Ahoy, mateys! If you thought the hotels we showed you last week were weird and wonderful, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Just get a load of these unusual places beside, and in, the water.
Jules’ Undersea Lodge – Key Largo, Florida (USA)
One or two breathtaking under-the-sea resorts have been proposed in recent times, but at the moment most remain just a tinkle in their architect’s eye. Having been in business over 25 years, this former subsea scientific station (originally named La Chalupa) is the real deal. You have to scuba dive 21 feet below into the Atlantic Ocean (just off Key Largo in the Florida Keys) to check in and, once on board, live the ‘aquanaut’ lifestyle, with views of sea rather than sky. Oh, and the décor, linen and gadgets are all vintage 1980s – nothing’s been changed since La Chalupa was converted to a ‘hotel’ in the mid-80s.
Harbour Crane Hotel – Harlingen, Friesland (Netherlands)
Harlingen is one of the oldest ports in the Netherlands. It was once a major seaport, but nowadays it’s much quieter, home only to trawlers and yachts. The harbor’s solitary crane has dominated the town’s skyline for years, but fell into disrepair until a group of architectural enthusiasts converted it into single bedroom hotel ‘suite.’ The lodgings are situated in the crane’s machine room and driver’s cabin, with a double bed and shower/bath, and incredible views of the harbor and the town beyond. Access is by two stages of elevators, and the best part is that the crane still functions – you can swing it around to your heart’s content.
Utter Inn – Lake Mälaren, Västerås (Sweden)
Utterly absurd. Utterly genius. This…this…house (we just don’t know what to call it), which sits unfathomably in the middle of a Swedish lake, is the brainchild of local artist Mikael Genberg. The tiny little red dwelling above the surface of the water is modeled after the classic Swedish style home, yet sized like a garden shed. Wrapped around is a deck just wide enough to lay out a few deck chairs, kick back, and listen to the calming sound of the lake waters lapping against its side. But there’s more to this curiosity than first meets the eye. Ten feet beneath the surface – connected by a thin tube big enough for someone to shimmy down – is a bedroom with two single beds and four portholes to observe the underwater world beyond.
Capsule Hotel – Scheveningen, near Den Haag (Netherlands)
A bright orange oil rig survival capsule…turned into accommodation…that you have to pay to stay in. Of course the origin of this idea lies in art – an artistic surfer’s community to be more precise (Free Architecture Surf Terrain). Sleeping in rudimentary, unaltered (except for a lock and ‘emergency’ chemical toilet inside) plastic tub that’s 14 feet in diameter isn’t going to be many people’s idea of a great hotel stay. But with room for three inside, it could be the ideal budget choice for those looking to taste the bohemian lifestyle offered by an alternative community.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Image: Mingo.nl)
