What do you expect from your hotel when you head overseas? Depending on your personal taste, an ensuite, double bed, room service or an extravagant hotel pool may be at the top of your list.
However, some travellers expect a little more from their accommodation of choice. To cater to quirky and personalised tastes, plenty of hotels offer gorgeous rooms and services that are slightly out of the ordinary!
Here are some of the most unique hotels in Europe and where to find them:
Icehotel, Sweden
You’ll want to pack your warmest sweaters for a stay at this hotel, for it’s made entirely of ice and snow! It’s a world first, and is situated in the tiny town of Jukkasjärvi in Sweden, which has almost as many canine residents as it does humans! Although the town is home to only 1,000 people, nearly 50,000 tourists visit the Icehotel each year.
The hotel itself is made out of thousands of tonnes of ice and snow from the Torne River and surrounds. Choose to stay in a room furnished with chairs and other furniture made entirely from ice, admire the Northern Lights above your head in the Northern Light Suite, or snuggle up in a bed covered with furs under artistic ice sculptures. If staying in -5 degrees doesn’t appeal to you, the hotel also has comfortable warm rooms available to book. However, you’ll need to time your trip to Sweden between the months of December and April to stay at Icehotel, as after this it melts away.
Hotel Kakslauttanen, Finland
Fancy staying in amongst the powder-white snow, but not too sure you can cope with the sub-zero temperatures that accompany the winter weather? Hotel Kakslautattanen’s divinely cosy glass igloos may well be the perfect compromise. These gorgeous rooms are nestled below ground and have glass roofs, so you’ll be able to watch the twinkling night sky, Northern Lights and snow flurries as you lounge on your bed. However, you’ll be relaxing in complete warmth – giving you the best of both worlds!
This hotel also has spacious, rustic log cabins for groups of up to 10, each with a roaring fireplace and sauna to ensure you stay toasty warm. On top of this, there are also authentic snow igloos, which will remain at between -3 and -6 degrees no matter how cold it gets outside, even if it’s -40 degrees! While you’re at the resort, make sure you take advantage of the charming winter activities on offer – think husky, reindeer and ice fishing safaris, as well as skiing and snowboarding.
The Chocolate Boutique Hotel, United Kingdom
This sweet Bournemouth hotel is perfect for those with a taste for creamy milk chocolate. The Chocolate Boutique Hotel is entirely chocolate themed and offers 15 different room options, including the ‘Cocoa Bean’ and ‘Chocolate Truffle Suite.’ Each room comes with chocolatey coloured luxury furnishings, daily chocolate, and the option for romantic packages such as a chocolate fountain. The hotel also hosts regular events dedicated to the sweet stuff!
