Original Hotels

The Hotel Crazy Bear in Oxford, England, is certainly one of the most original hotels in the country. The hotel is located in the English countryside, near the center of Oxford.

The Crazy Bear Hotel is certainly an extravagant hotel with an unique design and several details designed to make their visitors’ stay as enjoyable as they can. The design of this hotel, where the reception is decorated as a classical red double decker bus, shines amongst the nature of the English midlands.

The hotel has a large garden full of tropical trees and a maze of paths that zigzag along all the territory. There are also several fountains, waterfalls, terraces and even a forest.

The building where this hotel is located dates from the XVI Century, and has seventeen rooms, a bar and several restaurants. The dwellings at this hotel have been recently refurbished and remodeled, and the bar now carries the traits of both the more classic and traditional British style and the idiosyncratic decorations, such as a 2.40 metre tall bear.

Each one of the seventeen rooms spread out across the hotel has its own individual style. While all rooms have a similar structure, with a double bed, a bathroom and luxurious furniture, they each have their own style. All rooms have a TV set, a CD player and CD library, robes, complimentary newspapers and wireless Internet access. Each room also has its own name, and the name of the room is a small introduction to the decorations that one will be able to find inside the room. Several rooms are connected rooms, ideal for families or groups of people travelling together. Price per night varies depending on the type of room and season, though the mean price is between 200 and 385€ per night.

The Punch room is decorated with several colourful baubles on the walls, while the Ramón Allones room has a more curved design. The Bolivar room reminds the visitors of the influence of the XIX Century politician, while the Romeo and Juliet room is one of the most spacious and most romantic rooms named after the famous Cuban cigars. Other rooms at this hotel, such as the rooms Black, Peppermint, White or Silver have a much more classic style and are decorated in the colour of the room’s name, and have inspiring decorations.

This hotel also offers its visitors the possibility to enjoy a delicious meal at an exclusive Thai restaurant located just below the hotel. The luxurious restaurant has a large collection of wines in its cellar, a ceiling covered with mirrors and masks of faces that cover the velvet covered walls. The English restaurant at this hotel is also an interesting place to dine, with wine bottles hanging from the ceiling, strange animal footprints on the floor, walls covered in leather and mirrors, and several chandeliers which only add to the restaurant’s charm.

Other buildings on the hotel’s territory include a lavishly decorated log cabin and an enormous Moroccan themed glasshouse full of vivid colours and its own copse. For guests who would like to celebrate their wedding or another important event, the hotel has a special Oak Room, a large hall ideal for great parties, weddings, reunions or conferences.

The hotel is only 20 minutes away from Oxford, and has an enormous, 60 acre, territory. One of the most original and endearing aspects of this hotel is its small farm that can be found on its territory, full of several different species of farm animals. This hotel also has its own food shop that sells agricultural products and organic meat, and all of the goods can be savoured at the hotel restaurant.

The visitors of this hotel will be able to visit the charming and historic city of Oxford, the world renown Oxford University, the Blenheim Palace, various shops, theatres and museums, the Dorchester Abbey and many other historic places. The hotel will be able to organize all kinds of fun activities such as hot balloon trips, helicopter excursions, long rides on horseback, shopping sprees, quad circuits, fishing trips, walks in the countryside, golf, bicycle rent and hundreds of other fascinating activities.

The Chelsea Hotel is a hotel located in Manhattan, New York, in the state of New York in the United States. This curious hotel is renown for its famous guests throughout the XXth Century, since many exceptional people from the world of art, literature or cinema have stayed during long periods of time at this hotel.

The building dates from 1883, when it still formed part of the Theatre District, during the time it was a neighbour to the best performance arts theatres. By 1905, the building was transformed into a hotel, and almost since the beginning it attracted many known names in the art, literature and theatre industries.

Later on, and during almost a century, world known celebrities such as Mark Twain, O Henry, Jane Fonda, Stanley Kubrick, Sid Vicious, Dylan Thomas, Jack Kerouac, Uma Thurman, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Frida Kahlo or Diego de Rivera, amongst many others, stayed at this peculiar hotel. Many of them rented their rooms for rather long periods of time. However, right now the maximum amount of days guests can stay at this hotel are 21.

This hotel has also proved itself to be an inspiring place for many authors. For instance, here Arthur C. Clarke wrote his famous book “2001, Space Odyssey”, while Jack Kerouac wrote his master novel “On the Road” during his stay at this hotel. During a period longer than 35 years, the artist and painter Alphaeus Philemon Cole lived here.

Several songs have been written at this hotel, while it has been honoured in many others. For instance, “Chelsea Morning” is a song by Joni Mitchell about this hotel. Several movies have also been shot on its premises, and it appears in several films such as Leon or a film produced by Andy Warhol. Several survivors of the Titanic stayed at this hotel, since it is close enough to Pier 54.

The Chelsea Hotel has several different options of accommodation, such as double rooms, studios or suites. All the rooms have enormous windows that cover the space between the floor and the ceiling, allowing its guests to enjoy a lot of natural sunlight as well as breathtaking views. All the walls at this hotel are painted in bright colours, and guests can find themselves in pink, blue, red or yellow rooms. The design and decorations of the rooms are quite eclectic and modern, with a great fusion of styles, making it this the favourite haunt of many artists. All rooms have air conditioning, a bathroom, a double bed and a television.

