10 Most Unique Hotels in Europe You Can Actually Book
Forget standard hotel rooms, predictable city breaks and places that are only there because you need somewhere to sleep. When we travel, we’re always drawn to somewhere a little different. Somewhere that makes us stop scrolling and say, “Ohhhh, I want to stay there.” because lets be honest a lot of hotel rooms are starting to look similar.
Over the past 12 months, we’ve travelled across Europe staying in some of the most unique hotels we could find, places that feel more like experiences than accommodation. We’re talking rooms with Boeing 737 cockpits inside, car-themed suites in Germany, treehouses hidden in the Black Forest, zoo lodges where you can wake up near wildlife, and even an underground hotel deep beneath the mountains of Wales.
These are not just pretty hotels for a quick Instagram photo. They are real, bookable places that can turn a family trip into something your children talk about long after you are home.
So we’ve pulled together 10 of the most unique hotels in Europe you can actually book, from playful family-friendly stays to once-in-a-lifetime adventures. Some are easy UK breaks, some are perfect for a European road trip, and others are the kind of places you could plan a whole journey around.
Because sometimes, the hotel is not just where the adventure ends for the day, sometimes, it is the adventure.
Corendon Amsterdam New-West 737 Suite - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Some hotel rooms surprise you with a nice view. Others have a fancy bath, a big bed or a balcony and then there is the 737 Suite at Corendon Amsterdam New-West, where you walk into your room and find an actual Boeing 737 cockpit sitting inside. CRAZY!
This is one of those stays that instantly feels different. It is not just a hotel room with a few aviation pictures on the wall. The suite is built around the feeling of having part of a plane inside your hotel room, which makes it perfect for children who love flying, airports, buttons, travel days or anything remotely plane-related. But ive got to be honest! I loved this more than anyone! It was so much fun!
The suite itself is seriously spacious too. Corendon lists the 737 Suite as 120 m², with floor-to-ceiling windows, complimentary Wi-Fi, Netflix, Chromecast, a separate bathtub and shower, and of course, the main event, the aviation theme. Corendon also describes the room as an exceptional cockpit suite with an actual Boeing 737 cockpit inside.
Location
The hotel is located approx. 20 minutes from the center of Amsterdam with great public transport links with the Henk Sneevlietweg station being located right next to the hotel.
The obvious feature is the Boeing 737 cockpit! It’s like a fully functioning plane without the functioning part… If that made sense… You have the cockpit that has thousands of buttons to press and leavers to pull. Then you have a cabin behind that makes you feel like your a passenger, its honestly amazing!
This is more of a special suite than a traditional family hotel room, the downside is that it only sleeps 2 but we managed to get 2 adults and a 3 year old into the room because the bed was so large and the staff were so accommodating. But you could have family stay in the rooms next door to the 737 suite where they can spend the evening having fun in the plane pretending to be pilots and the reside to their room for the night, but good luck deciding who’s not going to be sleeping in the 737 suite.
The hotel is also outside Amsterdam’s most central canal-ring area, so you will want to factor in tram, metro or taxi journeys if you are exploring with younger children. That said, if the room itself is part of the reason you are going, this could be a brilliant one-night stay.
This is exactly the kind of hotel we love because it makes the stay part of the story. It might not be the cheapest or most practical option for a full family break, but for one night? It would be unforgettable. We have stayed in 100s of places and this is easily up there in the top 3 most unique places were ever stayed!
Pairi Daiza Resort — Belgium
If there is one stay on this list that feels genuinely one of them places I would recommend for families, it is Pairi Daiza Resort in Belgium. It was certainly magical, something i’ve never experienced before.
The resort is set inside Pairi Daiza argubelly the best Zoo in Europe? Well, we certainly thought so. On top of an incredible attraction it also offers 209 uniquely designed lodge accommodations inside the zoo. Pairi Daiza says every room puts guests face-to-face with extraordinary wildlife, including views of animals such as polar bears and tigers. Its such a unique experience! This is the kind of place where the hotel is not just attached to the attraction. The hotel is part of the whole experience.
Types of rooms
You can pick between lodges with Black Bears, Farmhouse Animals, Giant Otters, Jaguars, Penguins, Polar Bears, Hippos, Sea Lions, Sharks, Tigers, Squirrell Monkey’s, Capybaras, Walruses and Wolves. Now of course some are going to be more expensive than others, The Sea Lion Room starts from 172 Euro Per Person Per Night and the Polar Bears room starting from 290 Euro Per Person Per Night.
This is probably one of the most exciting family options on the list or maybe just the most exciting for anyone really. It feels special, memorable and genuinely built around the kind of experience you would remember for a long time. Although the resort can be pricey, but they do accommodate large groups to couples and its defiantly worth the price, well we certainly thought so.
V8 Hotel Stuttgart - Germany
If you’re obsessed with cars, engines, racing, anything with wheels or you just love a really unique hotel room, then V8 Hotel Stuttgart is probably one of the best themed hotels in Europe.
