The World’s Top Ten Weird Hotels and Hostels

We scoured the world for weird and unusual hotels and hostels and, by George, we found some! So, today we’re asking the simple question:

Why sleep in a normal hotel when you can sleep…

1. In a courthouse

Clink78, London

Clink78 is a Victorian magistrates’ courthouse turned hostel in London’s King’s Cross. It has two original courtrooms (now TV and internet lounges) and seven prison cells to sleep in.

2. In a trailer

The Grand Daddy, Cape Town

Cape Town’s The Grand Daddy has a trash-tastic little secret on its roof – a trailer park. There are seven individually-designed Airstream trailers to choose from, with names like Pleasantville and Afro-Funk.

3. In a survival pod

Capsule Hotel, Den Haag

The Capsule Hotel in Den Haag is made up of moored, floating escape pods made in 1972 for use on an oil rig. You can sleep in a basic pod, or upgrade to one with silk sheets and a disco ball.

4. In a cave

The Village Cave Hotel, Cappadocia

The Village Cave Hotel in Cappadocia, Turkey takes over the collection of houses hewn out of the rock that made up the old village Çavuşin. With vaulted, stone rooms dating back to the 18th century, a stay here feels like a step into the past.

5. In a jumbo jet

Jumbo Stay, Stockholm

Parked at the entrance of Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, the 1976 747-200 jet jumbo stay now holds private and dorm-style sleeping quarters. Best is the luxury suite in the converted cockpit, with panoramic views of the airfield.

6. In jail

Jailhouse Accommodation, Christchurch

Built in 1874, this Gothic Revivalist building in Christchurch was a jail, women’s prison and military camp before becoming a hostel in 2006. Jailhouse Accommodation offers rooms in former cells and takes mugshots of all its guests!

7. On a boat

Rygerfjord Hotel and Hostel, Stockholm

Docked at Söder Mälarstrand in the middle of Stockholm, ‘50s ferry Rygerfjord became a floating hotel and hostel in 1995. There are 55 cabin rooms, from the luxury Captain’s Cabin to downstairs dorms with underwater porthole views.

8. Under the sea

Poseidon Resort, Fiji

Taking reservations for a snip at $15000 per person, per week, the not-open-yet Poseidon Resort off Fiji offers 24 ocean floor suites, 40 feet under water. Pod-shaped rooms have 270-degree sea views, and there’s also a spa and wedding chapel.

9. In a treehouse

Kadir’s Treehouse, Olympos

Looking sort of like the Lost Boys’ hideout – if the lost boys grew up and added on a nightclub and pizza place – Kadir’s Treehouse in Olympos, Turkey is made up of huts and stilted buildings. And yep, some bedrooms are in actual tree houses.

10. Inside a beagle

Dog Bark Park Inn, Idaho

This beagle-shaped B&B in Cottonwood, Idaho is known locally as Sweet Willy. The giant wooden dog has two bedrooms (including a loft room in its head), and is owned by a couple of chainsaw artists who specialise in doggy sculptures.

Enough weirdness for one day? See the rest of our lovely (and mostly normal) cheap hotels and hostels.

Words: Isabel Clift

Image sources, with thanks: 1 2 3 4