Search Results for “night less ordinary” – Page 3

A night less ordinary: Panda Hotel

Mar 08 2013

We go around the world to find the most beautiful, weird and wonderful hotels for A Night Less Ordinary. From igloo-style hotels to converted prisons, expect the unexpected. This week, prepare for a cuteness overload with the Panda Hotel in Sichuan-China.

What’s the gimmick? C’mon, admit it, who isn’t convinced that pandas are the cutest thing on earth? Here at Purple Travel we are big fans, so we wanted to share this amazing Panda Hotel with you. In Sichuan in China, it’s packed to the brim with all things cute, furry and panda related. Scheduled to open in May 2013 we can’t to go.

Why stay? Located at the foot of Mount Emei, this first panda themed hotel in the world aims to help its guests return to nature and find the simple and true meaning of life; and also guarantees a memorable stay. One room has a panda version of the famous Titanic scene when Kate Winslet was standing in front Leonardo DiCaprio on the bow of the ship.

Images via @ designtaxi

The WOW Factor? Every room in the Panda Hotel is an absolute panda-monium as all of them include panda pictures, cuddly panda toys and furniture with patterns of the cute animal. What’s more, it’s reported that employees dress up like the eucalyptus eating bears so guests can have a real-live panda experience.

The hotel has room rates that range from US$48 to $80 per night.

Click here for more crazy hotels in our Night Less Ordinary feature.

A night less ordinary: The Morgue Hotel

Mar 01 2013

Are you completely dead tired? Feeling a bit lifeless? Then this is the hotel for you.

An entrepreneurial Tasmanian businessman has announced plans to turn a morgue into a hotel, just in time for Halloween. Yes you read that right. But it’s not the kind of place where you’ll find four poster beds, covered in goose feather duvets, this is the real deal.

Here’s the plan for the morgue turned motel. The beds will be made of stone cold slabs, where autopsies once took place. The room will feature two huge fridges, where bodies were stored while the stainless steel bathtub that stands in the room was once used for washing cadavers. Out of use surgical implements will be scattered around the room, you know, to give it that ‘authentic’ look.

He says, “It’s still got its terrazzo slabs, and it’s still got its pull-out fridge, it’s a beautiful thing… We’ll be looking at putting a double bed in one of the rooms and then we have three slabs and two pull-out fridges which could be used.”The owner, Haydn Pearce an antiques dealer, has already opened a hotel on a former asylum at the same site and hopes to open his morgue hotel early next year. Speaking to ABC News in Australia, he said he thinks the hotel will attract “the unusual”, and the dissection table will be the main suite (and main attraction.) The Morgue will be an extension of the existing 22 room Willow Court Hotel that operates from an old hospital ward.

But will anyone actually want to stay in a hotel that used to be a morgue? Mr. Pearce answered that question with a simple: “we’re going to find out.”

Find out more about weird and wonderful hotels around the world in our series: a night less ordinary.

Images via @ Haydn Pearce

A Night Less Ordinary: A room made from Lego

Feb 22 2013

If your idea of a good night is packed with Lego bricks, towers of all shapes and sizes and little square headed figures all over the place, then head for a night in Legoland in California, USA. Due to open on April 5th 2013, if you thought your home was coming down with Lego bricks, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Legoland California is dedicated to all things colourful and brick shaped, from the blocks that adorn the walls as you make your way in, to the perfectly themed carpets. There are around 3,422 Lego models throughout the hotel, including eight in each room, made from more than three million Lego bricks. In the lobby alone there is a wall of 6,000 minifigures and a family of smoke breathing dragons at the front entrance.

In the hotel there are three dedicated room types: Pirate with its Jolly Roger flags and Lego pirate parrots, Adventure with a sweeping jungle theme and friendly brick made monkeys and Kingdom where you get a taste of all things King Arthur and the Round Table. It’s probably fair to say these rooms and staying in the hotel fulfil just about every Lego fantasy you could imagine. In fact you could say it’s a Lego geek’s dream right down to the smallest detail. On top of family sleeping areas and dedicated Lego treats for little ones, a trip to the Hotel also offers select entry to rides and attractions within the theme park.

Beyond the hotel you get to splash around in the water park and even build your own raft from soft Lego bricks, or dodge the water cannons, go on a Safari trek, or visit Sky Patrol. Whatever you choose, we’re sure Lego adventurers of all ages will find something to enjoy. There are even mini Lego Star Wars adventure areas, a mini Las Vegas and something called a Coastersaurus, which we are dying to try!

Find out more about hotels you never knew existed in other posts in a Night Less Ordinary.

All images via @ Legoland California.

