Interesting Hotels from Around the World

The Giraffe Manor

The Giraffe Manor is an elegant, personally hosted, small and exclusive hotel, located just outside Kenya's capital, Nairobi, famous for its resident herd of giraffe and famous for its resident herd of giraffe. The Giraffe Manor offers a rich blend of welcoming accommodation, highly trained and friendly staff, as well as one of Nairobi's finest kitchens. This is the only place in the world where you can enjoy the breathtaking experience of feeding and photographing the giraffe over the breakfast table and at the front door.

DasParkHotel

While the idea of sleeping in a pipe might not immediately connote luxury in your mind, this hotel design turns concrete pipes into quite the comfortable space for your next overnight stay. Located in Ottensheim, Austria, almost like glorified camping, the DasParkHotel is a series of individual hotel room pipes, set on a beautiful flora-filled backdrop just steps from the Danube River.

Harbour Crane Hotel

Located in Harlingen, one hour drive from Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Harbour Crane offers you total control over your accomodation. Used until 1996 to unload timber, the crane is now offered for day-time and night-time occupation by two people.

Dog Bark Park Inn

A hotel dog lovers will particularly enjoy, the Dog Bark Park Inn is a hotel located in Cottonwood, Idaho, in the shape of a beagle. Guests enter the body of the beagle from a private 2nd story deck. Some of the dog's decorative furnishings are carvings by Dog Bark Park chainsaw artists Dennis & Frances. Inside and up another level to the head of the dog is a loft room with additional sleeping space plus a cozy alcove in the muzzle.

Hotel Everland

Perhaps one of the most luxurious places you can stay in is the Hotel Everland in Paris, a one-room inn on the roof of the Palais de Tokyo museum. The hotel includes bathroom, a king-size bed and a lounge, being only available one night. The view is one of the most magnificent - Seine and the Eiffel Tower shining bright at night. You can only make reservations online, just one random hour a day.

The Marmara Hotels and Residences

Mixing Turkish and European influence, the Marmara Antalya, in Antalya, Turkey, is Turkey's most prestigious chain, taking pride in stunning views, great architecture and warm service. The exciting detail is that each of the two dozens room spins slowly so that guest take in the entire view. The Marmara Hotels and Residences marries the warmth of Turkish hospitality with European style. Whether you're visiting for business, pleasure or a combination of the two, you can find the perfect venue for your stay with Best Available Rates and quick, effortless reservation.

Gamirasu Cave Hotel

Gamirasu is the name of an exquisitely restored twenty-five-room troglodyte cave house opened in 1999, in Ayvali Village near Urgup in the heart of Cappadocia, Turkey. A building literally carved into the Yunak Evleri mountain cliff. It offers cave houses, just like the Flintones had, and a 19th century Greek mansion - complete with 30 rooms dating back to the 5th and 6th century. The hotel is located in a restored thousand-year-old Byzantine monastic retreat which offers modern conveniences without distracting from the spiritual feeling of the area which has been known to be inhabited for more than five thousand years. Gamirasu cave Hotel is featured in major international travel guides as one of the best cave hotels of Cappadocia. It is also mentioned as a romantic escape for honeymoons in wedding magazines.

The Hobbit Motel

Part of the Woodlyn Park in New Zealand (the Hobbit Motel) is likely the place where hobbits stayed while shooting Lord of The Rings. You can stay in one of the two hillside burrows that are almost identical to the ones J.R.R. Tolkien talks about in his books.

Out 'n' About Treehouse Treesort

Just outside of Cave Junction, Oregon, the the Out 'n' About Tree sort Tree house Institute offers 18 tree houses you probably couldn’t have dreamt up as a child. Many rooms have bathrooms and refrigerators. Some are located at an amazing height of 300 feet. Nothing better for a serene vacation than living it up in the woods.

