Travel Tips
5 of the most unusual places you can spend the night
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Don’t want to stay in yet another beige box? These unusual accommodation options are very different from your standard hotel.
A floating glass cube, Sweden
Hidden among the trees in the wood of northern Sweden, this reflective mirrored cube is practically invisible. Concealed inside is a stylish retreat for two with a double bed, lounge, bathroom and rooftop terrace. Designers were worried that birds would fly into the glass, so the outside walls are covered with an infrared film that’s invisible to humans but highly visible to birds.
The Mirrorcube (pictured), from $715 per night
An historic prison, South Australia
The last prisoners only “checked out” of the Old Mount Gambier Gaol in 1995, and with its thick limestone walls and heavy cell doors it still feels a lot like a prison. All rooms are in converted cells or wardens offices and there are a number of communal areas, including a communal kitchen, that are housed in the original buildings dating from 1866.
The Old Mount Gambier Gaol, from $60 per night
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A retro trailer park, USA
Embrace your inner redneck at this trailer park in the Joshua Tree National Park, California. Each trailer has a different theme like The Fifi, styled like a New Orleans wig parlour, or the Western-themed The Pioneer, and sit around a saltwater swimming pool. The park began life as an artist’s retreat so still has a very creative vibe and is run entirely on solar power.
Hicksville Trailer Palace, from $100 per night
A converted private jet, Holland
In it’s previous life, this Ilyushin 18 jet was used by top officials from the German Democratic Republic. The interiors are now a little more plush with one luxury bedroom, Jacuzzi, infrared sauna, multiple flatscreen TVs and a mini bar. The cockpit has been left intact, so you can even live out your pilot fantasies.
Airplane Suite, from $500 per night
A concrete drainpipe, Malaysia
A row of brightly coloured concrete drainpipes sit at the edge of the Andaman Sea on the island of Langkawi, off the west coast of Malaysia. The tube-shaped rooms are snug but there’s a king size bed, plenty of storage, and free use of bikes and Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are shared but the sunset view through your huge glass window more than makes up for it.
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Tubotel, from $45 per night
Related link: Best new hotels in 2015 to visit