Blinded by the dazzling beige of yet another characterless chain hotel?  There are other options…

Aydinli Cave House: Turkey has many stunning landscapes but the peculiarly phallic 'fairy chimneys' of Cappadocia must be one of the most recognisable.  Carved into the natural rock, close to the town of Goreme, this guesthouse offers accommodation in cave rooms formerly grain stores, haylofts and stables and is a tour de force of troglodyte hospitality.

Bubbletree: From Pas de Calais to Languedoc-Roussillon inflatable hotel rooms have expanded across France, and parts of Spain and Switzerland.  Imagine the contents of a hotel room placed in a field and captured inside a transparent plastic bubble - you have grasped the concept.  Great views for stargazers, awkward for star-crossed lovers.

Icehotel: 200km beyond the Arctic Circle, each winter for 25-years the small Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi sees a fresh incarnation of the Icehotel. 1,000 tonnes of Torne River ice and 30,000 tonnes of 'snice', a mixture of snow and ice, form ice rooms, ice art and ice sculptures.  Drinks are served in ice and guests sleep on ice beds - so no cocoa or electric blanket…

Hostel Celica: Slovenia's 'hippest hostel' was created by the remarkable transformation of Ljubljana's former military prison.  Each of the 20 cells was redesigned to provide unique accommodation, over 80 local artists contributing to the project.  Though iron bar cell doors have been retained guests are free to leave whenever they like.

Jules' Undersea Lodge:  Originally a research lab built in the 1970s, this Florida hotel is anchored to the Key Largo seabed almost seven metres below the surface.  Guests must be able to scuba dive and not suffer from claustrophobia.  Accommodation is offered on a B&B basis though pizza delivery is an option.  All rooms have an ocean view…

Propeller Island: Anyone who stays at this Berlin hotel will realise that Germans definitely have a sense of humour, it's just not like ours.  30 rooms offer such diversions as cage beds, entirely mirrored walls floors and ceilings, green leather rooms, Goth coffin beds, steam-punk mechanical contraptions, and even spyholes to the room next door.

Qasr Al Sarab:  Abu Dhabi's Rub' al Khali, or Empty Quarter, is one of the world's largest uninterrupted sand deserts - a truly inhospitable place.  However, Anantari's sumptuous 206-room resort succeeds in conjuring romance from the sea of sand - a refrigerated swimming pool helps.  Even so, the resort closes during summer's brain-frying heat of 50-plus Celsius.

Sunborn London:  Sleep easy aboard an oligarch-sized super-yacht without having to bribe politicians, silence journalists or watch Premier League football.  Permanently moored on the Thames, close to Canary Wharf and the O2 stadium, the sleek, white freeboard of Sunborn London has 132 spacious rooms, four suites, a restaurant, bar and an Elemis spa.

Tulloch Castle:  Dating from the 12th century, Dingwall's Tulloch Castle is infested with ectoplasm.  Now a hotel, paranormal investigators have made several visits to the castle and claim to have captured 'activity' on film.  The ghostly Green Lady, spirit Elizabeth Davidson, is the most frequent apparition, and room number eight is a favourite haunt…

Tundra Lodge:  Each October polar bears gather near Churchill, close to the shores of Canada's Hudson Bay, and wait for the sea ice to form.  The lodge's 32-rooms, lounge and restaurant comprise a train of connected cabins mounted high up on balloon tyres.  Parked in a prime viewing area guests experience incredible close-ups of inquisitive and hungry bears.

 

This article has been produced in association with www.talkholiday.com