The studios have their own kitchen, and are larger and therefore more spacious rooms. Some of the rooms also have cosy chimneys, while others have two double beds. All the suites have two rooms and a small living room near the entrance. Normally, in most suites guests will be able to find a large table with several chairs, several armchairs, flat screen televisions and many pictures on the walls.

Prices per room can vary greatly between 94 and 110€ per night. However, prices depend on the season and the type of room guests choose to stay in. It is widely recommended to take a tour around the hotel, which takes guests around the most interesting rooms and shows them the favourite places of many masters of art. music and theatre. Guests can also enjoy many on the master pieces that hang along the hotel’s walls.

The staircases at this hotel are painted in different colours and in various styles, and serve as a reminder that this hotel is dedicated to art.  Legend has it that several of the historic characters who have stayed at this hotel have decided to come back as more permanent, ghostly residents after their death. Many guests have reported seeing Dylan Thomas, Eugene O’Neill or Thomas Wolfe walking along the hotel’s hallways years after their deaths. Others say that the spirit of Sid Vicious’ girlfriend, who was stabbed at this hotel, still lives here and can be frequently seen in the elevator. Some people also say that Sid Vicious himself haunts the hotel.

Near the hotel guests will be able to find several galleries, coffee shops and restaurants full of actors, both known and unknown, who stop in the neighbourhood to grab a quick bite. A couple of minutes away guests who stay at this hotel will be able to visit several of New York’s most famous places, such as beautiful landmarks and historic buildings. Guests will be able to enjoy a full day of sightseeing and visiting places such as the Empire State Building or the famous Greenwich Village, the Jacob K. Javits and the Midtown.

The Max Hotel is located in the very center of Seattle, Washington, in the United States. This hotel is an ode to art and painting. This hotel is the ideal place for both those who want to visit Seattle as tourists and those who visit the city on business.

This hotel has been specifically designed like an exposition center, both for long established artists and regional photographers. The hotel has more than 350 paintings and photographs hanging near the lobby, along all the hallways and in all the rooms of this enticing hotel.

This hotel has a wide variety of rooms, and there are four different types of rooms at this hotel. Comfort is the key word at this hotel, and thus all rooms have best quality bed sheets, thin TV screens and a rather curious multitasking telephone with a “You Got It” button ideal for those away on business trips. Each room also has its own bathroom and can accommodate up to two people.

The first type of room is the Solo Art room, a small double room with a bed decorated by regal duvets. In this room guests will find a large desk, walls covered by mirrors and fast Internet connection. This room is an ideal room for all those travelling alone or who stay at the hotel only for a couple of nights or for a business meeting. Like all the other rooms, this type of room is decorated with both small and large paintings drawn in very different styles and numerous photographs.

Another type of room is the Queen of Art, a large double room with a queensize bed covered by a duvet with intricate designs. This room also has a large working area, with a huge desk and floors covered by sleek gray carpets with highlighted orange and red areas. The price of this room varies between 65 and 100€ per night. This room is much more spacious and thus more comfortable, and are the ideal choice for couples or friends visiting the city.

The Artist King room is a great, spacious room with a large kingsize bed and exquisitely embroidered covers. Just like all the other rooms, this room also has a separate working area with a carved bed and carpets in classic colors. Price per night in this rather luxurious room, where guests can enjoy the plushiest robes, varies between 70 and 105€ per night, though prices may change according to season.

The Art of Two Beds is unequivocally the largest room at this hotel, with two large double beds and exquisite decorations. This room also  has a large working table with decorated carpets. The Art of Two Beds room also happens to have more paintings and photographs decorating its walls than all the other rooms, with several decorations and ornaments set around different themes, forming a truly unique style. This room is also the most expensive room at the hotel, with prices that vary between 80 and 105€ per night.

All rooms have fast Internet connection. Guests at this hotel will have a wide variety of services available for their use, such as a large business center, full room service and a modern gym open 24 hours a day. Guests who arrive by car will be able to use the private parking lot for a small extra cost, although special offers are offered to guests with cars who only stay at this hotel for a couple of nights.

Undoubtedly one of the most curious aspects about this hotel is the fact that it offers a wide variety of menus adapted for people with different religious beliefs, thus making a stay at this hotel an enjoyable one for everyone. Another interesting feature at this hotel is that all guests can choose their favorite pillow from a special pillow menu, guaranteeing a comfortable experience to all guests. Furthermore, each guest room has notepads with the hotel’s logo, Aveda bath amenities and a very wide selection of organic teas and coffees.

Guests who choose to stay at this hotel will be able to enjoy a small private bar directly in their rooms. Those who would like to try something healthier can visit the hotel’s own restaurant, the Red Fin, where they will be able to savour the most delicious dishes belonging to the Asian cuisine. Those guests who do not want to leave their furry pets at home can bring them, too, as this is a pet friendly hotel, and for only a small extra cost one can bring their cats and dogs to this Seattle hotel. Since the beginning of 2009, smoking is not permitted at this hotel.