Set in Motorworld Region Stuttgart, this hotel leans fully into the automotive theme. V8 Hotel describes its themed rooms as being individually designed around the car world, with automotive wall murals, original artwork, oversized beds, flat-screen TVs and atmospheric lighting.
Quite frankly, they could have just described them as super cool car rooms.
I’m not even a proper petrolhead, but I still thought these rooms were brilliant. We stayed in the Jeep room because there was an event on and it was the only themed room left, but honestly, it still felt like such a fun place to stay.
What I loved most is that it is not just a car poster stuck above the bed. Some rooms feel like you are sleeping inside a garage, a racing scene or a piece of motor history. It is playful, but in a way that still feels cool enough for adults and older children too.
From a family point of view, this is probably better for older children than very young ones, simply because they’ll appreciate the detail more. But again young kids love the role playing that they’re driving a car to the mountain to find unicorns. But It would work really well as part of a Germany road trip or a stopover near Stuttgart, especially if anyone in your family loves cars or maybe someone like us who loves unique hotels. Just make sure you check which room you are booking, because the themed rooms are all different and the most popular ones can sell out quickly.
You can book the V8 Hotel Here.
Schwarzwälder Hof Treehouses - Germany
A treehouse stay always sounds magical, but not every treehouse is actually practical with children. That is why Schwarzwälder Hof Treehouses in Germany’s Black Forest stood out. They are affordable and are just super cool! So, there are 10 treehouses in total, and each treehouse has two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living area, a kitchenette and space for two to six people. So, it makes it create for a family break.
The wider resort also has a strong family setup, including an animation programme during main holiday periods, an indoor play paradise for little ones up to around five years old, an indoor play barn, and a rustic outdoor adventure playground with climbing, swings, a slide and sand area.
For parents, there’s more than just the treehouse novelty. The resort has a spa and wellness area, including a sauna area, indoor pool, wellness/massage treatments and day spa options, although the sauna can be reserved for overnight guests on certain days and cannot be booked in advance.
There is also an on-site restaurant serving traditional Baden dishes in a rustic natural-log setting, with indoor seating and a large outdoor terrace overlooking the surrounding meadows and forest. The restaurant also lists children’s dishes on its menus, which is useful from a family point of view. We felt the food here was really nice and affordable!
You can book the Treehouses here.
Oreo Room — Chessington World of Adventures, United Kingdom
Yes… This is real…
The OREO Room at Chessington World of Adventures is one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable themed rooms in the UK. Chloe is OBSESSED with Oreos and everything is fully OREO-branded from the giant but surprisingly comfortable cookie-shaped bed, to the bold blue walls and playful safari-style graphics. It completely embraces the absurdity of sleeping inside a biscuit, and somehow it works far better than it probably has any right to.
It is a novelty stay through and through, but that is also what makes it fun. If you grew up loving theme parks, sweets or just slightly ridiculous concepts that go all-in, it is hard not to appreciate how committed Chessington is to the theme.
From a family point of view, this is one of the easier unique stays to book because it is attached to Chessington World of Adventures, so it naturally works as part of a theme park break. The room sleeps up to four people and has a separate children’s sleeping area, which makes it feel more practical than just a standard hotel room with a fun design. Kids think it is magic. Adults think it is hilarious. And sometimes, that is exactly what you want from a themed hotel room.
Deep Sleep Hotel - Wales, United Kingdom
This is the only stay on this list we haven’t actually done yet, mainly because it isn’t really suitable for young children. I’ll get to why in a minute, but Deep Sleep calls itself the world’s deepest hotel, and to be fair, that doesn’t feel like much of an exaggeration when you start your decent.
Hidden inside a former mine in Wales, guests sleep hundreds of meters underground, surrounded by rock, silence, and the kind of darkness you just don’t experience above ground.
Getting there is a huge part of the appeal and experience. You don’t just check in at reception and wander to your room. You travel through old mining tunnels, take on zip lines, cross narrow beams and make your way deep underground with guides before spending the night in a chamber that feels part hostel, part survival experience, part sci-fi film set. This is honestly a fully experience in itself and just looks incredible!
It isn’t luxurious, and it definitely isn’t trying to be. This is one of those stays that’s more about the story than the comfort. The kind of place your brain probably doesn’t fully process until you’re back above ground wondering what on earth you just agreed to.
It’s niche, slightly mad, and absolutely not for everyone. But if you're scared of heights, the dark or colorphobic then maybe this one isn’t for you but for adventurers, bucket-listers, thrill seekers and people who tend to say yes before thinking too hard (Partly me), Deep Sleep has to be one of the most unique overnight stays in the UK.
Sleepover with Basil (Miniature Shetland Pony) — United Kingdom
Sleeping in the same room as a miniature Shetland pony sounds like the kind of thing you’d see on social media. Which is exactly where I saw it…. So, obviouslyyyyy I booked it……
But it is real, and Basil, the resident Shetland pony, is very much the star of the show. During the day, he lives outside with the other horses. At night, he joins guests in the stable bedroom, creating one of the strangest and most memorable sleepovers in Europe.
