In the world of boutique hotels, there seems to be no limit to what we’re willing to create. Travelers with a little appreciation for design magic can find accommodations as exciting as their destination. These one-of-kind hotels provide experiences that enhance any escapade. They spark our imagination – forging worlds within worlds. For instance; a room inside a mountain, a glass igloo in the arctic, or a yurt on a desert campground.
Montaña Mágica
If you’re an eco-warrior or in love with fairy tales, this one’s for you. The Magic Mountain Hotel is located in a Chilean rainforest, the Huilo Huilo Reserve. Inspired by a fable about a volcano that grants wishes, this man made mountain defies conventional architecture. On the outside, the hotel is covered in foliage with a waterfall cascading down its antique-looking facade. The interior design however, is a luxury woodsy-lodge. Eco-friendly and elegant, the nine rooms, panelled with rough-hewn planks and crafted wooden furniture give the guest the look of “roughing it “ with all of the amenities of a 4-star hotel.
Kakslauttanen Hotel
This is what design is all about. The experience? Watching the Northern Lights dance in the nighttime sky. The response? Glass-domed igloos at the edge of an arctic wilderness. Designed by the hotels owner, Jussi Eiramo and a small team of architectural design professionals, these two to four person habitats are built from a special thermal glass so the temperature inside the igloo is comfortably warm – and energy efficient. The small huts provide an unobstructed view to the night sky, giving guests an optimal opportunity to see one of the world’s’ seven natural wonders, the Aurora Borealis. Located just outside Finlands Urho Kekkonen National Park, the Kakslauttanen Hotel is designed to be the best place to visit during the aurora season.
El Cosmico
The self-described “nomadic hotel and campground” in Marfa, Texas is almost like a peaceful and spiritual take on Mad Max Thunderdome. It’s anti-architecture, or as they put it, “liberation from the built world.” Situated in the high plains desert, it’s a collection of renovated campers, Mongolian yurts and Sioux-style tepees. Designed by their in-house design team, the Bunkhouse, it’s has a perfectly executed dystopian vibe. What makes this place special is more than the vast open landscape of its location – there is also its philosophy behind their hotel’s design. Inspired by American hippies and bohemians, it evangelizes self determination. The hotel is designed to make use of the discarded homes of the past, and re-imagine them for modern living.
Hotel design is much more than creating comfortable spaces, it’s about designing unique experiences. So the next time you’re looking for your next big escape, make sure that wherever you go you’re getting more than just a pretty room. Make it awesome.
