Whether it's a tree house towering above a white sand beach or a yurt in the middle of the desert, more and more travelers are looking to ditch the traditional hotel room for an accommodation that stands out. Here are five properties that offer an out of the ordinary experience.
El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas
The mirrored Cosmic Kasita is a collaboration between El Cosmico and micro-home builder Kasita
(Image credit: El Cosmico)
Mongolian yurts, restored vintage trailers, safari tents … at El Cosmico, you take your pick. This Marfa, Texas, property bills itself as a 21-acre "nomadic hotel and campground," and is surrounded by wide open spaces. Guests feel like they are part of their own little community, with shared spaces including a hammock grove, outdoor kitchen and dining area, lounge and outdoor stage. Visitors are also encouraged to slow down and ditch their phones (Internet is only available in the lounge).
For a limited time, the Cosmic Kasita is available for booking. This collaboration between El Cosmico and micro-home builder Kasita is a 325-square-foot space with a queen bed, bathroom and shower, and basic cooking supplies. This streamlined beauty is mirrored, with those admiring the structure from outside seeing the desert reflected back at them.
Nayara Bocas Del Toro in Bocas Del Toro, Panama
The tree houses have all the amenities of a standard room
(Image credit: Nayara Bocas Del Toro)
On the private Frangipani Island, the luxury resort Nayara Bocas Del Toro is offering guests an experience the Swiss Family Robinson could only dream about. Here, you can book one of two 50-foot tree houses, designed by Elora Hardy. Curved staircases lead you up to the airborne lodgings, which are made from locally sourced bamboo and 500-year-old wood recovered from the floor of the Panama Canal. Room service is delivered by a pulley system, and the 21-foot ceilings make everything feel light and airy. The one-bedroom tree houses are solar powered and have outdoor showers and soaking tubs. When you're ready to climb down, there's a freshwater pool and elevated white sand beach built on stilts waiting.
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Hotel de Glace in Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Quebec
This ice hotel has to be created every year
(Image credit: Hotel de Glace)
It doesn't get cooler than the Hotel de Glace, right outside of Quebec City. Made entirely of ice and snow, it takes 50 workers — including 15 sculptors — six weeks to build the 30-room hotel, which has a different theme each winter. When they say everything is made of ice, they mean it, from the furniture to the art on the walls (OK, there are a few exceptions: Some rooms have small fireplaces and/or private hot tubs). Guests, curled up in sleeping bags that can handle temperatures between 5 and 22 degrees Fahrenheit, sleep on mattresses atop blocks of ice. Before turning in for the night, a visit to the Nordic relaxation area is recommended. There, outdoor hot tubs and saunas help get your body warmed for the night.
Ruby High Yurt in Lamoille, Nevada
It's a journey to get to the Ruby High Yurt, but it's worth it
(Image credit: Ruby 360 Lodge)
At the top of the Conrad Creek ridge in northeastern Nevada's Ruby Mountains, at an elevation of 9,700 feet, sits the Ruby High Yurt. This solar-powered, fully furnished yurt is the perfect escape for up to four people, but there's a catch — to get there, you need to either hike in with a guide or take a helicopter. The climb is a strenuous one, with a 3,000-foot elevation gain over three miles, and guests must bring their food and beverages with them (there is no water source near the yurt). Whether you hike or fly in, incredible views are guaranteed.
Hotel Costa Verde in Quepos, Costa Rica
Aviation fans will want to board the 727 Fuselage Home at the Hotel Costa Verde. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite is built inside a refurbished 1965 Boeing 727 plane that had been sitting at the Juan Santamaria International Airport in San Jose. Set on a 50-foot pedestal, the suite has hand-carved teak furniture, a kitchenette and decks with ocean and jungle views. The property is next to the Manuel Antonio National Park and has three pools and several restaurants, including El Avion housed inside a converted C-123 Fairchild cargo plane.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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