he world is full of places that inspire wonder and wanderlust, you just have to know where to look. These four remarkably unusual hotels will make you want to drop whatever you’re doing, to witness their mind-blowing beauty with your own eyes.
- Palacio de Sal, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Measuring over 10,000 square kilometres, the Salar de Uyuni in southwest Bolivia is the world’s largest salt flat. In this fascinating landscape, located near the top of the Andes, stands the Palacio de Sal, a luxury hotel that’s almost entirely made out of salt. Every brick used for the building itself as well as the furniture in the thirty simple but stylish rooms, is sourced from the Palacio’s ‘backyard’. (Don’t worry, plush pillows and blankets ensure a comfortable stay.) The hotel’s restaurant offers a wide variety of local delicacies, to be enjoyed while admiring dreamlike panoramic views and star-filled skies. Truly a sight to behold.
- voco, The Hague, The Netherlands
You don’t have to rob a bank to study the workings of an enormous vault door like the ones you see in classic heist movies. The recently opened voco hotel is located in a former bank building in the centre of The Hague, and houses 204 rooms on seven floors. The cocktail (and vault) magic happens below ground level, in the Ultramarijn Wonderbar, which can be reached via a spiral staircase that leads straight into a fantastic underwater world in steampunk style. The drinks menu is divided into the four wind directions and features a special guest: Sir Edmond Gin.
- The Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel
Another hotel that was never meant to be a hotel, is The Jaffa in Tel Aviv. The building used to house the French Hospital from the Sisters of the French Order of St. Joseph, and includes a magnificent chapel with vaulted ceilings, original plasterwork and stained glass windows. British architect John Pawson transformed the old hospital into a luxury design hotel that embraces modernity while honouring the structure’s historic highlights. You will never want to leave.
- Treehouse Lodge Resort, Iquitos, Peru
This five-star hotel in Peru is a bit trickier to get to: you can only reach the Treehouse Lodge Resort by boat from the nearby town of Iquitos. Those who make the effort will be treated to a one-in-a-lifetime experience: sleeping in one of the twelve treehouses that hover between ten and twenty meters above the jungle floor. Suspended walkways connect the treehouses to a central space where Peruvian dishes are served. Surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of the Amazon rainforest, as well as macaws, sloths, squirrel monkeys and many other local inhabitants, you’re in for an unforgettable time.
