Most people choose the location of their vacation and then find accommodations to fit their needs.  The really adventurous choose their location based solely on the accommodations.  It may seem a bit skewed, but there are some amazing hotels that make it well worth the change of pattern.

The world is full of unique and unusual hotels and resorts that provide more than a place to rest your head. There are once in a lifetime views and opportunities ranging from sleeping under the ocean to sleeping in the trees (and everything else you can imagine). You can find accommodations that are perfect for a family getaway or a quite romantic retreat.

1.  You may not have thought you wanted to sleep with the fishes, but the Poseidon Resort may make you change your mind. There are island rooms or underwater rooms in the 5,000 acre lagoon. When you choose the underwater experience an elevator will take you down 40ft to one of a limited number of seafloor rooms. The undersea suites are 70% open to the ocean (under 4 inch thick clear acrylic). There is even an option to push a button and feed the fish swimming outside your room. The experience does not come cheap and a one week stay will cost couples around $30,000 US.

2.  If you want to set your world spinning then the Marmara Antalya in Turkey is the place to stay. The ‘Revolving Loft’ annex building offers 24 rotating rooms. You can go to sleep facing the ocean and wake up facing the hotel pool. The full rotation can take anywhere from 2 to 24 hours to complete. Canoe River is a unique amenity created by the hotel that offers a great spot for water sports when the four water jets are activated.

3.  Traveler’s with a Tarzan complex should feel right at home in the Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel (The Tree Top Lodge) in Brazil. Catwalks (around 4 miles of them) 70ft in the air connect the different towers including the dining room and the bar. The Honeymoon suite practically floats 100ft up in a mahogany tree. The place is full of amazing wildlife (including sloths and monkeys). Located just 35 miles from Manuas, Brazil, the hotel is built entirely at the level of the rainforest canopy. The experience is great for the whole family and children up to 10 that are sharing a room with parents or guardians are free (including meals).

4.  When it comes time to chill out for awhile then you need to make your way up to Quebec, Canada.  Each year the Ice Hotel is created out of 15,000 lbs of snow and 500 lbs of ice.  The temperatures INSIDE the hotel range from 23 to 28ºF.  Even the beds are carved from ice (although there is a wooden plank between you and the ice, plus a mattress on the plank).  The good news is that the bathrooms are heated. The bad news is that they are in the adjacent building.

5.  Woodlyn Park in Waitomo, New Zealand offers some of the most unique accommodations in the world. You can sleep like a hobbit in the Hobbit Motels. Enjoy the Plane, Train or Boat Motels. And you can do it all just a few hours from Auckland. Woodlyn Park is situated on a working farm and also offers a culture show to teach visitors about the history and heritage of the region. With your accommodations the hotel will also book a caving adventure, Black Water Rafting adventure and bike or horseback riding. Your stay will include a free glow worm walk in the evening.

6.  Alton Towers in England is not just a famous theme park. It is also a resort that offers themed hotel suites. Enjoy a stay in Peter Rabbit’s burrow or that of Benjamin Bunny or experience a party of a carnival sort in the Celebration room. Come for the theme park and water park and stay in the fantastic rooms to complete the experience.

7.  Being slimed is just part of the package at the Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday in Orlando, Florida. The colors are bright, the rooms are themed (after Nickelodeon characters and shows) and the entertainment is never ending. There are two interactive pool complexes that include climbing nets and slides. There is mini golf and basketball. There is even an option of eating in the Nicktoons Cafe with some of your favorite characters.

8.  The King Pacific Lodge is located in the heart of the Canadian wilderness in British Columbia.  The seventeen luxury accommodations float just off the shores of Princess royal Island and the resort is only accessible by float plane. There is plenty of hiking, fishing and kayaking available but you can also enjoy a relaxing message in the resort spa. An all-inclusive package will start at around $5,000 US per person for 3 nights.

9.  The Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge is the only accommodations located adjacent to the historic attraction.  There are two suites and twenty-nine rooms, many of them with once in a life time views. The rates start around $800 US for a standard room and go up from there to over $1300 US.

10.  The last place on earth most people want to be is in the heart of the desert, but that is just where the Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa is located. This unique location boasts some of the most amazing views you will ever experience. The rooms are designed to give visitors a reflection of the Bedouin camps.  But the whole resort is pure luxury. Rooms even come with personal swimming pools (completing the desert oasis experience).

You can find a traditional hotel any where in the world that will fit your budget and your travel needs. But there are unique hotels and accommodations that will take your travel experience to a whole new level. It may cost a few dollars (or hundreds of dollars) more but it will be worth the memories that will be created along the way.