Forget generic lobbies and uniform floor plans. If you’re looking for a stay as memorable as the city, you have some truly surreal options. They are available around the world. You can sleep inside an airplane in a tropical rain forest. Another choice is to drift into a deep slumber 16 feet beneath the Indian Ocean. These hotels defy conventional architecture and logic.
You are an adventure seeker. You’re a design enthusiast. Or maybe you’re just someone who wants a morning coffee with a giraffe. If so, this is for you. Here are the 10 most unique hotels around the world for your 2026 travel bucket list.
Giraffe Manor (Nairobi, Kenya)
This 1930th-style manor house is world-famous for its resident herd of Rothschild’s giraffes. The long-necked residents often poke their heads through the windows during breakfast. They also do this as you relax in your room, hoping for a treat. It’s a rare, intimate meeting that blends colonial charm with wild conservation.
To make the most of your stay, book the Betty or Daisy rooms. These specific suites have balconies. You can feed the giraffes directly from your window. This can all happen before you even head down to breakfast. It’s perhaps the only place on Earth where a giraffe is your morning alarm clock.
The Muraka at Conrad Maldives (Rangali Island, Maldives)
The Muraka is a two-level residence with a master bedroom submerged 16 feet below the Indian Ocean. You can fall asleep watching sharks and stingrays glide over your 180-degree acrylic dome ceiling.
Beyond the view, the suite comes with a 24/7 dedicated butler and private chef. If the “underwater fantasia” feels too secluded, you can head to the upper deck to enjoy your private infinity pool. Alternatively, book a table at Ithaa, the resort’s underwater restaurant. Ithaa is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful in the world.
Treehotel (Harads, Sweden)
Located in a pine forest in Swedish Lapland, this hotel features high-concept “treerooms” designed by leading Scandinavian architects. Choose between a Mirrorcube that reflects the forest, a giant Bird’s Nest, or even a 1950s-style UFO.
Check out the newest addition, The Biosphere, designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). The room is wrapped in 350 bird nests. It creates a symbiotic habitat. Guests can live in the heart of a bird sanctuary while enjoying a sleek, modern interior.
Skylodge Adventure Suites (Sacred Valley, Peru)
These transparent luxury capsules are bolted to a cliff side 400 meters above the Sacred Valley. To reach your bed, you need to hike a challenging trail. Alternatively, you can climb a vertical rock face via a via ferrata.
The adventure doesn’t end with the climb. Your descent is via a zipline. It whisks you back down to the valley floor after sunrise. Dining here is equally extreme. Gourmet meals and wine are served on top of the capsules. You are securely harnessed to the structure.
Icehotel (Jukkasjärvi, Sweden)
The world’s original hotel made of ice and snow is rebuilt every winter. Each room is a unique art installation hand-carved by international artists using “snice” (snow and ice) from the Torne River.
For 2026, the Icehotel 36 rendition features a full-scale grand piano made entirely of ice. If you’re worried about the cold, you can opt for the year-round “Icehotel 365” section. It uses solar-powered cooling to keep the ice sculptures intact even during the summer.
Palacio de Sal (Uyuni, Bolivia)
This hotel is located on the edge of the world’s largest salt flats. It is built almost entirely from one million blocks of salt. The construction includes the walls, floors, and much of the furniture.
Visit the Andean Spa. It features a saltwater pool with a glass wall. This wall faces the vast, white expanse of the Salar de Uyuni. At night, the lack of light pollution turns the salt flats into a natural mirror for the stars. This effect makes the “Salt Palace” feel like a station on another planet.
Hotel Costa Verde (Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica)
This resort features a refurbished 1965 Boeing 727 airframe perched on a 50-foot pedestal in the jungle. The interior is paneled with local teak, and the wings serve as balconies.
Staying here puts you at eye-level with the jungle canopy, meaning your neighbors are literally sloths, toucans, and monkeys. For dinner, head over to the on-site “El Avión” restaurant. It is a converted Fairchild C-123 cargo plane. This plane has its own fascinating history involving the Iran-Contra scandal.
Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita (Matera, Italy)
Stay in the ancient Sassi of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This hotel consists of restored cave dwellings that date back thousands of years, preserved with a radically minimalist design.
The hotel offers a “digital detox” atmosphere, using candles and soft floor lighting to highlight the ancient stone. For a truly spiritual start to your day, breakfast is provided in a 13th-century rock church. This church has been converted within the hotel complex and is called Cripta della Civita.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort (Saariselkä, Finland)
Famous for its Glass Igloos, this resort allows you to admire the Northern Lights from the comfort of your bed. The thermal glass prevents frosting, keeping the view crystal clear.
2026 is a “Solar Maximum” year. This means the Northern Lights will be more frequent. They will also be more vivid than they have been in over a decade. Book a stay during the spring or autumn equinox. This timing increases your chances of seeing the most intense aurora displays directly through your igloo roof.
Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam (Zaandam, Netherlands)
This hotel looks like a stack of nearly 70 traditional Dutch houses. The “Lego-like” facade represents four distinct styles of local architecture, ranging from notary houses to worker cottages.
Look for the “Blue House” section on the corner of the facade. It was inspired by a painting Claude Monet created. He painted it while visiting Zaandam in 1871. Inside, the rooms extend the theme even more. They display historical photos and local motifs. These elements tell the story of the Zaan region’s industrial heritage.
Choosing the right hotel isn’t just about finding a place to sleep. It’s about choosing the kind of story you want to tell when you get home. You might find yourself waking up to a giraffe at your window in Kenya. Alternatively, you could be watching the Northern Lights from a glass igloo in Finland. These stays offer a rare perspective on the world. This is something a standard hotel room simply can’t match.
In 2026, travel is increasingly about these “once-in-a-lifetime” moments. Some of these locations need a bit of an adventurous spirit. You might even need a harness. However, the memories—and the photos—are guaranteed to last far longer than your tan. So, as you plan your next escape, think about trying something unusual. Step into a cave, a tree house, or a salt palace.
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