Rate The Best Places To Stay All Around The World To Reveal Your Traveller Personality
- by Rose Moore
- – on
- in Lifestyle
One of the most important decisions to make when travelling is where to stay... and the place where you lay your head can end up making or breaking your holiday! Anyone who has wound up next to a construction site (or worse, basically in one!), sleeping on a mattress that has seen better days, or stuck in a shoebox of a room can tell you just how bad a bad hotel or hostel can be, but there are some truly amazing options out there as well.
From ice hotels to treehouses, five star resorts to houseboat hostels, if you can dream of staying somewhere, chances are it's already an option. Some of these places are even so incredible that they are destinations in and of themselves, rather than just somewhere to stay while taking in the local scenery - while others are just the best way to hang out somewhere other than home.
However, not all of these are going to be for everyone. While a few nights in a tree house might sound like a bucket-list option for the more adventurous traveler, others might prefer a comfy king sized bed and a long list of room service options... and we bet that we can tell you what kind of traveler you are based on how you would rate these hotels, hostels, and everything in between from one to five (one being the one you would least like to stay in).
Rate this ice hotel
How would you feel about staying in a frozen hotel made entirely of ice? There are now multiple similar hotels all over the world, but the original is in Sweden, and is built anew every year when the original hotel melts! However, if you want to go in summer, there is also the IceHotel 365, which is maintained throughout the year with icy (and warm) rooms.
Rate this houseboat 'boatel'
Amsterdam is certainly a city on the water, built around a series of canals and waterways, and it's common to see houseboats moored along the paths - but how would you like to stay on one? There are multiple houseboat hostels and B&Bs in the city, and some of them even take trips outside of the city to see the countryside.
Luxury highrise?
This iconic tower in Dubai has a reputation as one of the most luxurious hotels in the world - but that view doesn't come cheap! Would you love to wake up with these magnificent views, be driven around in a chauffeured Rolls Royce, and enjoy helicopter trips and a private beach?
Rate the Skyewalker Hostel in Scotland
There are plenty of quaint B&Bs in Scotland to stay in, but for something a little bit different, the Skyewalker Hostel offers the perfect place to relax and enjoy the scenery - a converted iron school, it is now a charming hostel with dorm rooms, a giant chess set, guitars in the lounge and an incredible glass garden dome where you can watch the stars...
Rate the Waldorf Astoria
This famed New York City hotel has been part of the city landscape for over a hundred years, although not everyone realizes that the hotel is now owned by the Hilton chain (and has been since the seventies). Despite the chain name, the Waldorf Astoria is still known as one of the most lavish and luxurious hotels in Manhattan.
Giant hammock hostel
This unique hostel in South America is known for one thing in particular - the giant hammock with a view out over the valley! The hammock is off the main dorm, so guests can even sleep under the stars... The hostel also specializes in dishes made from produce from local farms, and adventure tours of the forests.
Tree house hostel?
On the coast of Southern Turkey, you can get away from it all in a totally unique hostel - Kadirs Treehouses. These take the usual hostel dorms and build them into trees... while down on the ground, there are three bars, a restaurant and a nightclub to party the night away.
The Bellagio
The Bellagio is one of the most famous and luxurious hotels in Las Vegas, with its iconic fountain shows right out front. Like most of the best Vegas hotels, the Bellagio has stunning rooms, restaurants, shopping and of course, the casino and shows. Would you love to stay in this super casino for a few nights?
The Boulders
The Boulders is the definition of an exclusive resort - it even has private gated villas where celebrities are known to stay. For the rest of us mere mortals, you can play a few rounds at the award winning golf course, relax at the spa, and of course, love the incredible natural beauty of the rock formations of the Sonora Desert.
Underwater hotel
You heard that correctly - this entire hotel is underwater! At Jules Undersea Lodge in the Florida Keys, guests must be trained scuba divers in order to get to the Inn, which is twenty-one feet under the water. The lodge itself is described as an underwater clubhouse, with only two rooms.
Rate the St Regis
The St Regis is the first word in luxury when it comes to New York Hotels, and is one of those addresses that any visitor to the Big Apple would love to be staying at. The hotel is filled with luxurious and spacious suites, as well as the famous Astor Court restaurant and King Cole bar for eating and drinking.
Rate this stay in a concrete tube
At Das Park Hotel in Austria you can stay in a concrete sewer pipe... if that's your thing! The pipes are lined up along the River Danube in a green setting that contrasts the repurposed tubes, and each one holds only a bed, lamp, and sleeping bag. Making this even more quirky is the fact that you only pay as much as you want to.
Stargazing in a glass igloo
There are ice hotels, and then there is Kakslauttanen - a hotel where you can stay in a glass igloo, cuddled up on the luxurious beds while you watch the skies above. And because this is northern Finland, and within the Arctic Circle, you may even see the Northern Lights, not just the stars.
A giant beagle?