Wagon Stays

Another interesting destination for New zealand, Christchurch more precisely, is the Wagon Stays. The name says it all: you get to stay in wagons equipped with bathrooms, kitchens, and satellite TV. Wagon Stays offers the atmosphere of an early settlers wagon combined with modern facilities to maximize your comfort. Wagon Stays is a new concept in luxury accommodation. Where luxury meets history, Wagon Stays offer unique Early Settlers style accommodation in beautiful natural surroundings.

Top 5 World's Most Amazing Islands

Check out these interesting Islands, very interesting info!

5. ALCATRAZ ISLAND (USA): Home to the first lighthouse on the Pacific Coast

Alcatraz Island (sometimes informally referred to as simply Alcatraz or by its pop-culture name, The Rock) is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963, when it became a national recreation area. The first European to discover the island was Juan de Ayala in 1775, who charted the San Francisco Bay and named the island "La Isla de los Alcatraces", which means "Island of the Pelicans".

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 brought thousands of ships to San Francisco Bay, creating an urgent need for a navigational lighthouse. In response, Alcatraz lighthouse #1 was erected and lit in the summer of 1853. Because of its natural isolation in the middle of a bay, surrounded by cold water and strong sea currents, Alcatraz was soon considered by the U.S. Army as an ideal location for holding captives. Alcatraz was the Army's first long-term prison, and it was already beginning to build its reputation as a tough detention facility by exposing inmates to harsh conditions and iron fisted discipline. Due to rising operational costs because of its location, the Military Department decided to close this famous prison in 1934, and it was subsequently taken over by the Department of Justice and later became the famous federal prision and finally a recreation area.

4. EASTER ISLAND (Polynesian triangle, Chile): World heritage site and one of the most isolated inhabited islands in history

Easter Island is one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands. It is 3,600 km (2,237 miles) west of continental Chile and 2,075 km (1,290 miles) east of Pitcairn. Nowdays, it is a Chilean-governed island, and is a world heritage site with much of the island protected by the Rapa Nui National Park.

First settled by a small party of Polynesians, Easter Island is one of the youngest inhabited territories on Earth, and for most of its history it was the most isolated inhabited territory on Earth. Its inhabitants the Rapanui have endured famines, epidemics, civil war, slave raids and colonialism; have seen their population crash on more than one occasion, and created a cultural legacy that has brought them fame out of all proportion to their numbers.

3. SEALAND (Principality): World's smallest island

The Principality of Sealand is an island and a micronation located on HM Fort Roughs, a former Maunsell Sea Fort located in the North Sea 10 km (six miles) off the coast of Suffolk, England, in what is claimed as territorial waters using a twelve-nautical-mile radius.

Since 1967, the installation has been occupied by associates and family of Paddy Roy Bates, a former radio broadcaster and former British Army Major, who claims that it is a sovereign and independent state. Critics, as well as court rulings in the United States and in Germany, have claimed that Roughs Tower has always remained the property of the United Kingdom, a view that is disputed by the Bates family. The population of the facility rarely exceeds ten, and its habitable area is 550 m2 (5920 sq ft).

Sealand's claims to sovereignty and legitimacy are not recognised by any country, yet it is sometimes cited in debates as an interesting case study of how various principles of international law can be applied to a territorial dispute.

2. SURTSEY (Iceland): The emerging island

Off the coast of Iceland on the morning of 14 November 1963, the crew of a lone fishing trawler spotted an alarming sight. Off to the southwest of the Ísleifur II, a column of dark smoke was rising from the water. Concerned that it could be another boat on fire, the captain directed his vessel towards the scene. Once there, however, they found not a boat but a series of violent explosions producing ash. This was an unmistakable indication of a volcanic eruption taking place underwater, close to the surface. Very aware of the potential danger but eager to watch, the crew kept their boat nearby. It was indeed a remarkable event that they would witness a small part of over the course of that morning: the formation of a brand-new island.

