When an ordinary room just won’t do, we know where to find the most unusual places to lay your head down for the night. Check out these wild, crazy, and weird accommodations, including hotel rooms built in caves, cabooses, and even jails.
Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego, Calif.
Glitz and glamour the old-fashioned way, Hotel del Coronado has been dazzling guests for more than 125 years. The hotel has hosted celebrities, U.S. presidents, and even ghosts. Author L. Frank Baum reportedly wrote three Oz books while staying at the property and even modeled some of the land and its famous aspects after the hotel, and you’ve seen Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. But what features make the “Hotel Del” unique? The hotel’s turret actually has a dropped ceiling, creating a secret space with an interior balcony where guests used to look down upon the ballroom as well as enjoy 360-degree views, though this section is no longer open to the public. The hotel’s ghost, Kate Morgan, has teased visitors for years by flickering lights and randomly moving objects, and with all the hotel’s original wood paneling and glimmering chandeliers, you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back in time to stay at this luxury resort.
Featherbed Railroad Caboose Bed and Breakfast, Nice, Calif.
“Unique” is a tame classification for this hotel. The Featherbed Railroad Caboose Bed and Breakfast not only answers the question, “Where do little red caboose cars go to retire?” but also was listed as one of the 10 Best Places to Sleep with a G-G-Ghost! by the editors of USA Today. Each room is actually a caboose (with a featherbed, of course) and overlooks private boat launch and beach, plus several guests have mentioned an unexpected guest in the Celebrations caboose—a man in striped PJs.
The Liberty, Boston, Mass.
A truly unique view of our 90-foot rotunda lobby, by Instagrammer @christiannpolitano. Follow us on Instagram @liberty_hotel !
Posted by Liberty Hotel Boston on Monday, January 25, 2016
Way back when, this chic property was the Charles Street Jail. Following a $150-million renovation, the historic building is now a hotel that belongs to the Starwood Luxury Collection with a 90-foot rotunda and a new 16-story building that houses the elegant rooms. Explore the hotel’s funky lobby with glass catwalks, brick walls, and and the vestiges of old cells, reminding visitors of the not-so-good-old days, but if you want to stay in the old jail house, there is a limited number of rooms available. The hotel also pays homage to its past with the “Clink” restaurant and the “Alibi” bar.
Cedar Creek Treehouse, Ashford, Wash.
Named as one of the best tree house hotels by The Guardian, Boston Globe, The London Independent, USA Today, Chicago Tribune—we could go on and on, but this B&B allows you to live out your childhood fantasies, only this time your luxury clubhouse is 50 feet up in a 200-year old Western Red Cedar tree. Located near the Nisqually River Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, the hotel also boasts a glass-enclosed observation area, perfect for getting a birds-eye view of the eagles that regularly fly by and stunning views of the majestic mountain nearby.
The Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho
It’s probably safe to say that the only place in the world you’ll find a hotel shaped like a giant beagle is at this popular stop on Highway 95. Nicknamed “Sweet Willy” by locals, the giant dog stands 30 feet high and has only one guest room, but accommodation includes a breakfast with tea, coffee, fresh fruit, bagels, home-baked pastries, and “The Prairie’s Best Fruited Granola.” (Pets are welcome with prior approval, of course.)
The Library Hotel, New York, N.Y.
If you like curling up with a good book, why not do it with the whole library? Lovers of the Dewey Decimal System are in for a treat because each guestroom floor is inspired by a class of the system, and each of the 60 rooms come with a collection of books from the floor’s respective class. The hotel also hosts a quiet poetry garden, a communal writer’s den, and a reading room, plus guests receive a complimentary deluxe continental breakfast buffet with hot and cold selections; a wine and cheese reception with red and white wines, Prosecco, and a selection of snacks; complimentary afternoon tea and cookies in the Reading Room; free Wi-Fi; complimentary access to New York Sports Club; and a choice of 6,000 books to read while on premise.
Beckham Creek Cave Haven, Parthenon, Ark.
It’s called Cave Haven because that’s just what it is, hotel rooms with amenities like whirlpool tubs and central heating, right in the middle of a cave. The luxury property was built into the stone but still managed to keep the naturally formed rock walls and waterfalls intact. Of course, spelunking (cave exploring) can be found nearby, as well as hiking and other nature activities. (The hotel is currently closed for renovations.)
Amangiri, Canyon Point, Utah
This hotel has the dual distinction of being very unusual but also very luxurious. The resort is nearly hidden in a canyon near the Arizona border, and in addition to seamlessly blending in with the striking landscape, the hotel has a superior spa that combines the four elements of earth, wind, fire, and water through Navajo healing treatments and a world-class American Southwest restaurant. Each room offers an outdoor lounge and a fireplace as well as spectacular views of the desert landscape.
Earthship Biotecture, Tres Piedras, N.M.
This one-of-a-kind hotel proves that some of us may be better prepared to live on another planet than others. Listed as one of the best eco-stays in the world by Lonely Planet, this resort invites guests to sleep in sustainable pods made from recycled materials. The pods recycle their own water, generate their own power, and grow their own food. But don’t worry! Wi-Fi and Apple TV with Netflix are still allowed in from the outside.
El Cosmico, Marfa, Texas
El Cosmico calls its 21-acre desert location “a nomadic hotel and campground,” and here, you’ll find an eclectic collection of places to spend the night including vintage trailers, tents, tepees, and a Mongolian yurt. To socialize with fellow guests, be sure to head over to the hammock grove or the outdoor kitchen, or relax in one of the hotel’s wood-fired hot tubs. Also, as many of the accommodations are outdoors, the hotel recommends guests bring heavy jackets for winter stays as temperatures may fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
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