Tag: Odd Hotels
View All TagsHotel Desserts / Hotel Rooftops / St Louis Hotels / Odd Hotels / Hotel Design / → All Tags
The Moonrise Hotel's New Moon Room Shines With Homemade Moon Pies
The last time we were in St Louis, we had a grand old time checking out the 135-room Moonrise Hotel, a contemporary boutique spot in downtown St. Louis with a lunar theme.
We loved their rooftop bar back then, and we love it now, as the hotel recently re-launched the rooftop space with a new name: The Moon Room. A local blog went over to check out the bar, and in doing so, learned that it is the first hotel restaurant in the US with a roof made entirely out of solar panels.
The 107 glass panels apparently provide enough energy to power the whole bar, as well as part of the floor below. Pretty impressive, huh? (They also make for some cool light effects, as evidenced by these photos).
Elsewhere on the ceiling are sphere-shaped light fixtures that resemble different planets in the solar system. The turquoise walls and NASA uniform-wearing-waitresses add to the effect, though our favorite snapshot from the opening night might just be the dessert: homemade moon pies!
Hotel News / Hotel Renovations / Odd Hotels / Kimpton Hotels / Portland Hotels / Hotel GMs / → All Tags
The Boy In The Bubble: Which Portland GM Is Camping Out In Front Of His Hotel?
If you're staying at the RiverPlace Hotel in Portland this week, and are looking for General Manager Ryan Kunzer, you won't find him anywhere in the hotel. Which isn't to say he's not working.
He'll be working, alright, but instead of a traditional office, Kunzer has temporarily stationed himself inside a bubble tent in the middle of Pioneer Square.
Starting yesterday, Kunzer will spend three nights working and sleeping inside the 24-geodesic dome as a way to promote the hotel's renovated guest rooms, which are fresh from a $2.5 million makeover.
The hotel already went through a major change last year when Kimpton took it over, and now this is the logical follow-up Kimpton-ization, as we've seen before at Se San Diego and The Surfcomber.
As a way to introduce the new look to locals and potential guests, RiverPlace has re-created a guest room inside the tent for all to see (literally). Kind of a genius PR stunt, if you ask us. No pedestrian who stumbles upon a pop-up bubble hotel in the middle of a public square would ever be able to pass by and not want to peek inside.
Hopefully, the reviews will be positive...
Rates from $284/night.
[Photo: RiverPlace Hotel]
Odd Hotels / Detroit Hotels / Michigan Hotels / Hotel News / Eco-Friendly Hotels / → All Tags
Detroit May Get Boutique Hotel Made From Old Cargo Containers
Earth Day has come and gone, and we've seen our fair share of odd hotels, so this one shouldn't really ring our bell that much. But we kind of love it because its innovative in a city that is close to our heart--Detroit. And anything that we see that's about bringing positive light to the city, we're 'bout it.
The latest venture (besides the firehouse-turned hotel) comes from a company called Collision Works. In partnership with an organization called Kickstarter, they raised over $43K to build a 36-room boutique hotel made from cargo containers.
Yeah, that was the part that threw us off, too.
But these recycled vessels are apparently made of sturdy stock and perfect for what is being called "Cargotecture". Collision Works plans to open the First Container on May 18, to coincide with Eastern Market’s Flower Day, when 200,000 visitors are expected to pass through the prototype space and showroom, located near Shed 5 at the corner of Russell and Wilkins Streets.
"Now is a great time to collaborate with the community to create quality programming and creative experiences around storytelling. What we learn here we will take with us to the hotel, ” said Shel Kimen, Founder and CEO of Collision Works, in a statement.
Collision Works is working with the City of Detroit to buy the lot at 1923 Division along the Dequindre Cut, where they hope the hotel will find its home.
No word yet on how much a cargo-container room will cost, but he certainly hope it errs on the affordable side. We'll definitely be keeping an eye out for this one.