A Night Less Ordinary: Les Balade des Gnomes

Feb 01 2013

Welcome to A Night Less Ordinary, our hotel series where we try to bring you the best in weird, wonderful and spectacular hotels from all over the world. Whether you want to sleep in a hamster themed hotel (do you??) or imagine yourself as James Bond, we’ve got something for you. This week, take a pinch of fairy dust as we take a look at Les Balade des Gnomes in Belgium.

The motto of this incredibly cute hotel in Belgium is ‘all that you can imagine is real.’ Found in near the village of Durbury, a 17th century village Les Balade de Gnomes, looks like it came straight from a fairytale – or a Tim Burton film.

With only ten admittedly crazy rooms, this is something really special. Built by architect Mr Noel, each room has been lovingly hand crafted to resemble a fairytale and includes the chance to sleep in a Trojan Horse, a Troll Forest, or a wine room. The Macquarie Island room has a boat bed that appears to float, while others are filled with wooden toadstools, starry skies, or, oddly enough a lunar capsule. Prices start around €115 for a double room.

You’ll find the hotel at Rowe de Remoleu 20, 6941 Heyd, Durbuy, Belgium; tel. +32 472 20 86 23 info@labaladedesgnomes.be

A night less ordinary: Sleeping Around

Jan 18 2013

This is not just any old pop up hotel, this is exclusive. Here’s the deal, you take one old shipping container, fill it with a fancy box spring bed (whatever that is!) rain shower, air con, iPod docking, all the mod cons you can think of. You throw it in the middle of a busy shopping street, beside a city capital building, or in the middle of a park and you’ve got Sleeping Around. A new type of hotel experience.

The owners say: “Sleeping Around is a unique pop-up hotel. The term ‘pop-up’ goes beyond merely ‘making an appearance.’” You want to see and be seen staying in a place like this. The Belgian initiative started life on the roof of an office building, while it’s slated for holidays to the Greek Islands, France, by ski slopes and who knows where else. You can add your own suggestions for where the boxes should go next on their website.

The ‘hotel’ is made up of four containers added together to form a little village, with its own sauna and lounge room to get your day going. Centrally located, all the modern facilities you’d expect, it costs around €199 for two people per night and is aimed at people who want to stay somewhere just for a night or two and experience a different kind of hotel.

A Night Less Ordinary: Hotel made of salt

Jan 11 2013

We go around the world to find the most beautiful, weird and wonderful hotels. From caves to converted prisons, expect the unexpected. This week, Palacio de Sal in Bolivia otherwise known as a hotel made of salt!

What’s the gimmick? We’re all for using locally-sourced materials, but the builders of Palacio de Sal, located in the salt plains near the port of Colchani, Bolivia, really ran with the idea. The entire hotel is built out of salt, from the walls to the floors, the tables to the beds. Sorry guys though, licking the walls is strictly prohibited.

Why stay? As the name suggests, this hotel is much like a palace. Stay here to discover a quirky retreat, with a swimming pool, dining room and even nine-hole golf course made from completely sodium chloride. Guests can enjoy an exquisite meal, prepared on the basis of salt, whether its lamb meat from the region, or salted chicken. The bedrooms are also another draw because they resemble igloos built with salt blocks, making for an unforgettable stay.

You should read: Garamisu Cave Hotel

The WOW Factor? The hotel is not just attractive due to its salty infrastructure, Palacio de Sal is also luxury hotel and golf course features with a dry sauna, steam room, whirlpool and, unsurprisingly, its own saltwater baths.

You should read : Rooms Without a Key

Palacio de Sal sleeps up to 48 people across 16 twin rooms and eight double rooms. Prices starting at £85 a night. Please see their website for more details.

A night less ordinary: Hotel without a key

Dec 28 2012

Every week we look for hotels with a twist so you can have a night less ordinary. We go around the world to find the most beautiful, weird and wonderful hotels from nights in a cave to sleeping in a converted prison, expect the unexpected. This week, it’s a hotel with no reception, no room keys and, eh, no locks on the doors at the Blow Up Hall 5050 Hotel.

The Blow Up Hall 505o Hotel in Poznan, Poland, is one with a difference. We know we say that a lot, but trust us on this one. Entirely decked out in black and white, and taking its style inspiration from the 60s cult film Blow Up, it’s an old brewery transformed into hotel/shopping centre/art gallery.

What’s the gimmick? Where do we start? The interactive hotel’s 22 rooms are decked out in the finest in artistic experimentation. Guests are given an iPhone on arrival, so instead of meeting a friendly receptionist, the device guides them to their room and gives information on the local area. Oh and there are no room numbers, the iPhone looks after that too.

