Hotels of the World
It used to be that hotels were merely for business stopovers, they were a place you stayed simply for the bed and a nice meal. Now however, the whole concept of the hotel has changed. They are no longer merely a place to rest your head for the night; today’s hotels are places to immerse yourself in another world.
The modern hotel is all about giving its guests a new experience. It’s about offering a space that’s not so much a home away from home as it is an escape from home and the daily grind of everyday life.
From art-themed, to book themed, to green and clean to haute cuisine and high fashion, hotels have clung onto every chic and hip meme out there, developing them into posh design concepts which easily attract the curious and smart from all corners of the world to lay down their heads and their dollars for a night’s sleep.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that your standard luxury hotel has gone out of fashion. These are still very much in vogue. Sitting in the lap of luxury by the seaside sipping Mai Tais and other umbrella cocktails is a standard, especially for the jet setters and those on vacation. You can’t visit the pristine beaches of Phuket or the labyrinthine passage ways of Venice without finding a chic and exclusive hotel featuring big screen LCDs and 24 hour room service. These hotels will always be popular. You can always count on the big luxury chains like the Hilton or Four Seasons to offer you every creature comfort in the book.
But, for those looking for something different, for something a little more off the beaten track, something more adventuresome or creative, there are a host of options out there.
Here’s a look at just some of the latest and most unique hotels you can find in exotic and not so exotic locals around the world.
The Magic Mountain Hotel, located right in the middle of the beautiful and scenic Huilo Huilo nature reserve in Panguipulli, Chile is indeed a sight to behold. The hotel is one of a kind-it was actually constructed in the shape of a mountain. Guests will marvel at the waterfall which springs from the peak of the ‘mountain’ and flows down the sides. As the hotel makes its home in the midst of a forest, guests can go for hikes, enjoy the natural hot tub made from giant wooden logs, participate in white water rafting and go on customized skiing trips.
The Ice Hotel, in a little town in the north of Sweden called Jukkasakjarvi is a modern marvel. It’s constructed entirely of solid ice and snow. Guests have to don parkas and they can warm up with drinks at the hotel’s unique ice bar.
The Lighthouse at Harlingen Harbor in the Netherlands, once served to shepherd sailors and ships in the harbor; it was closed in’98, however, one intrepid individual determined that although the light might be extinguished, the historic structure and landmark itself could still be put to good use. The lighthouse is now a luxurious hotel; guests can sleep in the tower, where the beacon once was, or they can stay in the lifeboat, which now rescues people from the daily grind, rather than the harrowing north seas.
In Rome, visitors can stay at the Franklin Feel the Sound Hotel, located just a few steps away from the Vatican in the Prati quarter. This hotel is dedicated to good tunes-each room comes equipped with a state of the art sound system and you can borrow CDs and vinyl records in the lobby.
Damian Papworth enjoys helping travelers on their Gold Coast Holiday. As such, for added convenience he has built a search engine to choose Gold Coast hotels Australia.
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