The Max Seattle Hotel also has several comfortable conference rooms with the best technologies. Furthermore, this hotel is located in the very center of Seattle, near all the most important museums, theatres, restaurants and cafés.

This hotel also offers its guests several holiday packs and offers depending on the room they choose to stay in. Those who travel by car are welcome to buy one of their holiday offers and pay less for the parking lot, while those who come to the city in order to be able to enjoy its art panorama can buy special packs where they can accommodate in the best rooms and get free tickets to the Seattle Art Museum, the Henry Art Gallery and the Experience Music Project.

The Grand Daddy Hotel is a luxurious four star hotel full of the newest technologies and an impressive decoration. Both creativity and magic rule in this hotel in Cape Town, in South Africa.

This curious hotel has several different types of rooms. Prices vary according to the type of rooms and season, but during the low season, a double room can cost around 85€ per person per night, while a trailer can reach 140€ per person per night.

The superior rooms are the most chic rooms at this hotel. Each superior room has air conditioning and its own marble bathroom. The interior design is full of silver details and African motives, such as carved figures on the bedposts. Furthermore, a large black globe stands proudly in the room, with fine silver lines indicating the countries one should visit next.

Another type of room are the two Sugar Daddy suites. These luxurious suites, each one of them with a private patio, an elegant living room and plasma televisions, are full of technology and intricate design. Each suite has a kingsized bed and a luxurious bathroom.

The penthouse of this curious hotel resembles a wide rooftop with several exclusive vintage trailers. All seven of these trailers, or American Airstreams, have been refurbished in order to be able to accommodate two people, and each room has been designed by a local artist. All the trailers at the top of the hotel have breathtaking views to the world below. From the rooftop, one can observe the Mesa Mountain situated in the Kirstenboch National Botanical Gardens. Each one of the trailers has its own double bed and a bathroom.

All of the trailers have been designed and redecorated by a team of local artists. Each trailer has its own theme, all of them definitely rather eccentric and original.

The Afro Funk room is decorated with traditional African motives and draped in colors of the dessert. Love of Lace is a quirky room decorated in light pink colors, and has a large boudoir. The Dorothy room is another room with light blue walls decorated with extra large polka dots, where everything is decorated in the same way, and even the tea cups sport decorations of polka dots in several tones of blue. In the Goldilocks room, characteristically enough, everything is multiplied by three, and many figures of bears can be found in the room. The Ballad of John&Yoko is a rather large and curious room dedicated solely to music, with an extra large bed and several musical instruments. The Pleasantville room serves as an iconic reminder of the 1950’s decade, and is furnished with 1950’s materials and furniture. The Earthcote room is a room dedicated to the Earth, with peaceful colors and several layers symbolizing the layers of our planet.

Each one of the trailers has its own small front garden, decorated with a small mailbox and other small details. During the summer months, visitors can walk across their gardens and visit the Pink Flamingo Cinema, a free open air cinema on the roof.

The Grand Daddy Hotel has its own bar and restaurant. The Daddy Cool Bar is one of the most renown bars in the region, decorated with light colored leather furniture, golden decorations and shiny metal tables. The bar has a truly exquisite wine and whisky menu. Next to the bar one may find a curious digital art and photography gallery. Furthermore, the hotel restaurant, the Showroom Café, is the ideal place for one to taste a different breakfast every day. This restaurant offers its clients a wide variety of home made food and organic products, as well as many local foods, such as fresh fish or large steaks.

The Aurora Express Hotel is a hotel made up of several train carriages which used to travel along the railroads of Alaska, near the Tanana River. Those who stay at this hotel can experience an enjoyable stay in the nicely decorated comfortable rooms while observing the beauty of the Alaskan nature.

This curious hotel has several train carriages where the rooms can be found. The carriages have been reformed and refurbished after the company that bought them brought them to a new location in Alaska. Each train carriage hosts several  double rooms, each one of them with a double bed, heating system, their own ensuite bathroom and artistic decorations. The large windows allow the guests to enjoy a truly breathtaking view of the peaceful, snow covered scenery.

This hotel costs less than 100€ a night, a reasonable price for such a charming place with beautiful surroundings. All carriages are well equipped with all the necessary commodities for an enjoyable stay, and up to four people can sleep in each room.

The interior decorations of the rooms follow several themes, some of them dedicated to Alaska, with posters and pictures of different regions at different times decorating the walls. This bed and breakfast also offers a wide range of activities for those guests who would like to explore the region. Furthermore, guests have the opportunity to try the local cuisine for breakfast.

There are several wagons with different themes. The National Domain train carriage has four suites and follows a Victorian style. The National Emblem carriage has bigger rooms and more space, and is ideal for families. The Golden Nellie is the largest and definitely most luxurious train car and is ideal for couples. The Arlene wagon dates from the Second World War and has only two rooms. There are several train cars more, each one of them with a unique theme, such as the Can Can theme. The last wagon is the Diner Car, a truly luxurious bar for 24 guests where one can enjoy all the local meals for lunch or dinner.