Offbeat Accommodations
From SmarterTravel
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What is Offbeat Lodging?
From napping in tree branches to literally sleeping with the fishes, offbeat lodging encompasses a wide range of places to stay. Typically, most offbeat "hotels" have a bit of quirky character, with special traits that separate them from the cookie-cutter chain. Whether it be the structure, decoration, location, or even the spirited guests, each of these accommodations add something truly unique to any vacation.
Boats and Houseboats
Castles
- Castle Colmberg, Colmberg, Germany:
Caves
Couch Surfing
Couch Surfing can be a great way to travel or meet new people. Travelers can either share a couch of their own, or crash on someone else's.
Haunted Hotels
- The Marshall House, Savannah, Georgia:
- Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, Fall River, Massachusetts:
- The Stanley Estes Park, Colorado:
- The Queen Mary, Long Beach, California:
- Farnsworth House Inn, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Ice Hotels
- ICEHOTEL, Lapland, Sweden:
- Ice Hotel Canada, Quebec, Canada:
Farms
- Leaping Lamb Farm Stay, Alsea, Oregon:
Lighthouses
By staying in one of the many majestic lighthouses across the country, guests can be the keeper of the light. At night, they can listen to waves crashing against the cliffs, as the solitary light penetrates the dark sea, beckoning wayward ships home.
- Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel, California:
- Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel, California:
- Rose Island Lighthouse, Newport, Rhode Island:
- Cape Otway Lightstation, Victoria, Australia:
- Westpoint Lighthouse, Prince Edward Island, Canada:
Lighthouses with Overnight Accommodations: A list of lighthouses located in The U.S. and Canada that offer lodging.
Monasteries
More Unique Places to Stay
Airplanes
- The Jumbo Hostel is a hostel in a retired jumbo jet near the Arlanda Airport in Stockholm, Sweden.
Railroad Cars
- Featherbed Railroad Caboose Bed and Breakfast Resort, Clearlake, California:
Theme Hotels
- Madonna Hotel, San Luis Opisbo, California:
- Propeller Island, Berlin, Germany:
Treehouses
Guests can return to their childhood roots by staying in one of these towering treehouses. These private forts are built high above the ground, and most offer views that would make Tarzan green with envy.
- Cedar Creek Treehouse, Ahsford, Washington:
- Costa Rica Treehouse Lodge, Costa Rica:
- Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, Amazon, Brazil:
- Out'n'About Tree Resort, Cave Junction, Oregon:
- Hotel Woodpecker, Vasteras, Sweden
Underwater Experience
Dive into adventure by staying beneath the waves in one of these underwater hotels.
- Poseidon Underwater Resort, Fiji:
- Jules' Undersea Lodge, Key Largo, Florida
Vintage Trailers
Nine vintage travel trailers, an airporter bus, and a 38-foot pleasure boat are the accommodations options at the Shady Dell in Bisbee, Arizona.
Wigwams
These unique concrete structures once provided sweet relief from the hot pavement of endless highways. Seven Wigwam villages were built between the 1930's and 1950's, from Florida to California. Today, only a few still serve as a place to stay, but all remain a novelty throwback to the kitsch of the past.
- Wigwam Village Inn #2, Cave City, Kentucky
- Wigwam Motel #6, Holbrook, Arizona: Located along Route 66, and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
- California Wigwam Motel #7, Rialto, California
Yurts
- The Hoopoe Yurt Hotel, Andalucia, Spain:
- Treebones Resort, Big Sur, California:
- Yellowstone Yurt Camp, Yellowstone National Park: