Straw, Ice, Salt — My Hotel Is Made Out of What?

By Sophie Forbes

My main requirements when I am looking for a hotel usually involve a comfortable bed, a central location, and a decent lobby bar. Occasionally, I inquire about the spa.

But what if you look for something a little extra from your room for the night? Like its being made from something other than bricks and mortar, for example.

In recent years, hotels made from some seriously unusual materials have been popping up all over the globe. You can now check in to a hotel suite made from everything from garbage to salt.

Here are some of the weirdest:

Salt

One of the guest rooms at the unique Palacio de Sal. (Photo: Hotel Palacio de Sal/Facebook)

The Palacio de Sal is situated on the world’s largest salt flat: the Salar de Uyuni, in Bolivia. And in an appropriate fashion, it has been constructed almost entirely of its material surroundings. Everything from the walls, floors, and ceilings to most of the furniture is made entirely from blocks of salt. It took more than a million 35-centimeter salt blocks to build the 30-room property, which features all the modern luxuries of a fancy hotel, including a gourmet restaurant, a spa, and even free Wi-Fi. The only problem would be limiting your sodium intake. Rooms cost $130 a night.

Related: The Hotels That Will Make You Happier

Wine Cask

Who wouldn’t want to sleep in a giant wine cask? (Photo: TripAdvisor)

For wine lovers, there are plenty of hotel options when it comes to immersing yourself in the world of winemaking. Vineyards and wineries the world over offer accommodations to those wanting to sip and sleep. But none is quite like the Hotel De Vrouwe van Stavoren in the Netherlands, where guests actually sleep inside a giant wine barrel. The small hotel was built from four 14,500-liter wine casks, each making up an individual room complete with sitting room, TV, and bathroom. Each cask was shipped from Switzerland before being converted into these cosy abodes, and the hotel currently has plans to add eight more rooms using barrels from the Beaujolais region of France. Those have a 23,000-liter capacity, so will be even more spacious. Rates start from around $100 a night.


Ice

Ice sculptures, an ice bar, and even an ice chapel can all be found at Quebec’s Hotel de Glace. (Photo: Mathieu Belanger/Reuters/Corbis)

The Hôtel de Glace in Quebec, Canada, is the only ice hotel on the American continent. With a life span of just three months, the hotel opens only from the beginning of January to the end of March, when the weather is cold enough to keep the structure from melting. Average temperatures at that time of year range from -13℉ to 41℉. Then, at the end of the season, the entire property is deconstructed and rebuilt the following year with a totally different theme. Guests can enjoy the ice bar and the outdoor spa as well as outdoor activities like dogsledding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling before settling down for the night on a custom-made ice bed. An overnight stay will cost around $760 for a standard room or $850 for a room with a fireplace.

Related: Hotels With the Most Amazing (Free!) Amenities


Cork

You’ll have a hard time believing this chic, modern hotel is made from cork. (Photo: Ecorkhotel)

Most of us associate the use of cork with wine production, but this naturally occurring product has been given another use in recent years — as a construction material. The Ecorkhotel in Évora, Portugal, is the first of its kind, using locally grown cork to completely coat the outside of the 56 suite property. Cork, because of its bubble-like structure, works as an incredible acoustic and thermal insulator, making a cork building highly energy efficient. Cork also has the added bonus of being a natural fire retardant, making it incredibly safe. The hotel boasts all the mod, luxury amenities, including a spectacular pool deck, a spa, and a gourmet restaurant serving Mediterranean and traditional Portuguese fare. Suites start from $130 a night.

Straw Bales

Environmentally friendly and amazing mountain views. (Photo: Maya Boutique Hotel)

With the shift toward sustainable construction, architects and builders are constantly looking for more eco-friendly products to build with. Swiss architect Werner Schmidt is one such eco-warrior. He designed and built the Maya Boutique Hotel, in the stunning Alpine valley of Val d'Hérens, Switzerland, which is made completely from straw bales. The hotel was constructed using 1.2-meter-thick bales, making it incredibly well insulated. So well that it requires no additional heating. Perfect for the snowy mountain winters — and very good for the environment. Rooms start at $180 a night.

Related: The 13 Greatest and Grandest Hotel Bathrooms

Sewage Pipes

The sleep pods at the Tubohotel are so cozy, you’ll forget all about what they were in a former life. (Photo: TripAdvisor)

The Tubohotel in Tepoztlán, Mexico, was built using huge sections of concrete pipe that are normally utilized as drainage tunnels. But these accommodations are not the dark, damp environment you might envision. Located about 30 miles south of Mexico City, these individual and ultra-luxurious pods come complete with sumptuous queen-size beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, and central heating. Visitors can take onsite cooking classes, swim in the hotel’s infinity pool, or hike the surrounding mountain trails. All for around $35 a night!

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