[Photo: Collision Works]
Odd Hotels / Camping Hotels / Adventure Hotels / Germany Hotels / → All Tags
These Bavarian Digs Dangle From a Tree
Our Twitter follower @TanerKay showed the above pic to us with a very poignant question: “I would love to stay here but how do you go to the bathroom at night?”
We were stumped. All we could manage was a “Whoa”. We’re not used to being so speechless. Then we did some digging on this doozy of a place.
Where is it? Apparently, it’s an adventure resort called Waldseilgarten Hoellschluch located in the Bavaria region near Munich. From May 1st this year, guests can come and get their thrills from climbing trees, doing ropes courses, hiking, and all types of adrenaline-pumping activities before retiring at night to platform beds in the trees (for more sedate types) or the higher “portaledge” tents shown.
Know up front this is not for the dainty sort.
Odd Hotels / Hotel Art / Chengdu Hotels / China Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
Last Week, Chengdu's First-Ever Bubble Hotel Popped (Up)
Ever feel like glamping would just be sooo much cooler if your tent was completely see-through? Well, a France-based company called BubbleTree has gone ahead and designed one. It's called a "Bubble", and it's made of clear vinyl that allows plenty of sunshine (or, in other cases, nosy neighbors) to filter through.
To acquaint Chinese customers with the product, RocketNews reports that BubbleTree installed one of their bubbles on a street corner in Chengdu last weekend. And to make things really realistic, there was even a young girl living inside it for two days, going about her business like reading an iPad and reclining on the bed.
Unsurprisingly, the stunt worked: the bubble hotel sparked the interest of hundreds of passersby (and just as many iPhone cameras).
Inside, the girl sprawled out in her fully-furnished, 100% see-through hotel room (bed, table, dresser, armchair, ottoman all included) and showed the world how wonderful it was to be seen by…the world.
Kinda makes you think twice about the expression "killer view", doesn't it?
Weird Hotels / Unusual Hotels / Odd Hotels / China Hotels / Theme Hotels / → All Tags
Cute Or Creepy? China's Haoduo Panda Inn
Between a Japanese public toilet, an English yellow submarine, a beer barrel, and a Tasmanian morgue, we have seen a lot of hotels that are, let’s say, a little different. Whether it’s just for the novelty factor, or to make a particular statement, we usually take an approach that says: whatever floats your boat – if there are guests out there willing to pay for it, then here’s to you.
This week’s oddball that’s doing the rounds everywhere from CNN to Inthralld is the Haoduo Panda Inn in China, and as much as we appreciate and support wanting to draw attention to the endangered panda, we kind of can’t decide: is this cute or creepy?
Hotel Sex / Odd Hotels / Houston Hotels / Hotel Snapshots / Hotel News / → All Tags
Did the Hotel ZaZa Have Its Own Sex Dungeon?
A hotel guest in Houston stirred up some controversy recently when he posted photos of a tiny, bizarre room at Hotel ZaZa, wondering aloud if he had just stumbled upon ZaZa's secret sex dungeon.
A few outstanding features of the room include: red brick walls, chains next to the bed, concrete floors, and a possible two-way mirror.
BoingBoing reports that when the man called to complain, he was told by the Front Desk that they'd made a mistake and that, in fact, "no one was supposed to use that room." Suspicious!
Pop-Up Hotels / Belgium Hotels / Odd Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags
New Belgian Pop-Up Hotel Wants You To 'Sleep Around'
Where: Belgium
Have you ever been so tired you might just sleep anywhere? Well, that's the hope of a new Belgian pop-up hotel concept that is wandering all around the country. The hipster haven is called Sleeping Around and it promotes...well, sleeping around. Where ever the mobile hotel sets up shop, that's where you will call home-base while traveling.
Using abandoned shipping containers, the hotel creates a small 'village' of 6 units. Out of the six, four are individual rooms with air conditioning and en suite bathrooms, one is a breakfast and lounge room and one is for the sauna. Since each room is a recycled shipping vessel, Sleeping Around acts as environmentally conscious by creating a boutique hotel experience made from completely recycled materials.