Although now quite visible, the eruption lasted for much, much longer than the Ísleifur II would have been able to watch. After several days, the volcano had broken the water's surface, forming an island over 500 meters long and 45 meters tall. Even though the rough tides of the North Atlantic might have soon eroded the new island away, it was named Surtsey, meaning 'Surtur's island' - Surtur (or Surtr) being a fire giant of Norse mythology. The island proved to be tenacious, however. The eruption was ongoing and Surtsey increased in size more quickly than the ocean could wear it down. In the meantime two other nearby volcanic eruptions produced the beginnings of islands, but neither lasted very long. By April 1964, though, the most violent parts of the eruption were over and Surtsey remained.

1. GUNKANJIMA (Japan): The Ghost (and forbidden) Island

Gunkanjima is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. The island's most notable features are the abandoned concrete buildings and the sea wall surrounding it. It is known for its coal mines and their operation during the industrialization of Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 and began the project, the aim of which was retrieving coal from the bottom of the sea. They built Japan's first large concrete building, a block of apartments in 1916 to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers, and to protect against typhoon destruction.

Gunkanjima is one among 505 uninhabited islands in the Nagasaki Prefecture about 15 kilometers from Nagasaki itself. The island was populated from 1887 to 1974 as a coal mining facility. The island's most notable features are the abandoned concrete buildings and the sea wall surrounding it. It is known for its coal mines and their operation during the industrialization of Japan. Mitsubishi bought the island in 1890 and began the project, the aim of which was retrieving coal from the bottom of the sea. They built Japan's first large concrete building, a block of apartments in 1916 to accommodate their burgeoning ranks of workers, and to protect against typhoon destruction.

In 1959, its population density was 835 people per hectare for the whole island, or 1,391 per hectare for the residential district, one of the highest population density ever recorded worldwide. As petroleum replaced coal in Japan in the 1960s, coal mines began shutting down all over the country, and Hashima's mines were no exception. Mitsubishi officially announced the closing of the mine in 1974, and today it is empty and bare, which is why it's called the Ghost Island. Travel to Hashima is currently prohibited.

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Tropical Islands Resort

Tropical Islands Resort is an artificial tropical resort in Brandenburg, Germany. It is said to be the world's largest tropical indoor pool which can accommodate up to 7,000 visitors a day. It is also the world's largest indoor waterpark at 66,000 m² (710,000 sq feet).

The resort is located in Briesen/Brand, part of Halbe in Dahme-Spreewald, Brandenburg, Germany, about 60 km (36 miles) southeast of Berlin, off the "Staakow" exit of the A13 Autobahn.

It resides inside a disused hangar 360 meters long, 210 meters wide and 107 meters high. At 5.5 million m³ (194 million ft³), it stands as one of the largest buildings on Earth by volume, and is the world's largest single hall without supporting pillars inside. The hangar cost €78 million and was originally commissioned by Cargolifter AG as an airship hangar named Aerium, but the airship it was intended to house - the CL160 - was never built.

Visitors find an exotic environment with rain forest, beach, artificial sun, palm trees, orchids, and bird soundtrack. The air is warm (25 °C). Tropical Islands is open all around the clock, every day of the year.

The complex contains a large artificial rainforest. The rainforest contains over 30,000 cubic metres of soil with over 500 species of plants taking root there. Over 29,000 individual trees are located there, with ground cover plants and creepers covering the remaining space. Animals have been excluded from this environment, as they could be a health hazard to visitors using the water. Sounds of natural rainforests are broadcasted throughout from speakers disguised as rocks or other natural features. The rainforest also hides the Tropical Village, where visitors can purchase and eat food.

A ballooning experience is also available, with a small helium balloon able to take two people at a time up to 60 metres inside the dome.

Other attractions found inside the Tropical Islands complex are a large beach, a Balinese lagoon and a camping ground, where visitors can stay for the night inside the warm complex.

The Top 15 Skylines in the World

1. Hong Kong, China



Hong Kong is number one on my list for many reasons: Hong Kong has whopping 39 buildings over 200 meters tall. It also boasts four of the 15 tallest buildings in the world... that's all in one city! Hong Kong's skyline shows a large selection of distinct sky-reaching towers, with beautiful night lighting and reflection. This city exemplifies the post-modern skyscraper and skyline. Finally, the mountain backdrop makes this skyline (as you can clearly see) the greatest on the planet!

