Exclusive | Hotels We Love: Unusual Accommodations

Whether you want to sleep with the fishes, cave in, or put your plans on ice, there are a slew of entirely unique hotels out there. Some of them are really out there. While fighter jets in New Zealand and cabooses in Napa Valley have some appeal, I decided that reservations for Das Park Hotel in Linz, Austria--where guest rooms are in chunks of standardized, old sewer pipes--are not in the pipeline.

So, next time you want to stay somewhere different, choose from cave hotels in Turkey, Spain, or Australia; wait till winter arrives and get cozy at snow and ice hotels in Sweden, Lapland, Finland, and Quebec; or go somewhere really unique by diving in to these unusual accommodations.

Sleep with the fishes
Destined to be the most decadent different option, Dubai?s much-anticipated Hydropolis Underwater Hotel (Jumeirah Beach, Dubai) is currently under construction, and will be the world?s first luxury underwater hotel. At 260 hectares, the resort will be as large as Hyde Park, London. Until it?s built, though, brush up your scuba diving skills and head to Jules Undersea Lodge (Key Largo, Florida; 305-451-2353; $375+). This swishy Florida Keys address lies in the fish-filled waters of the Florida Keys and can only be reached by scuba diving. Overnight stays include full scuba gear, dinner, and breakfast, and, of course, prime ocean views.

Get out of jail (almost) free
The luxurious Liberty Hotel (215 Charles St; 617-224-4000; $319+) offers a tongue-in-cheek take on its notorious past as a jail. Get your evening?s rations at restaurant Clink and enjoy the martinis (and the irony) at bar Alibi, housed in the jail?s old drunk tank. If you need to take your watchdog (or watchcat or watchiguana), go ahead and pack your pet; the Liberty is a pet-friendly hotel (for a non-refundable deposit of $100), as long as the creature accompanying you is under 40lbs.

Is it a yurt? Is it a plane?
While there are a few planes now available for stationary overnight stays, those wanting something a little more down to earth should go west. Treebones Resort (71895 Highway 1, Big Sur, California; 877-424-4787; $145+) is a ten-acre property with 16 fully wired yurts, the suddenly chic, circular dwellings of the Steppes. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, some of those topnotch tents have decks and gas fireplaces. Tuck into feasts of ribs and grilled salmon in front of the lodge?s roaring fire, have a drink at the redwood bar outside, or lounge in the pool or hot tub. The more energetic can hike trails through the nearby Los Padres forest or try sea kayaking.

MORE HOTELS WE LOVE
Hotels We Love: Green is the New Black
Hotels We Love: Top Ten Eco-friendly Hotels
Hotels We Love: Chic and Cheerful Budget Boutique Hotels
Hotels We Love: Stay in Style
Hotels We Love: Hotels with Altitude
Hotels We Love: Overnight Parking
Hotels We Love: Hotels with a Past