Want to do something different during your next vacation? Why not skip the regular Hilton or Holiday Inn stay and book a room somewhere truly interesting? In part two of this series, our EWR Airport parking company shares some of the country’s most unusual lodgings and how to book a stay:
Where: Morris, Connecticut
This location isn’t so much a hotel as a field of cottages, and each cottage is different than the next. For example, the Beaver Lodge, located right on Beaver Pond, is made from wood and complete with trees and canopies. In the Helicopter cottage, you’ll find an actual 1968 Sikorsky Sea King Pelican HH3F helicopter inside and in the Music cottage, art deco decor along with chimes, drums, and gongs.
Where: Indianapolis, Indiana
If you’ve always wanted to stay in a hotel inside a train, head to Indianapolis. The Crowne Plaza is located inside a National Register-listed train station and of its 273 guest rooms, 26 are fashioned from old Pullman train cars resting on their original tracks. As a bonus, the hotel is connected to the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.
Where: Farmington, New Mexico
This New Mexico bed & breakfast offers a fully furnished room inside an actual cave. In the 1980s, the cave was carved into the cliff face of 65 million-year-old Tertiary Ojo Alamo sandstone and in the late 90’s, was turned into a hotel. To get there, guests must take a short hike, but once they arrive 69 feet below the surface, they’ll find lodging for four with all of the necessary amenities.
Where: Santa Fe, Tennessee
Reminiscent of hobbit homes, the white cedar huts of Forest Gully Farms are built right into the land to give you a unique overnight experience. The huts come as a trio (two huts with bedrooms and one with a kitchen/dining area) and can sleep up to eight people. The concept was thought up by John and Mandy Giffin as a way for visitors to experience their 15-acre “food forest.”
Where: Suttons Bay, Michigan
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to travel in the 1910s, book a stay at the Hillside Homestead. This authentic farmhouse features wrought-iron beds, claw-foot tubs, rocking chairs, and of course – a home-cooked farm breakfast. You can even stroll through the orchards, take a class to learn how to can and pickle, or help with the farm chores to get the full historical experience.
Where: Portland, Oregon
Why not take an old elementary school and turn it into a hotel? The McMenamins’ Kennedy School has 35 guest rooms – some are in the main school building and boast original blackboards and cloakrooms while some are in the original courtyard and have been decorated with literature themes. While you’re there, you’ll also have exclusive use of the soaking pool and the on-site movie theater.
Where: Memphis, Tennessee
When you think of hotels, you probably don’t think of ducks, but at The Peabody, ducks are very much a part of your stay. Every morning, several mallard ducks are escorted from their penthouse home on the roof through the lobby (to the tune of “King Cotton March”). After they cross the red carpet, they make their way to the hotel fountain where they splash around for the remainder of the day.
Where: Cottonwood, Idaho
Who doesn’t want to stay overnight inside a giant beagle? At Dog Bark Park Inn, visitors can book a room located up a few stairs and inside a 30-foot dog sculpture named Sweet Willy. Here, you’ll find a single room with a full bathroom and a loft for your comfort. Within the park, you can enjoy sculptures of other animals and afterwards, visit the gift shop and artists’s studio.
*Photo courtesy of winvian.com
Login
Sign Up
