furnishings, coupled with outstanding service.
Your nights at Three Camel Lodge, Mongolia’s premier eco-lodge and expedition camp, will be filled with uninterrupted starlight and your days with the flat expanse of the breathtaking Gobi. Thirty-five of Mongolia’s most luxurious and authentic accommodations face south with an incredible view of the never-ending Land of Blue Sky”
3. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Finland
Plan now to catch the northern lights from the glorious comfort of a glass igloo. The Aurora season lasts from late August until April. Autumn at the resort features the striking colors of the changing leaves, mushrooms and berries for the picking and tasting. You can also fish, canoe and go on a horseback safari. But winter at Kakslauttanen comes with its own bounty of magic:
The polar night, or kaamos, is a magical period in Lapland. The blue light of twilight, metres and metres of snow, and extreme frost — this is what the heart of winter is made of….What could soothe the soul more than skiing on densely packed snow or taking a snowmobile out in the crip, bright winter sunshine?
4. Skylodge Adventure Suites, Peru
Would you dare sleep in a clear dome hanging off the edge of a cliff? If so, head to Peru’s Sacred Valley. You’ll climb 400 metres (1,200 feet) to your mountainside nest. Skylodge Adventure Suites is located between the imperial capital Cusco and 15th century Inca citadel Machu Picchu. There you can drink some wine, then zipline to the dining capsule. Enjoy a gourmet dinner with other adventurers. Later, back at your pod, take in views of the Milky Way. Finally, rest soundly on a luxury mattress with a down quilt.
Located just one hour outside the city of Cuzco, the exclusive Skylodge Adventure Suites opens its doors to all those who love adventure and good food, offering a real Peruvian gastronomic experience combined with the thrill of arriving at the dining capsule.
5. Taj Lake Palace, India
Stay in a real-life pleasure palace built in 1746 by a young prince, Jag Niwas. It is situated in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India. Fortunately for us, this shockingly ornate palace turned into a five-star hotel in 1963. The world discovered what is known to many as the most romantic hotel on the globe, when it was featured like a character in James Bond’s film Octopussy. You’ll arrive by jetty to the hotel.
Booking.com calls Taj Lake Palace one of the best luxury resorts in the world. It includes a spa where you can melt your stress away using Indian massage and aromatherapeutic treatments.
This heritage hotel has 66 luxurious rooms and 17 grand suites. Its location on an island in the midst of a lake affords every room breathtaking views of the neighbouring City Palace, Aravalli Hills, Machla Magra Hills and Jag Mandir.
Your Favorite Unique Hotel
What is the most unique hotel you’ve ever visited? Did they have a chocolate fountain in lobby or, perhaps, offered snowshoes to guests upon entry? Next time you’re thinking about booking run-of-the-mill accommodations, think again. Where you stay can be part of the adventure.
