After reading a story about a hotel that features four tree houses in the South of France, I started researching unusual hotels and making one my next destination.
While I realize the hotel industry is a multi-billion dollar sector, I must admit that I’ve never really been all that excited by hotels themselves. Sure, staying at a hotel is kind of fun, and I used to work at a hotel bar, which I loved. But in general, I always felt the hotel was a peripheral aspect to a trip, not a highlight. But that may be because my hotel experiences have been limited to chains with all the character of a cardboard box.
Then, I came across a story in USA Today about a hotel in the South of France, very close to where I live, that features four tree houses complete with the amenities of a luxury hotel room: bathtub, TV and even an Internet connection. Hey, I’m an online journalist. An Internet connection is a necessity in my life.
Anyway, I suddenly felt myself day dreaming about a trip to the tree houses. Maybe it’s because I had a lovely tree house as a kid and my fond memories are clouding my judgement. Plus, Saint Paul de Vence, where the tree houses are located, is nice, too. Anyway, it got me thinking about other types of unique hotels.
Every year, I read those stories about the ice hotels in Sweden and Iceland and other frozen places, but I must say they don’t seem remotely attractive to me. They just seem cold. Oh, I might pop into one sometime, have a nice glass of ice water (while wearing my long johns and a wool sweater or two) and take a photo. But I have no intention of actually staying it one. A big highlight of staying in a hotel is being warm, and it just doesn’t seem possible, despite what they say, that I will actually be warm sleeping on a bed made of ice.
But a tree house? Now that sounds cool. Hotels built into the rock of a cliff are also an interesting idea. Granted, I would plan to go in the dead of summer so I’d be sure not to be cold. Then, there’s the perennially popular hotels in former convents, monasteries, churches, etc. Not being a remotely religious person, I feel a tad guilty (yes, I grew up Catholic) that I actually want to stay in one of these properties, but for whatever reason, I do.
All around the world, there are unique and interesting hotels to check out. So, maybe the next time rather than choosing a destination and then searching for a hotel, I’ll find a unique hotel and make it my destination.