On the inside, the Dog Bark Park Inn (in Idaho) is just like any other B&B, albeit with a seriously doggy theme to the decor... however, on the outside, it's a giant beagle! Guests can climb into the back of the dog for a short stay in the prairies, in a truly quirky guest house.
Rock room in the desert?
This hotel isn't easy to get to, being an eight hour drive outside the city of Cairo, but it's definitely worth the trek! This eco-lodge has luxurious rooms built of rock and mud, and designed to fit into the natural environment as seamlessly as possible. There's no electricity, but the candles definitely create a powerful atmosphere.
Rate this salt hotel
If the rocks of Adrere Amellal just aren't quite doing it for you, how about a stay in a hotel made of salt, at the Hotel Palacio Del Sel? Everything, the walls, floors, and even some of the furniture here is made from white rock salt - but that doesn't mean it's not luxurious. The hotel even has a spa and golf course.
Rate Claridges in London
This hotel in Mayfair, London, has long been the kind of place where a guest might run into celebrities - or even members of the royal family. The hotel is so often used to house guests of the Royals that some even call it an 'annexe of Buckingham Palace'. It's easy to see why they choose Claridges, as well, with incredible luxury in every inch of this hotel.
Hobbit hole?
For fans of the Lord of the Rings movies, New Zealand is a bucket list destination - and for those who want to go a step further, you can even stay in a hobbit hole at Woodlyn Park. The park also features several other unique places to stay, made from old boats, trains, and planes.
Rate the Hotel Saratoga
One of the coolest hotels in Havana, the Saratoga is famous for its rooftop pool, looking out over the city. The views are the most important part, though, and while the rest of the hotel has the usual bars, restaurants and comfy (fully equipped) rooms, it's the rooftop that is the real selling feature.
Rate this Indonesian resort
Nihiwatu, on the Indonesian Sumba Island, is a paradise for surfers and sun seekers. The hotel is made up of beachfront villas steps away from the pristine island sands, with luxury at every turn and even an infinity pool and a 'spa safari' that combines spa treatments with dining and guided explorations of the island.
The Four Seasons
When it comes to New York City hotels, the Four Seasons has to be one of the best known - and it's easy to see why. This luxurious hotel has only been around since the 90s, but it boasts that it is the tallest five star luxury hotel in New York, and stands at fifty two stories above Park Avenue.
Glass floor house
In Ubud, you can stay in a house that really does allow guests to connect with nature all around them, from the indoor/outdoor shower and glass tiled roof in the bathroom, to the tempered glass floors - that allow you to see the life in the pond underneath. The Udang House is the perfect way to get back to nature (in a little bit of luxury).
Floating hotel
If you fancy a night on the water, but prefer not to live on an actual boat, the Manta Resort's 'Underwater Room' in Zanzibar might be the perfect choice for you. The room isn't cheap, at $1700 a night, but it floats offshore, with a rooftop deck for sunbathing, a lounge and bathroom at sea level, and an underwater, glass walled bedroom to watch the ocean life.
The Ritz
The Ritz is one of the most famous hotels, not just in London, but the world - and it has the honor of going down in history as the first London hotel to have bathrooms in every guest room! The hotel was built in 1906, and now hosts a casino in the basement, as well as a famous afternoon tea in the Palm Court (for those who don't gamble).
Breakfast with giraffes?
Kenya's Giraffe Manor is an experience unlike any other - and one where the safari comes straight to the guests! Originally built in the 1930s for early European safari-goers, the Manor is luxurious and beautiful, set in private land in the middle of a forest - and the herd of resident giraffes routinely visit the hotel and even pop their heads in the dining room windows.
Converted church
In the heart of Belgium, you can choose to stay in a converted church - not your usual hotel! Martin's Patershof has transformed a church into a four-star hotel while retaining many of the features (especially the stained glass windows) that make the original building beautiful - without sacrificing luxury.
Woodland spheres
For a totally different kind of treehouse experience, visitors to Vancouver Island, Canada, can stay in spheres hanging from the forest - called Free Spirit Spheres. Made of fibreglass and wood, each sphere nestles in a bed and desk, although bathrooms are at the base of the trees, rather than inside.
Converted van
For those travelers who want to see more of a country, but can't stand the idea of constantly packing and unpacking, there's always the option of renting a converted van and trying #vanlife for yourself. The vans include beds, kitchenettes, storage, and even a shower and bathroom in some of the models.
New York's Famous Plaza
The Plaza is a landmark in New York - quite literally. This massive iconic hotel on the West side of Grand Army Plaza has actually been certified by the National Trust as a 'Historic Hotel of America', and was opened over a hundred years ago in 1907. Now, it's a byword for luxurious suites and celebrity guests.
What about some good old fashioned camping?
Hotels, hostels, vans, boats, treehouses... but what about the simpler way of staying close to nature for cheap? Would you be a fan of foregoing four walls to pitch a tent somewhere in the wilderness and just enjoy the sounds and sights of nature and whatever you can bring with you?
