11. Icehotel, Sweden
When your home is in Jukkasjärvi in the extreme north of Sweden, you have to make do with the resources at hand – and of course, there’s snow and ice in abundance. Only in these extreme weather conditions could the modern marvel that is the Icehotel exist – for those who are brave enough to enter the deep chill.
Getty Images/Patrick Piel
Everything, from the furniture and walls, down to the glasses with which you sip your drinks, are crafted out of ice from the nearby river. Your bedroom is below freezing, but don’t worry: this unbelievable place, literally the coolest hotel around, provides you with proper equipment to handle the cold as you sleep.
12. Sala Silvermine, Sweden
Feeling tired of all that fresh air? Seeking to get away from all those troubles and worries on the Earth’s surface? Then you’ll love this wacky guesthouse, carefully carved deep underground over a period of ten years. Located in central Sweden, this former silver mine is open to the public.
Instagram/salasilvergruva
To have a stay in this hotel, you’ll have to take the plunge and be comfortable with the fact that you are over 500 feet below ground. This is not only one of the coolest hotels you could find, but officially the deepest hotel suite on the planet. Thankfully, it sits in a pocket of warm air that keeps it from freezing.
13. Hotel Costa Verde, Costa Rica
In its past life, this classic 1965 Boeing 727 airplane served customers the world over, from South Africa to Colombia. It had been consigned to eternal rest at the airport in Costa Rica’s capital, San José, until it was reborn and given the most unusual makeover in its long life.
Wikimedia Commons/gotanero
The interior of the plane was gutted, refurbished in sumptuous teak wood imported from Java, and turned into a two-bedroom hotel. For its new purpose, the plane now resides perched at the edge of a national park, offering guests a stunning view of both the lush tropical jungle and the ocean.
14. La Balade des Gnomes, Belgium
Surely while you were made to read The Iliad in high school, you wondered for a hot moment: “What would it be like inside that Trojan horse?” This bizarre guesthouse, easily the coolest hotel in Belgium, is here to fulfill that fantasy – and so much more. Strolling around here is like stepping into a fairy tale.
Instagram/nuriaboixm
The angles are intentionally off, the windows are sometimes at a slant. There’s toadstools galore, peculiar woodwork, and an abundance of surprises for any guest. Each room has its own theme, such as a magical forest, or a ceiling strewn with celestial bodies, but this Trojan horse is surely the most intriguing.
15. De Vrouwe van Stavoren, Netherlands
Taxing a lovely trip to a vineyard can be the perfect way to treat yourself and your loved ones. Of course, there are those that tend to exaggerate a bit with the free samples. And then, of course, there’s the people who are so into wine that they would want to literally be wine.
Instagram/hotelvrouwevanstavoren
Chances are, no matter your size, there will be plenty of room for you inside one of these Dutch hotel’s rooms, made out of enormous wooden casks which can hold more than 14,000 liters of wine. At long last, you can stretch out and imagine what it feels like to be a fermenting grape.
