Riding the wave of curiosity sparked by Tim Burton’s film Alice in Wonderland, Hotels.com has put together a list of unusual hotels across the globe. These are fairytale-like, colorful, and whimsical places, dreamed up by creative architects with a playful touch for interior design.
It’s not only about unique design: some hotels are set inside rocks, others resemble Native American villages, or are converted prison cells and capsules—when reality exceeds imagination, these are the quirkiest places to stay.
Take Hotel The G in Galway, Ireland, for instance—think vibrant walls and bold geometric floors, especially in the in-house hair salon.
Or the Icehotel in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden. Here, you can sleep on ice, as the entire building is made of snow but equipped with all modern comforts.
Head to Portugal for the Internacional Design Hotel in Lisbon, where every floor has its own character and themed accessories—ranging from urban and zen to pop and tribal, complete with wall graffiti, bold designs, bamboo accents, and a soft, relaxing vibe.
Craving something truly unique? At the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in the Maldives, you can dine underwater in a glass restaurant built below sea level.
From fantastical open spaces to enclosed pods: in Tokyo, the Shinjuku Kuyakushomae Capsule Hotel lets guests experience capsule living. Shared spaces, budget prices, and sleeping quarters just 2 by 1 meters—not ideal for the claustrophobic!
On the subject of quirky stays, check out The Wigwam Motel in California: it recreates a Native American camp along Route 66, just a short drive from the Navajo reservation.
For those curious about what it’s like to sleep in a former prison, the Langholmen Hotel in Stockholm offers rooms inside an actual decommissioned penitentiary building. Here, you can even enjoy a candlelit dinner behind bars.
Lastly, The Village Cave Hotel in Goreme (Turkey) lets you immerse yourself in ancient atmosphere: built into rock formations in a deserted area that’s been uninhabited since the 1950s.
With so many offbeat ideas, the only trouble will be choosing your next adventure.
