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From underground corners in Sweden to Amazonian treetops, the world’s most eccentric hotels deliver unforgettable experiences.
The top of the world
Forget the World Cup and find the perfect Brazilian refuge, enveloped by the majesty of the Amazon jungle. With unparalleled beauty, the world’s largest rainforest is home to Ariau Amazon Towers, one of the most splendid eco-tourism luxury hotels in South America. Cruise the mighty river and admire the “meeting of the waters”, where the dark current of the Black River converges with the lighter and argillaceous waters of the Solimões River, as the Amazon River is known in this stretch. For more than four miles, the two rivers run side by side without mixing, a truly wonderful natural sight.
You can also take a walk through the woods and return to your hotel to relax on your balcony, surrounded by the exotic wildlife of the region. In the morning, do not be surprised if monkeys wake you up knocking on your windows, or if you see colorful macaws fly over your private terrace.
Built in 1987 by Brazilian entrepreneur Francisco Ritta Bernardino in accordance with the customs of the native tribes, and inspired by Jacques Cousteau´s endless crusade to preserve the fragile ecosystem of the Amazon, this hotel features the largest collection of luxury tree houses in the world. Your stay here will be an experience you will never forget.
A Five Star Igloo
In northern Sweden, every November— for 24 consecutive years—the Icehotel is rebuilt anticipating the arrival of winter. Not that the structure requires constant adjustments, but the raw material used for its construction becomes scarce in the early spring.
This luxury hotel, built entirely of ice, has 80 rooms, some even equipped with saunas. Artists come every year to redesign the hotel’s art suites, reinventing not only the form and decoration of the rooms, but leaving their mark for the enjoyment of the guests.
Organic Purity
The Yunak Evleri Cave Hotel was carefully conceived with captivating simplicity not to interfere with the natural beauty of its surroundings. Embedded in the ancient Greek city of Cappadocia in Turkey, this hotel is unique in its kind. Its 30 rooms are located inside one of the region’s characteristic cavernous formations. Although the area was settled in the 5th century, the crown jewel is a unique suite that evokes a 19th century Greek mansion.
The hotel’s architecture blends, flawlessly, with the environment, making it a place of extraordinary beauty and simplicity. Its corridors, labyrinths and stone passages, take guests and visitors through the imposing mountain. The rooms are rather simple and elegantly austere, almost otherworldly. Yunak Evlery Cave Hotel will definitely transport you to another time, far from the hustle and bustle of big cities, undoubtedly, a plus in a world of excess.
A Gold Mine
If you like venturing into truly unique places, the Sala Silvergruva Hotel in Sweden might not seem so outlandish. Housed within one of the best preserved mines in the world, this hotel features many of the amenities one would expect of a five star hotel, including spa services and, oddly enough, a golf course.
So quiet and splendid, you will not notice the absence of cell phone reception or Internet service. Without doubt, the main attraction at Sala Silvergruva is located in its core: the Grusvit suite, housed 500 feet under the surface. Those who choose to stay in this room should wear warm clothes, as the temperature deep within the mine is considerably lower than in the rest of the property.
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