Metro/Urban Population: 6.8 million

2. Chicago, USA

Chicago is the birthplace of the modern skyscraper. When Chicago built its first steel high-rise in 1885, it was not the tallest structure in the world but the first example of a new form of engineering that would change nearly every city on earth. Chicago has 17 buildings over 200 meters tall (three of which are among the top 20 tallest buildings in the world, including the tallest in North America). Chicago has some of the finest mid-century architecture and examples of modern skyscrapers.

Metro/Urban Population: 8.5 million

3. Shanghai, China

Not to be mistaken for a space station, Shanghai is a real city! China's biggest and most advanced city, Shanghai was said to be the most cosmopolitan city in the beginning of the 20th century, but lost its glory during the "Mao era". It is now quickly regaining its position as one of the biggest economic powerhouses in the world as well as a showcase of modern architecture. In Shanghai you'll find 18 structures that are over 200 meters tall, one of which is the insanely tall, the 468m downtown Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

Metro/Urban Population: 13.1 million

4. New York City, USA

New York City has one of the densest and most diverse skylines, with a huge collection of buildings and building styles. Thanks to Hollywood's obsession with the city, it is also the most easily recognizable skyline in the world. New York City has an amazing 44 buildings over 200 meters - the most in the world! Home of the famous, now destroyed World Trade Center Towers, the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty and the United Nations, New York City is the financial capital of the western world. Upon the completion of the new "Freedom Tower" (built on the old site of the World Trade Centers), it may rank higher in this list (depending on how good it looks of course).

Metro/Urban Population: 21.0 million

5. Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is the world's most populated city. Its skyline has a number of unique characteristics that set it apart from other big city skylines, among them 15 structures at over 200 meters tall (including the Tokyo Tower which changes colors every night). But because of the density and vast size of the city, every corner appears to have its own skyline. With the height restrictions and the required red lights that flash atop all mid to tall-sized buildings make the city look spectacular at night. Tokyo is filled with neon lighting and unique, contemporary architecture, and like New York City is also often portrayed in movies for its aesthetic and eye-catching cityscapes. Interesting fact: Tokyo houses the world's largest fleet of helicopters to get around town if traffic gets too crazy.

Metro/Urban Population: 32.0 million

6. Singapore



One of the best (urban) planned and cleanliest metropolitan cities in the world, Singapore looks like an architectural model city come to life. The buildings cannot be higher than 280 meters due to air traffic control restrictions, but that has added a tall (but not too tall) and consistent building height and space pattern that makes this skyline unique: Three buildings are exactly 280 meters tall and 5 others (8 total) stand at just over 200 metres. The buildings are mostly light-coloured and there is a large expanse of greenery dotted around the city core. This South-Eastern city is definitely in a league of its own.

Metro/Urban Population: 3.8 million

7. Toronto, Canada



Toronto is a meeting place, a crossroads of many cultures and ethnicities. Toronto is downtown Canada, the biggest city in the country with a skyline to match. Toronto has 7 structures in its skyline that stand at over 200 metres, including the astonishingly tall 553 metres, CN Tower, which is often referred to as the tallest freestanding structure in the world. While mostly untrue (because there are taller TV masts in the world), the CN Tower possesses the world's highest observation deck, making this city's skyline one of the most immediately identifiable.

Metro/Urban Population: 5.1 million

8. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia



This is probably the most impressive city worldwide that has less than 2 million residents. Marvelous modern buildings reach the sky here, and while the skyline is not too dense, it does allow buildings to soar and stand out. Kuala Lumpur has three of the 25 tallest buildings worldwide, including the tallest twin buildings, the Pretonos Towers (which are arguably the second and third tallest overall in the world) as well as the 420 meters Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower.

Metro/Urban Population: 1.5 million

9. Shenzhen, China



What was a tiny fishing village on the border of Hong Kong in 1970 is now a buzzing metropolis of over four million people. With 13 buildings at over 200 meters tall, including the Shun Hing Square (the 8th tallest building in the world), Shenzen is a marvel of lights after sunset. You can't help but ask yourself if you are in a video game or in a real city.