Why stay? The hotel is really an eyeful, in a good way. The monochrome décor is cool, while the trendy bar is a hotspot for hipster locals and visitors alike. The black lift, lack of room numbers and complete commitment to technology means this is one for the super cool amongst us.

A Night Less Ordinary: Hotel Made of Ice

Dec 21 2012

In our weekly series, we go around the world to find the most beautiful, weird and wonderful hotels. From caves to converted prisons, expect the unexpected. This week, we’re celebrating Christmas with a cool hotel made of ice.

What’s the gimmick? Newly rebuilt every year the IceHotel is created from tonnes of snow and ice, in the village of Jukkasjarvi, in Lapland. Although it can drop to -30 C outside, it never gets colder than -5 to -8 degrees inside. The hotel is filled with art made from ice, the beds are made of igloo style blocks of ice and every morning, hot lingonberry juice is offered to warm you up.

Image via @ Charley1965

Why stay? The IceHotel has everything. On arrival you will be given special insulating clothes and reindeer blankets to fight off any cold. You’ll get your own locker for your luggage and you are advised to pack long johns! Some guidelines from the hotel include leaving your luggage at reception: “Your luggage will be stored in a locked luggage room during your stay. If you bring it to your room, it will freeze during the night.”

One of the pleasures of staying is the surrounding areas, there are night trips to discover the Northern Lights, dog sledding transfers from the airport and evening sauna trips to warm you up. The IceHotel is also offering space travel, having partnered with Virgin Galactic with reservations on the world’s first private space expedition.

Eread more: Marie Antoinette Hotel Room

The hotel also offers technical trips, where you can learn about CO2 emissions and the technology used to create and manage hotels like this. It’s got an onsite chapel for the coolest wedding imaginable. Oh and a trip to the legendary Ice Bar is a must: it’s so popular it’s been licensed all over the world

The wow factor: It’s a hotel made of ice! What more can we say?

Image via @ bjaglin

A Night Less Ordinary: Hotel Kakslautten

Dec 07 2012

In this weekly series, we scour the world in search of the most weird and wonderful hotels. From cave hotels to converted prisons, capsule pods to underwater guestrooms, you can expect only the unexpected. This week, Hotel Kakslautten, Lapland.

What’s the gimmick? Located amidst beautiful Lapland scenery in the vicinity if Urho Kekkonen National Park, Hotel Kakslautten offers their winter guests the chance to stay overnight in a futuristic glass igloo. Based on a groundbreaking idea and years of research and development, the unique, sci-fi-like glass igloos are a marvel of modern technology.

Why stay? Where else can you admire the amazing northern lights and the white Lapland scenery, all within the comfort of zebra-striped warm bed? Built from a special thermal glass, the temperature inside the igloo is always at a normal level and its special material also prevents the glass from not getting white frosted, keeping the view clear even when the temperature outside drops to under -30°C.

The wow factor: Every igloo is equipped with a toilet and luxury beds and the surrounding Igloo Village is also home to snow chapel and an ice bar, both built in every winter. Every evening a hot sauna and a refreshing ice hole are waiting for you at the igloo, where you can climb into bed and marvel at the star-studded night sky. Husky safaris, snowmobile safaris, reindeer safaris and ice-fishing trips are all available, as well as guided ski treks.

Village is open every year from December/January and until the end of April.

A Night Less Ordinary: Toilet Hotel Japan

Nov 23 2012

What’s the gimmick? Where else can one enjoy room service while on the toilet than in Japan? The Nakanoshima Hotel (a.k.a. the world’s worst honeymoon idea) is a small, but luxurious, fully functioning public bathroom. Located in downtown Osaka, fenced by two rushing rivers, this one-room facility boasts an ivory-sheeted bed, a stylish desk, fresh-cut flowers and a prominent opening in the wall marked with a male figure on the right and female on the left. Through this opening, a stream of citizens flow in hopes of emptying their bladders.

You should read: Top weird ways to travel on holiday

Why stay? Stay if the idea of waking up to a cleaner mopping up urine from the tiles is intriguing to you. This hotel is less a place to spend an uncomfortable night and more a piece of tongue-in-cheek public art. Crafted by Tatzu Nishi (the guy who put a room six storeys high in New York’s Columbus statue), the hotel is his celebration of the everyman’s commode. On the other hand, it is thoroughly disinfected and designed to be comfortable even though you can still hear people using the toilet in the other side of the wall.

The Wow Factor: Although this is the part in which we usually tell of high-class spas and ultra snazzy decor, this is a toilet for God’s sake, there’s not really much of a wow going on here…

You should read: A Night Less Ordinary : Boot Bed ‘n’ Breakfast

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