Travel reshapes us. Every new place adds something—texture, memory, perspective. It’s how seasoned travelers shake the routine, explore what’s rare, and lean into the unexpected. But even the most frequent flyer needs something that stops them in their tracks.
Here are five extraordinary hotels that challenge the ordinary and deliver more than just a room with a view. These are destinations in themselves—where the setting, the story, and the surroundings create moments that last long after you land.
5. The Airplane Hotel – Costa Rica
Start your day with breakfast on a wing. No, not metaphorically—the Fuselage Suite of this jungle-bound airplane hotel is a real Boeing 727, perched in the treetops beside Manuel Antonio National Park.
Two queen beds, handcrafted interiors, a private soaking tub, and an ocean-facing balcony transform the aircraft into something far more serene. Think Indiana Jones meets boutique luxury. It’s nostalgia with a view, tucked into Costa Rica’s lush emerald canopy.
4. Castello di Reschio – Umbria, Italy
Thousand-year-old castles don’t typically double as private sanctuaries—but Castello di Reschio defies the mold. Painstakingly restored by Count Benedikt Bolza and his family, this Umbrian estate was transformed from crumbling stone to quiet grandeur over a decade of devotion.
The Tower Suite, spread across five floors, offers a spiral of intimacy—culminating in a private rooftop terrace with panoramic views of sunrise, sunset, and everything in between. Each room reflects a story, woven from past lives and preserved details. The castle doesn’t just host guests—it welcomes them into history.
3. The Manta Resort – Pemba Island, Tanzania
Off the coast of Zanzibar lies a floating dreamscape: The Underwater Room at Manta Resort. Here, your suite hovers above the Indian Ocean by day—and sinks below the surface by night.
Glass walls turn your bedroom into a private aquarium. Watch the sea change color. Drift to sleep as reef fish pass like whispers across your window. Above water, the deck becomes your sun lounge; below, a tranquil world hums in slow motion. It’s less of a stay, more of a descent into stillness.
2. Giraffe Manor – Nairobi, Kenya
There’s luxury, and then there’s sharing your morning coffee with a giraffe. At Giraffe Manor, the long-necked locals casually poke their heads through French windows to join breakfast.
Set within 140 acres of indigenous forest on the edge of Nairobi, this 1930s manor house blends old-world charm with a surreal level of animal intimacy. You’re not just watching wildlife—you’re dining with it. Cameras barely do it justice. Presence does.
1. Six Senses Svart – Norway
Where glacial peaks meet glassy fjords, a circle rises: Six Senses Svart—the world’s first energy-positive hotel. Suspended on stilts at the foot of Norway’s Svartisen glacier, it’s more than futuristic. It’s a climate blueprint.
Fully powered by solar, with zero-waste operations, Svart is a self-sustaining retreat that proves sustainability doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort. Rooms curve around the ring, offering uninterrupted views of the Arctic sky. The design merges Scandinavian minimalism with ecological purpose. Opening in 2025, it’s already reshaping the idea of what a hotel can be.
From the Treetops to the Deep Sea, Luxury Looks Different Here
Travel never needs to feel predictable. These hotels push the edge of possibility—from jungle aircrafts and underwater bedrooms to giraffe encounters and solar-powered architecture. They offer what routine cannot: wonder, curiosity, and a reminder that the world still has stories worth flying for.
When you’re ready to go somewhere extraordinary, start with how you get there. Business class seats and world-class service pair perfectly with destinations that break the mold.