We honestly had no idea what to expect. You are essentially staying in a converted stable, but it has been done so well. It was such a nice surprise turning up and realising how cosy and comfortable it actually was. It did not feel gimmicky in the way I half expected it to. But then you get tucked up in bed, Basil wanders in, has a snack, settles down, occasionally checks on you, and you suddenly have that moment of, “Hang on… this is actually quite weird.”
And yes, it is weird. But it is also adorable, surreal and completely unforgettable. By the morning, you are not entirely sure if it really happened or if you dreamed the whole thing. Is it a one-and-done stay? Probably. But it is a story you will tell forever, and not many hotels can promise that.
We also created a YouTube video about our stay, which you can watch below.
Treehotel — Harads, Sweden
Sweden’s Tree hotel is one of those places that seems to appear on every design blog, “weird hotel” list and social media travel page — and once you see it, you understand why. Each cabin is its own architectural concept, from mirrored cubes that almost disappear into the forest, to a bird’s nest-style structure hovering above the ground. And then there is my favourite: the UFO. Yes, an actual UFO-style tree room in the Swedish forest. How cool is that?
What makes Treehotel so interesting is that it is not just about the rooms, even though they are easily some of the most unique and impressive tree rooms in Europe. There is also so much to do around the hotel. In winter, you can go skiing and enjoy the snowy landscape, while in summer you can go kayaking and spend more time outdoors in the forest. For us, it felt like a proper experience rather than just somewhere to sleep. Every treehouse feels intentional, creative and almost museum-worthy, but the quality carries through inside too. It is not one of those places that looks amazing from the outside and then feels disappointing once you step in.
You can book the tree hotel here.
The surrounding nature adds a level of peace and stillness that city hotels could never replicate. I remember sitting outside and not hearing a sound other than the wind in the trees. No traffic, no crowds, no hotel corridor noise. Just forest.
Is it expensive? Absolutely. But it is also one of those rare stays that feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not because it is flashy, but because it is so far removed from normality.
Hotel Not Hotel — Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hotel Not Hotel is exactly what the name suggests, somewhere between a hotel and a hostel. Instead of standard rooms lined up along ordinary corridors, the hotel is made up of tiny themed spaces that feel more like art installations, hidden cabins or random pieces of furniture you can sleep inside. And weirdly, it works. It is amazing.
Some of the rooms include a VW campervan, a wooden church and, my personal favourite, the tram. It is the kind of place where you spend half the time just walking around looking at the different room designs. This is probably best suited to people who like the communal feel of a hostel, but still want the privacy of their own room. There are seating areas outside some of the rooms where you can sit, chat and meet other travellers, so it has a much more social feel than a normal hotel. But there are a few things to know before booking. Bathrooms are shared in many rooms, like you would expect in a hostel-style setup. Some rooms do not have air conditioning, much storage or clothes hangers, and in rooms like the VW campervan, daylight can be limited. So this is definitely not one to book if you want a polished, spacious hotel room with all the usual comforts.
So why would you stay here? Because it is fun. That is really the point. It is one of those places you probably stay once, take loads of photos, laugh at how unusual it is, and remember it afterwards. It is social, quirky, slightly strange and completely different from a normal Amsterdam hotel.
For us, that is what makes it worth including. It might not be the most practical hotel on this list, especially with younger children, but it is definitely one of the most unique.
You can book a room at Hotel Not Hotel Here.
Trash City Suite - The Exhibitionist Hotel, London
The Trash City Suite at The Exhibitionist Hotel in London is one of those rooms that makes you stop and think, “Who came up with this?”
Set inside The Exhibitionist Hotel in South Kensington, the Trash City Suite is not your usual boutique London hotel room. Instead of soft neutrals, safe luxury and the usual “stylish but forgettable” design, this room goes all in on its concept. We’re talking a neon Trash City sign, brick walls, dark tones, bold artwork and a bedroom that feels more like an art installation than a standard hotel suite. It is so weird. It is dramatic. It is slightly ridiculous.
But I love it!
This is probably not the most obvious family hotel room on the list, especially if you are travelling with younger children. It feels more suited to adults, couples, older children or teens who would appreciate the strange design and humour behind it. Younger kids might not really understand the concept in the same way they would with something like the OREO Room at Chessington or a zoo lodge at Pairi Daiza.
But if you are looking for a London hotel room that feels completely different from the usual chain hotel setup, this is definitely one to know about. The location is also a big plus. South Kensington is brilliant for a London break, especially if you are planning to visit the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A or spend time around Kensington and Chelsea. So even though the room itself is quirky and unusual, the location is actually very practical.
You Can book your stay in the Trash Suite Here.
That’s It
I hope you have a wonderful time exploring all or just one of these truly unique hotels!
