Most Unique Hotels in the World

The original ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, is rebuilt from scratch every winter using ice from the Torne River. Each suite is designed by a different artist, meaning no two seasons are identical. Temperatures inside hover around -5°C, but thermal sleeping bags keep you warm.

For something more accessible, the Hotel de Glace near Quebec City, Canada offers a similar experience with easier flights from North America. Both typically operate from December through April.

Budget tip: Visit as a day guest (around £25) if you want to see the ice art without committing to a frosty night's sleep.

The Treehotel in Harads, Sweden takes treehouse design to architectural extremes. The Mirror Cube reflects the surrounding forest so perfectly it nearly vanishes, while the Bird's Nest looks exactly like its name suggests. Rooms start from around £400/night.

In Costa Rica, the Finca Bellavista Treehouse Community offers more rustic, affordable treehouse living in the rainforest canopy. Meanwhile, Keemala in Phuket, Thailand combines treehouse living with luxury spa facilities.

For families, the Chateaux dans les Arbres in France's Dordogne region offers spacious treehouse suites with full kitchens.

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island features the Muraka, a two-storey villa with a master bedroom submerged beneath the Indian Ocean. Floor-to-ceiling curved acrylic walls let you watch manta rays and reef sharks glide past your bed. Expect to pay around £10,000+ per night.

More affordable underwater experiences include the Manta Resort on Pemba Island, Tanzania, where a floating room sits partially submerged at around £900/night. In Singapore, the Ocean Suites at Resorts World Sentosa have windows directly into the aquarium.

Cappadocia in Turkey has turned its ancient cave dwellings into some of the world's most photogenic hotels. The Museum Hotel in Goreme features rooms carved into volcanic rock, with hot air balloons floating past your window at dawn. Prices range from £150 to £800/night.

In Santorini, Greece, cave hotels are carved into the caldera cliffs. Mystique and Canaves Oia offer infinity pools perched above the Aegean. For a budget option, look at Anemomilos in Oia.

Spain's Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcon in Guadix offers cave apartments from just £50/night.

Scarabeo Camp near Marrakech, Morocco sits on a private patch of the Agafay Desert with just 15 tents, no light pollution, and views of the Atlas Mountains. At around £150/night, it offers genuine desert immersion without the full Sahara trek.

For pure luxury, Soneva Jani in the Maldives and the Longitude 131 in Australia (overlooking Uluru) deliver extraordinary desert-meets-wilderness experiences. Jordan's Wadi Rum also has excellent options ranging from basic Bedouin camps (£30/night) to the glamorous Memories Aicha Luxury Camp.

The Arctic Bath in Harads, Sweden is a floating hotel and spa on the Lule River. In winter, it freezes into the ice. The circular design features rooms arranged around a central cold bath, with northern lights visible overhead.

In Amsterdam, houseboats have long been a local way of life, and now several converted barges operate as boutique hotels. The Botel in Prague offers affordable floating rooms on the Vltava River from around £40/night.

For something tropical, the Z Floating Suites in the Philippines offer overwater bungalows without Maldives prices.

The Liberty Hotel in Boston occupies the former Charles Street Jail, built in 1851. Original cell blocks now serve as dramatic common areas, while rooms offer harbour views. In Oxford, the Malmaison sits inside a Victorian prison with rooms in converted cells.

Other notable conversions include Het Arresthuis in the Netherlands (another jail), the Kruisherenhotel in Maastricht (a 15th-century monastery), and Qasr Al Sarab in Abu Dhabi (a desert fortress). Helsinki's Hotel Katajanokka and Stockholm's Langholmen Hotel are both former prisons turned boutique stays.

Unique hotels often have limited capacity, so advance booking is essential. Here are the key tips:

• Book 3 to 6 months ahead for seasonal properties (ice hotels, desert camps during peak season)
• Check cancellation policies carefully as many unique stays are non-refundable
• Read recent reviews on multiple platforms; unique does not always mean comfortable
• Consider shoulder season for better rates; many unique hotels have dramatic off-peak discounts
• Ask about add-ons like private dining, guided tours, or transfer packages that may be worth the splurge