Lifeboat Hotel, Harlingen, Holland - Part of the trio of Harlingen properties including the Crane and Lighthouse, this restored lifeboat can also be hired for skippered trips. Refitted to an amazingly luxurious standard with a Bose sound system below, fantastically comfortable bed and amazingly a beautiful wooden bath. This English built Watson class lifeboat once saved lives, offering rescue from the sea. Now it offers rescue from the stresses of the shore! Moored in the centre of the historic old town it is close for the restaurants and amenities of Harlingen.
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ART Hotel, Atelier sul Mare, Sicily, Italy -Sicilian art hotel where guests participate in the individual room designs. This hotel is a living showcase for international artists. Not only have rooms been handed over to the artists to be transformed into works of art,but they include the hotel guest as part of the creation. 20 of the hotels 40 rooms have been turned into art rooms and guests are encouraged to change to a different art-room each night to get the fullest experience. Atelier sul Mare also offers something for those that aren't aficionados of art with courses including pottery making, Sicilian wine and cuisine to classical music recitals.
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Enchanted Manor, Isle of Wight, UK - A magical boutique retreat featuring the art of Josephine Wall, providing enchanted accommodation on the Isle of Wight.

This secluded hideaway is for discerning guests fed up with the run of the mill accommodation, looking for somewhere different with first class facilities, excellent service with a friendly atmosphere in beautiful surroundings.

Owners Ric and Maggie Hilton are excited to announce that 'The Enchanted Manor' has just received the 5 star award from the English tourist board with a prestigious gold accolade!
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Desert Palm Hotel, Dubai, UAE - This new hotel is an oasis of chic, and Dubai's alternative for stylish simplicity, uniquely located for convenient access to the allure of the Dubai metropolis, whilst offering guests a welcome escape from the city. Desert Palm is situated on a private estate that was originally created as a haven for owner, Mr. Ali Albwardy's personal enjoyment of polo. The estate showcases four championship polo fields, a riding school, stables, rare bird watching opportunities, endless sunshine and beautifully groomed gardens with water features.
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Das Park Hotel, Austria - A hotel with rooms made of giant concrete sewage pipes might sound a little odd, but this artistic creation can be recreated to provide cheap lodging anywhere. These 9,5 tonne concrete sections are a standard item in near all concrete factories and the simple interiors can be added (or removed) with just a few bolts - allowing them to be returned to their former drainage uses if necessary. Of course, these tubes are new - a coat of clear varnish plus the addition of a door and bed and they’re ready to accept guests. With shared toilet and washroom facilities in the Ottensheim park, they look to be spawning other similar creations elsewhere in Europe.
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The Marmara Antalya, Turkey - The complete ‘Revolving Loft’ annex of the Marmara Antalya moves, with a full rotation of it’s 24 guest bedrooms taking anywhere between 2 and 22 hours. Located on the famous Falez cliffs with magnificent views of the Mediterranean, the hotel consists of 238 originally designed rooms including the revolving loft annex. An informal atmosphere centres around the Tuti Floor, which provides a common living space and sets the tone for comfort and design found throughout hotel. With glass on three sides, Tuti Floor was designed especially to offer guests the possibility for a relaxing social atmosphere in a home-from-home environment. Guests can eat while checking their e-mails, lie down on the sofas and read a book, sip drinks on a giant swing or play pool.
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VERANA - This small, personal hotel and spa, is as unusual as it is remote. Located on Mexico’s pacific coast, 30 miles south of Puerto Vallarta, it seems to float above the Bay of Banderas. Carved out of a swathe of hillside jungle all the 8 guesthouses are unique in concept and feel. The most recent guesthouse addition, The Tea House is very popular as it is the largest and has its own plunge pool. The indoor-outdoor spa is designed to maximize its jungle setting. A watsu massage and Japanese style soaking tubs both add to the spa experience. Heinz Legler and Veronique Lievre, a former movie set builder and set decorator respectively, created the resort with the idea of keeping everything harmonious with natural setting. VERANA is really about the outside setting with the option to go inside.
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Euromast, Rotterdam, The Netherlands - The Euromast tower is a feature of the skyline of Rotterdam, and has been a regular tourist attraction since it was built in the 60's. Already known as a great brunch venue, there are 2 suites - Heaven and Stars perched 100m above the city available for advance booking. After the crowds have gone suite occupiers are left to the night skyline in luxury with polished wooden floors, a really comfortable double bed, minibar and room service through to 1am. For night owls, the reception is open 24hrs. With the amazing view below there is little else needed, except if you’re staying in bed past 10am, when pyjamas would be a wise thing to wear, as although you can look out - tourists can look in.
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When you close the door it is thankful that there is a small skylight window in the roof, else you’d easily feel trapped inside this giant concrete tube. The interior is clean and simple - a bed, a shelf and a light. A power point is provided for laptops or phones. The bed is a comfortable double, with supplied sheets and blankets although in the high summer when I stayed, it was fairly warm. There is a vent for air circulation but I ended up opening the door a little to get some cool morning air into the room. I slept well until a farmyard cockerel woke up the neighbourhood. In need of a caffeine fix to start my day I was disappointed to remember that the El Danubio campsite bar doesn’t open until 11am - although you can pre-book breakfasts the night before. The food at El Danubio is excellent - and a recommendation in itself for the platter of ribs and french fries that I ate in the evening. The toilets are a couple of minutes walk away, which would be a pain if it was raining, but on the clear evening I stayed, didn't pose a problem. The toilets are not a luxury item(bring your own paper!), but if you’re okay camping, you’ll be okay here.