A truly pop-up experience, the hotel actually moves around to different locations. To find its current location, potential guests need to hop on the website to track the exact site through a GPS tracking. Currently, its hanging out on a shipping pier in Antwep but has the potential to go anywhere that is about 400 square meters with drinking water, electricity and an amazing view. The site even take recommendations.
Odd Hotels / Mexico Hotels / Hotel Alternatives / Themed Hotels / → All Tags
Sleep In Recycled Concrete Tubes at Mexico’s Tubohotel
We’ve shown you where to spend the night in a beer barrel (that’s Germany), and for today’s quirky hotel concept we’re heading to Mexico, where in the village of Tepoztlan, 45 minutes south of Mexico City, the hotel rooms in question are stacked – and recycled – concrete tubes.
Tubo-social, Tubo-cool, Tubo-hotel! – exclaims Tubohotel's website.
So what’s it all about, Alfie?
Eco-Friendly Hotels / New Zealand Hotels / Treehouse Hotels / Odd Hotels / Hotels That Are Doing Good / → All Tags
New Zealand Treehouse Living At Its Finest
Treehouse
When can a treehouse be both glamorous and sustainable? Four words: Hapuku Lodges and Treehouses. Located on the South Island of New Zealand, the property features completely sustainable living, while overlooking the pristine scenery of the Kaikoura region, about 2 hours north of Christchurch.
The lodges and tree houses were the brainchild of a family of architects and designers, so there's no shortage of thoughtful, functional design that looks great. Not only did they want to create a unique hotel that showcases the region's love of nature, they also sought to be an important cog in the local ecosystem.
The main accommodations are treehouses that hang 30 feet above the ground in the canopy of a Manuka grove. Don't worry: there isn't a rope ladder to climb, since each house has a staircase leading up to the luxurious digs. Inside, there are giant windows to take in views of the local mountains and the Pacific coastline, plus natural wood furnishings, all hand-crafted by local woodworkers that happen to be friends of the owners.
Underwater Hotels / Fiji Hotels / Hotel News / Odd Hotels / Hotel Delays / → All Tags
Fiji's Underwater Hotel Could Be A Nightmare for Claustrophobics
Back in 2006, we reported on an underwater hotel being built in Fiji known as Poseidon Resort Mystery Island. Though, aside from a few other press reports and a dinky little photo, details were a little, er, mysterious.
Now, things seem to be picking up again for the all-suite, bubble-shaped hotel 40 feet below the surface. Last week, Design-Milk posted a bunch of new photos of the place, showing off the hotel's en suite aquariums, and shimmer-y public spaces. The article states:
"The company has completed all of the necessary design and engineering for the subsea structures and is currently working to secure the capital necessary to begin construction."
It goes on to say the resort will take two years to complete once construction begins. Which means, we might end up seeing a race to the finish between this place and Dubai's much larger, even more elaborate Water Discus Hotel.
Last one to build an underwater hotel is a rotten turtle egg!
Odd Hotels / Hotel Openings / Hotel News / Haunted Hotels / Tasmania Hotels / Australia Hotels / → All Tags
Freaky Friday: Morgue Hotel Opening In Tasmania
Halloween got upstaged by Mother Nature who spooked the hell out of us in the form of Hurricane Sandy. We’ve been rattled so much that we'd like to circle back to what we wanted to show you--one of the freakiest "hotel" ideas we've ever heard--not counting the Japanese toilet one (that's just strange, and we've seen a few).
I doubt it’s by accident that Australian businessman Hadyn Pearce coordinated his most recent announcement with the end of October: He is hoping to convert a former mortuary in southern Tasmania into a hotel, concrete deathbeds and all. The original surgical equipment and a stainless steel bathtub once used to wash bodies would also highlight the dark décor.
