 |
| Costa Verde’s Boeing 727 fuselage, now a 2-bedroom suite. Photo from Costaverde.com |
At Costa Verde in Costa Rica you can actually sleep in a converted 1965 Boeing 727. The old fuselage was taken from San Jose Airport and turned into a 2-bedroom suite. The room (if you will) is actually perched in the treetops of the jungle next to the Manuel Antonio National Park. A deck, which serves as a viewing platform, is built on the wings, and the inside is furnished with local teak. The suite goes for upwards of $500 a night, but Costa Verde has a number of other room options for the more frugal traveler. So if you want to just go and get a look at this thing, you can opt to stay in bungalows starting at the more manageable $87 per night.
 |
| Bedtime at Airplane Suite in Teuge, Netherlands. |
A similar, but more luxurious,concept has been created in the Netherlands at Airplane Suite in Teugue. For 350 Euro, two people can call a 40 meter plane (120 ft) home for the night. This is not the cost of a room on the plane, you get the ENTIRE plane. Airplane Suite offers a sauna, jaccuzzi, kitchenette, flat screen TV’s and snacks/beverages on arrival. So, to get a taste of the high life, put Teugue on your bucket list.
 |
| Stargaze from your private igloo at Kakslauttanen. |
Star gaze and savor the Northern Lights from your bed at Kakslauttanen in Saariselka, Finland. This development in Northern Finland boasts glass igloos, a snow hotel, and for those of you who just don’t like the cold – log cabins. The glass igloos, built for two, have a bed and toilet within and separate sauna facilities. But now, Kakslauttanen is offering 4-person igloos with full bathroom facilities within.
s of the northern lights, the resort also offers snowmobiling, ice fishing, reindeer safaris, skiing and snowboarding. Prices for the glass igloos during high season start at 224 Euro per person (based on double occupancy) http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/
 |
| The interior of Iglu-Dorf Zugspitze |
 |
| Iglu-Dorf Zugspitze’s whirlpool |
For the authentic igloo experience, though, head to Iglu-Dorf Zugspitze in Garmisch, Germany. This is the real deal! For 130 Euro per person, you can sleep in a hand-crafted igloo on Zugspitze – Germany’s highest peak. Not only is your standard igloo accommodation covered, but also included is a fondue dinner, a snowshoe walk, and breakfast the following morning. Sleeping bags (suitable for -40 degrees Celsius) are provided, but if you need to warm up before bed, you can always visit the igloo’s whirlpool!!
http://www.iglu-dorf.com/en/standorte/zugspitze.htm
 |
| Seguin Island Light Station, Maine. Photo by Robert Ballad |
Get battered by the wind and sea from the inside of your very own…lighthouse. Yes, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live as a ‘Keeper,’ then wonder no more. A number of lighthouses allow visitors the opportunity to stay as volunteer keepers, helping out with light maintenance. However, if you want the experience without the accompanying duties, many lighthouses offer night stays in quite cozy accommodations.
Seguin Island Light Station in Maine offers both volunteer opportunities and rentals. This lighthouse, built in 1857 is Maine’s tallest lighthouse and it sits on a semi-remote island, offering guests and keepers alike sunrises, sunsets and a true feeling of getting away from it all.
http://seguinisland.org/index.html
For more information on staying at a lighthouse within the US, check out this very useful link:
http://www.uslhs.org/resources_be_a_keeper.php
 |
| Seas batter Krakenes Fyr. Photo by Thomas Bickhardt |
On the other side of the Atlantic, you will find Krakenes Fyr. This Norwegian lighthouse sits on the West coast between Bergen and Alesund, and it’s location subjects it to some of the roughest seas and weather. But if you have a group of people up for adventure, you can rent out the ‘Bridal Suite,’ which is a 3-bedroom suite at the top of the lighthouse, complete with a kitchen and bathroom. A 3-night minimum stay costs $850.
http://krakenesfyr.no/index_en.php
 |
| The Intercontinental’s Hanging Pool in Dubai. Photo by XPRESS/Abdel-Krim Kallouche |
The InterContinental in Dubai and Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore will leave you in architectural la la land. Both properties are brand new and a one-night stay at each will set you back about $450… but both showcase architectural marvels when it comes to their swimming pools. At the InterContinental in Dubai, a 25-meter rooftop swimming pool hangs precariously off the side of the building, allowing everyone a look at who is taking a dip .
 |
| Marina Bay Sands 150-meter long rooftop infinity pool. |
The Marina Bay Sands Resort boasts the largest and highest infinity pool in the world. Sitting at 200 meters high, atop three hotel towers, this leisure area affords visitors one of the best views of Singapore. So whether you want to take a dip in the ‘hanging’ pool in Dubai, or get your laps in at the highest elevation possible in Singapore, I’d say you better break out your best bathing suit.
http://www.dubaifestivalcity.com/cntn.aspx?id=34
 |
| Lima’s proposed ‘Unbalanced Hotel.’ |
If the rooftop pools don’t test your vertigo limits, how about testing your balance at the newly proposed Unbalanced Hotel in Lima, Peru. This unique concept, put forth by OOIIO Architecture is set to be Lima’s newest landmark hotel. The idea of a picture frame, built right into a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean means great views for guests and no obstruction of views for people behind the hotel either- just a perfectly cropped vista. Apparently, the plans have been approved by a Latin American investor, but no opening dates have been announced.
 |
| A ‘capsule’ or room at Poseidon Undersea Resort. Photo from Fubiz.net |
Now, if you want luxury, wow factor, and a one-of-a-kind adventure all rolled into one, you will have to make your way to Poseidon Undersea Resort in Fiji. This undersea world is the creation of L. Bruce Jones, a man who grew up on oil rigs and dive boats, and dreamed of re-creating a world right out of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
This hotel is the first of its kind, but what makes it so unique is that 70% of the structure will afford visitors panoramic views of the underwater world. The entire property, the majority of which is comprised of 24 capsules (or rooms) occupies about one mile of a 5,000 mile reef in waters up to 90-feet deep.
 |
| Poseidon Undersea Resort’s unique dinner guests. Photo from ealuxe.com |
Once open, guests will literally be able to eat, sleep and live in an underwater world, where normal hotel amenities, like spas and five-star restaurants abound. And, if just being able to see all this isn’t enough, you can hire a submersible to explore the reefs surrounding the hotel property. (Room rates are not available at this time.)
http://poseidonresorts.com/
So, what would you choose? Sleeping with reef sharks in Fiji, overlooking the Costa Rican jungle from a Boeing 727 fuselage, or tapping into your nautical side while working as a keeper at a historic lighthouse in Maine? So many adventures are out there to be had, some more absurd than others, that it sort of makes you rethink what you should do for this years’ Summer vacation…