10 Unique Hotels Around the World for Adventure Lovers

Care to scuba dive to your hotel room? How about zip-lining down the side of a cliff after you check out of your room? What about a hotel where a giraffe poking its head through a window is your wake-up call? Does it sound like I’m making these things up? I can assure you these are all real and very unique hotels! And it makes me so excited that they exist (except for the underwater hotel you have to scuba dive to…that’s a big NOPE for me).

This was a fun list to research and put together! I’ve actually come back to update this list in 2023 (I originally published it in 2019), and I’ve updated it because I’ve actually stayed at most of these hotels now! This was originally a fun wishlist, but now, I’m going through and checking off the hotels off this list.

I hope this list sparks a little wanderlust inside of you and inspires you to visit one of these incredible hotels. Enjoy! 

Disclosure: some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Meaning, if you click a link and make a purchase, Have Clothes, Will Travel gets a very small commission. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible!

10 Unique Hotels Around the World for Adventure Lovers

1.) Stay in an Igloo! (Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Lapland, Finland)

Head to Lapland, Finland to stay in a thermal, glass igloo and gaze at the Northern Lights as you fall asleep. That alone is reason enough to make me want to go here – but this area also has a ton of exciting excursions as well! You can go dog sledding and snowmobiling…but, most importantly, there are reindeer! You can visit a reindeer farm, feed the reindeer and take a sleigh ride (just like Santa!).

2.) Sleep in a Treehouse in the Amazon Rainforest (The Treehouse Lodge in Iquitos, Peru)

Take a 1 1/2 hour boat ride along the Amazon River and its tributaries to reach this unique lodge nestled in the Amazon Rainforest! I couldn’t write this post and NOT mention the Treehouse Lodge in Iquitos, Peru. We stayed here a few years ago, and it is one of my favorite travel memories. Besides the obvious – you’re sleeping in a treehouse in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest – this is also an all-inclusive “resort.” You’ll take some crazy excursions during the day, such as fishing for piranhas and wildlife spotting (see sloths and pink dolphins in the wild!), and get treated to some amazing meals throughout the day.

3.) Climb Up a Cliff to Your Hotel Room (Skylodge Adventure Suites in Cusco, Peru)

Just mosey on up the side of a cliff to get to your room here! Yeah, I actually saw this hotel on my way back to Cusco, Peru. It is CRAZY. You really do have to climb up the side of a cliff to get to your hotel room…and then you zip line down said cliff after you check out. Your hotel room is a glass cabin perched along the side of the cliff. It looks amazing, but also terrifying…

Click here to see my blog post featuring this hotel (from ground level).

4.) Scuba Dive 20+ Feet to Your Hotel Room! (Scuba Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida, USA)

If climbing up the side of a cliff doesn’t sound too thrilling…how about diving 20+ feet underwater to get to your hotel room? Hear me out…They. Will. Deliver. Pizza. If an underwater pizza delivery service doesn’t get you excited about this hotel I don’t know what will! (Full disclosure – this hotel room scares me more than any of them, just because I’m claustrophobic, though! Otherwise, it sounds awesome.)

5.) Glamp in a Martian Tent in the Middle of the Desert (Mazayen Rum Camp in Wadi Rum, Jordan)

Glam it up in a Martian tent in the middle of the desert! Glamping is my jam. (Camping, but I still get to have a bathroom and running water, and a nice bed!) We stayed in these crazy Martian tents when we were in Wadi Rum, Jordan. It was an amazing experience! You could clearly watch the stars from your bed! 

Read next: Mazayen Rum Camp Review – a Wadi Rum Luxury Desert Camp (with Martian Tents!)

6.) Make Friends with Giraffes Through Your Hotel Room Window!! (Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya)

If having a giraffe poke its head through your hotel room window doesn’t sound like the coolest thing ever, we can’t be friends. Haha. Staying at this hotel was a dream come true! Giraffe Manor has a herd of endangered giraffes who wake you up in the morning by poking their long necks into the windows in the hope of a treat. They’ll also join you for breakfast and tea time! I can’t recommend this hotel enough.

Read next: Honest Giraffe Manor Review – Is It ACTUALLY Worth the Cost?

7.) Stay in the Kalama Conservancy on the Side of a Cliff – (Saruni Samburu in Kenya)

Sticking with the wildlife theme in Africa…staying at Saruni Samburu is absolutely amazing! This hotel is a luxury retreat that has the Kalama Conservancy all to itself. There are only 6 villas with breathtaking views, there is wildlife roaming freely by the watering holes just below the villas. The safaris here are out of this world as well! (So. Many. Elephants.)

Read next: Honest Saruni Samburu Review – A Luxury Safari Lodge in Kenya

8.) A Hotel So Remote, You Can Actually Get Your Stay Paid For (Guest House in Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland)

Not a big fan of people? This hotel is for you! It’s so remote, Hotels.com was running a promotion where they’re paying for your stay. If you missed that promotion, the room rates are still very reasonable, and the area looks AMAZING. Oh, but there are polar bears roaming around at night…and the most efficient form of transportation here happens to be dog sledding. Sign me up!

9.) Track Wild Rhinos… on Foot! (Saruni Rhino in Samburu, Kenya)

Saruni Rhino in Samburu, Kenya is an experience not for the faint of heart! There are only 3 villas located at this safari camp…so, it’s incredibly remote. But the reason travelers stay here is to try tracking wild Black Rhinos on foot in the nearby Sera Conservancy. Spoiler – it’s nuts! It’s hands down my favorite travel experience and has by far been my favorite place to stay.

The rhino pictured above is Loijipu. He also lives in the conservancy under surveillance, He lives here because he was abandoned by his mother when he was just a few days old and was raised by humans, who are hoping to rehabilitate him back to the wild once he is old enough and big enough.

Read next: Tracking Black Rhinos ON FOOT – My Experience With Saruni Rhino Lodge in Kenya

10.) Stay in a Cave Room, & Watch Hot Air Balloons in the Morning! (Sultan Cave Suites in Cappadocia, Turkey)

This hotel is located in Goreme, Turkey – and you have the option of staying in an actual cave room. The video below is of one of their suites (not an actual cave) that also offers an amazing view of the rock formations known as “fairy chimneys.” Then, if you’re an early riser, get up before sunrise to watch the hot air balloons float over the city of Goreme. This hotel has its own private terrace for watching them!

Click here for my blog post about the Sultan Cave Suites. And click here to book a room at the Sultan Cave Suites.

Read next: Where to Stay in Goreme, Turkey – Sultan Cave Suites Review

Would you stay at any of these hotels? And if so, which looks the most fun to you? Let me know in the comments!