Some travelers think that the place where you lay your head on the road is just that - a place to sleep, or change clothes. But there are some trips where the accommodations are the main attraction. To the more daring traveler, the flower-quilted double bed and lacquered furniture of a typical hotel room is just plain boring. For the intrepid, quirky and adventurous globetrotter, here are 6 unique hotels from around the world.
# Hotel Ještěd, Czech RepublicCzech architect Karel Hubáček is responsible for the retro-futuristic tower rising over 300 ft (91m) above majestic Ještěd mountain. The building itself has a futuristic flare (or at least the future according to the 60s) both inside and out. The tower was designed to naturally extend the silhouette of the mountain it tops, but isn't merely decorative. It is a television transmitter, built to withstand the extreme climate.
# Giraffe Manor, KenyaThe Giraffe Manor, built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, is surrounded by 140 acres (57ha) of its own park and forest thirty minutes from the centre of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city, with superb views of the Ngong Hills. In 1974 Jock Leslie-Melville, grandson of a Scots earl, and his American wife Betty, who also founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), bought the Manor.
# Marqués de Riscal, SpainNestled in the renowned Vinos de los Herederos del Marques de Riscal’s vineyard in the medieval village of Elciego (Basque Country, northern Spain), the hotel’s spectacular curves, titanium roof and asymmetry of walls provide an elegant contrast to the historic wine cellars designed in 1858 by the architect Ricardo Bellsola.
# Inntel Hotel, NetherlandsThe new Inntel hotel in Zaandam is without a shadow of a doubt, the main eye-stopper in the revamped town centre and a building that has set many tongues wagging in the Netherlands. The iconic green wooden houses of the Zaan region were the fount of inspiration for the hotel’s designer, Wilfried van Winden (WAM architecten, Delft). The structure is a lively stacking of various examples of these traditional houses, ranging from a notary’s residence to a worker’s cottage.
# Sarova Saltlick Game Lodge, KenyaA thrilling destination for the true wildlife enthusiast, this unique hotel combines responsible ecotourism with amazing proximity to wildlife. This catering establishment is located in the midst of the Taita Hills Sanctuary, a private wildlife conservancy at the foot of the Taita Hills bordering Tsavo West National Park, approx. six hours drive from Nairobi or three and a half hours from Mombasa.
# The Marmara Antalya, TurkeyLocated on the famous Falez cliffs near Antalya, the world's only revolving hotel building gives guests magnificent 360° views. The complete 'Revolving Loft' annex building moves, with a full rotation of it's 24 guest bedrooms taking anywhere between 2 and 22 hours. The rotation is smooth, aided by 6 electric motors in the basement and you can go to sleep facing the sea and wake up facing the pool.