Metro/Urban Population: 4.2 million

10. Seoul, South Korea



This city's skyscrapers are divided into many clusters, spread amongst the main businesses and residential districts. Most of the recent growth in Seoul's skyline, however, has been of residential towers over 60 storeys high that are shooting up like blades of grass! There are 10 buildings in Seoul over 200 meters tall and much of the mid-rise to high-rise structures are lined up in a linear fashion, creating a "wall" of buildings like no other. Seoul is where the ancient Eastern world meets the modern West.

Metro/Urban Population: 20.8 million

11. Sao Paolo, Brazil



"What building did you say they lived in?" Finding it in the largest mass of condensed apartment buildings anywhere would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Sao Paolo has a population of over 18 million people! While the buildings are not super tall (with only a single structure at over 200 meters tall) this skyline is nevertheless stacked. Sao Paolo has a fleet of over 500 helicopters, the second largest helicopter fleet in the world.

Metro/Urban Population: 18.3 million

12. Sydney, Australia



Australia's showcase city, Sydney has one of the most recognizable skylines due to its world-famous harbour, often referred to as the most beautiful natural harbour in the world. The Sydney Harbour has many bays, inlets and secondary harbours. It is spanned by the monumental Harbour Bridge, and the Opera House decorates the shoreline like a white flower. The Sydney skyline is world-class with hundreds of skyscrapers in the central business district and many more high-rise buildings in the outlying neighbourhoods. Sydney has 8 buildings over 200 meters tall.

Metro/Urban Population: 4.2 million

13. Frankfurt, Germany



Certainly one of Europe's most interesting cities in terms of skylines, Frankfurt is home to five structures that are over 200 meters tall. These modern skyscrapers are marvels compared to those other, mostly non-existent ones scattered across European cities. The contrast here is interesting: The city combines low-rise, high-density traditional European architecture (some of which is over 1,000 years old), with modern towers that stick out like sore thumbs, but are impressive nonetheless.

Metro/Urban Population: 4.1 million

14. Dubai, United Arab, Emirates



Is this a mirage in the Middle East? Seemingly out of nowhere emerges a city in the middle of a desert. This is Dubai, a city that produces only the best modern architecture in the world. Already home of the world's tallest all-hotel building and the tallest all-residential building in the world, AND currently proposed to build the world's tallest building, this skyline might just leap to the number 1 spot in the near future. While the skyline is not so dense, each building is a marvel all on its own. As a skyline it probably can't compete with the larger cities, however the individual buildings in this city are by far the greatest examples of modern architectural accomplishments. All seven structures in this city at over 200 meters tall were built in 1999 or later ! - that's how new this city is.

Metro/Urban Population: 1.6 million

15. Guangzhou, China



Metro/Urban Population: 4.1 million

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View World's Best Rooms to Feast Your Eyes

Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa is an exclusive oasis in the Dubai Conservation Reserve. The 42 luxurious suites, each with private temperature-controlled pools, offer awe-inspiring sand dune views.



Sheraton Iguazu Resort and Spa, Argentina. Surrounded by rainforest, the 180-room, three-floor resort in the heart of World Heritage-listed Iguazu National Park is within walking distance of Iguazu Falls.




Since 1568, the rich and famous have been drawn to Italy's Villa d'Este to feast their eyes on Lake Como's ethereal beauty. The hotel's 152 rooms and suites are decorated with period furniture, oil paintings, Como silk and linen sheets.




Designed to capture views of one of the world's most-visited man-made wonders, the Taj Mahal, the Moorish and Mughal-inspired Oberoi Amarvilas is an opulent shrine to luxury.




A room overlooking the harbour at the InterContinental Hong Kong has seats to the world's largest permanent light-and-sound show - a dazzling display of Hong Kong's skyline with flashing neon-lit skyscrapers, laser beams and searchlights.

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