Forget traditional luxury hotels.
Around the world, a new wave of accommodation is redefining what it means to check in, swapping standard rooms for cliffside capsules, underwater bedrooms and glass domes beneath the Northern Lights. These properties turn the stay itself into the experience, offering travellers something far beyond a place to sleep.
Here are ten of the most radical places to stay in the world.
1. Skylodge Adventure Suites, Peru
Perched high above Peru’s Sacred Valley, Skylodge Adventure Suites are transparent capsules anchored to a vertical cliff face.
Guests must climb a via ferrata route or arrive by zipline before spending the night inside glass pods suspended around 400 metres above the valley floor.
Each suite offers panoramic views across the Andes, with sunrise and sunset transforming the landscape below.
It’s as much an adrenaline experience as it is a place to stay.
2. The Manta Resort Underwater Room, Tanzania
Located off Pemba Island, this floating structure features a submerged bedroom below sea level.
Guests sleep surrounded by tropical marine life, with fish illuminated by underwater lights at night. Above the water, a rooftop deck provides uninterrupted Indian Ocean views, creating a stay that blends isolation, nature and luxury.
3. Icehotel, Sweden
Rebuilt every winter in Swedish Lapland, Icehotel is constructed entirely from ice and snow.
Each room is individually designed by artists, featuring sculpted beds, frozen artwork and glowing ice walls. Guests sleep in thermal sleeping bags while temperatures remain below freezing, making this one of the world’s most unusual overnight experiences.
4. Treehotel Mirrorcube, Sweden
Hidden among northern Sweden’s forests, the Mirrorcube reflects the surrounding landscape, making the structure nearly invisible. Suspended among the trees, the room offers minimalist interiors and panoramic views. The design blends architecture and nature for a unique treetop stay.
5. Null Stern Hotel, Switzerland
Null Stern Hotel strips accommodation back to its essentials.
Guests sleep outdoors in a bed placed in the mountains, with no walls or roof, creating a stay that is completely exposed to the surrounding landscape.
The experience focuses purely on location, offering uninterrupted alpine views and a minimalist concept that challenges traditional hospitality. With nothing between guests and the environment, the stay highlights silence, open skies and the changing mountain scenery from sunrise to sunset.
6. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort Glass Igloos, Finland
These glass igloos in Finnish Lapland allow guests to watch the Northern Lights from bed. Heated glass domes keep frost away, ensuring clear views of the Arctic sky. Surrounded by snow-covered wilderness, the experience combines comfort with dramatic scenery.
7. Hotel Costa Verde 727 Fuselage, Costa Rica
A refurbished Boeing 727 aircraft in Costa Rica’s rainforest has been transformed into a luxury suite. Positioned on a platform overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the fuselage features wooden interiors and jungle views. It’s a unique blend of aviation history and tropical escape.
8. Giraffe Manor, Kenya
At Giraffe Manor, resident giraffes roam freely and often join guests at breakfast.
The animals lean through windows in search of treats, creating one of the world’s most memorable wildlife stays.
The boutique property combines classic design with immersive animal encounters.
9. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island – The Muraka
The Muraka suite features a fully submerged bedroom beneath the Indian Ocean. Guests sleep inside a curved dome surrounded by coral reefs and marine life. Above water, the villa includes private decks and luxury amenities, making it one of the most exclusive stays in the world.
10. Free Spirit Spheres, Canada
Suspended in British Columbia’s rainforest, these spherical treehouses hang from ropes and sway gently in the wind. Accessed by spiral staircases, the pods offer a peaceful forest immersion with handcrafted wooden interiors.
Experiential accommodation continues to reshape travel, with travellers increasingly choosing destinations based on where they can stay. From cliffside capsules in Peru to underwater suites in the Maldives, these properties turn accommodation into unforgettable experiences.
