#unique hotels

Former defense tower & prison built in the 12th century, now an antique-filled B&B & events venue in  Bologna, Italy.

It can be yours for the night to play king and queen of the castle in one of the oldest structures to remain in the city.

Just remember, there’s no elevator!

During the day, the tower is its own museum open to the public; twelve floors full of history from the restored dungeon with medieval graffiti to its lookout terrace 200 feet above the city.

But when the sun goes down, the owner of the tower welcomes guests for the night and leaves them with the keys to the tower. (The overnight stays were suspended for the COVID pandemic.)

A stay in the tower is entirely customizable with additional services, such as dinner with a private chef, a cooking lesson or a live music performance.

Do not expect the comforts of a hotel room. The mezzanine contains a comfortable bed, two bedside tables and a stereo system. There is no TV, as the owner feels that a stay in the tower should be about disconnecting from the outside world. The bathroom is small, carved out of a nook in the wall.

Of course, being the king of the castle doesn’t exactly come cheap and just make sure your king or queen doesn’t suffer from a fear of heights.

DistrictHive®, Granada’s Gorafe Desert, Spain,

Architecture, Construction, Licenses & Technical Integrations: Moho Arquitectos,

Maana Kamo Guest House, Higashiyama District, Kyoto, Japan,

Here’s a crazy thing from my archives. It’s a hotel called “The Proposal,” in Zurich, Switzerland where you stay in an art installation. They change periodically, but this is my favorite one- it was a big inflatable man. 

And, when they said big, they aren’t kidding. This guy is huge.

You have a choice of staying in an upstairs room with the art installation.

Or, you can stay in a van outside the hotel. 

I don’t know what he’s doing out here, but if you’ve been a guest of the hotel, you can vote on future installations.