Meeting DasParkHotel creator Andreas Strauss was a pleasure. Full of good ideas and future projects, he is justifiably proud of the contribution that the tubes have made to Ottensheim. This town is an excellent stop for cyclists, riding along the excellent Danube cycleways. A keen cyclist himself, Andreas recognises that these tubes make a welcome upgrade to the tiny tents that cycle tourers usually carry. The honesty contribution for guests supports the project but he recognises that there will eventually need to be a small fee to guarantee arrivals. Considering that there are only 3 tubes available, it is annoying that sometimes people don’t turn up to take their reservation.

Now part of the rivers and lakes , Hôtel de Glace Québec - Canada has melted for the season, nourishing the fields of Parc Duchesnay on the shores of Lake St. Joseph.

If you’re interested to consider one of the most accessible Ice Hotel properties from North America, their next season is from: January 4th to April 1st, 2008. For further information, rates and booking information. Please click here

Love is whitewater rafting?
At Caesars Pocono Resorts, love and romance take on many forms. UHOTW visitors will already know that the all-inclusive Caesars Pocono Resorts is famous for its kitschy 7-foot-tall Champagne Towers , round beds and heart-shaped whirlpools, but the Resort now boasts a variety of active lifestyle activities, live entertainment and world-class dining to suit the romantic pursuits of poets and adventurists alike. Under the leadership of a Caesars Pocono Resorts exclusive CXO (Chief eXcitement Officer), on-site and off-site activities include skiing, biking, hiking, kayaking, canoeing and whitewater rafting. The new activities and the creation of the CXO are reflective of Caesars Pocono Resorts’ desire to make romance , healthy, fun and exciting for its guests.  New this summer are paintball and race-car driving at nearby Pocono Raceway.  Most of the new activities are available to guests at no extra charge.  Others are offered through strategic partners, including special guest discounts.  

The Resorts also offers special events like wine tasting, their signature Flames of Passion cooking class, concerts and comedy shows.  The summer lineup of includes: The Temptations, D.L. Hughley, The Wreckers and Boyz II Men.

For more information about the all-inclusive Caesars Pocono Resorts, including their dedicated wedding concierge service visit  www.caesarspoconoresorts.com

Pavilion Hotel on TV - The Unusual Hotels of the World team have been working with our member properties on a number of TV production opportunities and we thought that we'd share one of the first promos created here with you.
www.current.tv

If you're interested to become part of our plans and are connected to TV production or TV channel commissioning we’d love to hear from you.

Contact us here info@uhotw.com

Bel Repayre Airstream Caravans - While the views across to the Pyrenees are fantastic, they are improved while sitting in the recently added red cedar decking area with its hot tub and Mongolian Yurt. As if sitting outside your Airstream caravan after a barbeque is not cool enough, then consider stargazing from the hot tub in the evening to watch the sun go down!
For more information click here.

Wild Canopy Reserve-It has been busy throughout June and July with Game spotting at its peak through to September. As they move to monsoon season visitors welcome that the reserve is located in a rain shadow area and does not receive torrential rainfall. Of course you should pack a coat, and perhaps a sweater if you’re visiting as temperatures vary between 16 o Celcius to 28 o Celcius. One benefit of this season is that flights are generally cheaper.
For more information click here.