599 Unique Hotels in West Europe

In a city where every canal-side hotel room comes with a premium price tag, one of Amsterdam's most unusual places to rest your head sits 46 meters (150 feet) above the water on KNSM Island. What was once Figee Crane 2868 - a hulking piece of industrial machinery that spent …

The road from Lisbon airport winds through increasingly peaceful countryside before depositing you at what feels like the edge of the world. Here, perched on the cliffs of Praia Grande, sits the Arribas Sintra Hotel – a modest 4-star establishment that happens to hold the rather grand title of mainland …

The stone walls are thick enough to have withstood demolition attempts in the 1930s, and the barred windows remain resolutely in place. But these days, the only thing being executed at Bodmin Jail is an ambitious vision to transform one of Britain's most forbidding historical sites into a luxury hotel …

On a scrap of windswept rock in the Swedish archipelago, where the Baltic meets the North Sea, stands what might be the world's most improbable hotel. Pater Noster sits on Hamneskär island, five nautical miles from anywhere you'd recognize as civilization, crowned by a 32-meter lighthouse that has been guiding …

Checking into a hotel room that once flew at 30,000 feet requires a certain suspension of disbelief. The Natur Air Suite, a 1968 Fokker 27 converted into Italy's first airplane hotel, sits in the countryside near Brembate di Sopra, an hour from Milan. Gianpiero Bianchi discovered the aircraft through an …

The concept sounds like something dreamed up by a particularly ambitious theme park designer: a hotel where you can swim alongside real penguins, separated only by a curved glass wall. Yet here in Lübbenau, deep in the wetlands of Brandenburg's Spreewald region, the Spreewelten Hotel has turned this improbable vision …

Walk through Rome's historic center, past centuries-old churches and crumbling ruins, and you'll eventually find yourself confronted by an unusual sight: a pair of doormen who look more like nightclub bouncers than hotel staff. Welcome to Romeo Roma, where getting through the front door requires more than just wandering in …

High above Lake Brienz, where waterfalls crash down mountainsides and the sound of rushing water mingles with the rattle of Europe's oldest funicular railway, sits a hotel that nearly became a car park. Well, not quite a car park, but something almost as tragic: a concrete "jumbo chalet" complex that …

There's something deliciously impractical about building a hotel on a cliff. While most sensible hoteliers would plant their flag on a sandy beach or charming piazza, Francesco Mansi had grander ideas back in 1956. Fresh from his adventures in Mexico, he took one look at the Amalfi Coast and thought: …

In a quiet side street in the 17th arrondissement, between residential buildings and a stone's throw from Parc Monceau, sits what might be Paris's most brazen attempt at bottling romance. The Paris j'Adore Hotel & Spa doesn't whisper sweet nothings – it shouts them from behind art deco doors flanked …

In a former industrial district of Metz, a small French city better known for its Gothic cathedral than contemporary architecture, stands what might be the most whimsical hotel in Europe. Maison Heler, which opened its doors in March 2025, is both a building and a story – the fictional tale …

On a picturesque hillside in the Swiss Alps, Anakolodge stands out as something different. The seven traditional cabins scattered across two hectares of wilderness are the vision of architect and manager Olivier Cheseaux, who wanted to create a place where people could completely disconnect from the modern world. The philosophy …

The Tranøy Lighthouse rises majestically on Stangholmen at Hamarøy's edge, showing a captivating scenery as one descends toward the parking area. This impressive maritime lookout stands surrounded by charming white buildings, complemented by a distinctive red boathouse and welcoming pier along the water's edge. A winding bridge traverses rocky outcrops, …

In the quiet woodlands of North Jutland, just an hour from Aalborg, architect Sigurd Larsen has created something that feels both radical and inevitable: the Løvtag treetop cabins. These elevated dwellings stand on slender stilts amidst Denmark's native beech, oak and birch trees, showing a rare perspective on Scandinavian forest …

Tucked away in the picturesque Passeier Valley, Quellenhof See Lodge is an adult-only playground. It's one of the region's smallest 5-star luxury hotels and has a Maldive-style "lake" that will take your breath away. The spa resort sits on an enormous artificial lake spread across 4,500 m², reflecting the breathtaking …

Schloss Lieser is a majestic hotel that visually resembles Hogwarts rather than a classic hotel with ornate staircases and beautifully preserved rooms. It lies in the heart of Germany's scenic Mosel Valley, right on the banks of the Moselle River. The hotel has stunning views of the rolling hills, vineyards, …

HotelO Kathedral is a hotel in Antwerp where contemporary design meets Rubens across the Cathedral of Our Lady, the city's landmark building. It brings antique vibes into the world of modern hospitality by having the walls and ceilings of the rooms decorated with paintings by the famous Flemish Baroque artist. …

Rome's Casa Monti has been created as a contemporary interpretation of how Ancient Roman patricians might have lived today if history had taken a different path. Inside these walls, you can imagine yourself as part of the upper class of Roman society and celebrate life with an abundance of colors, …

Malta's unique boutique hotel has 21 luxury suites and a rooftop swimming pool within the walls of the Il-Maċina fortress in Senglea harbor. Its setting couldn't be more interesting. Nestled between the walls of a 16th-century fortress and the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Cugó Gran Macina Malta Hotel …

The Parador de Carmona is a haven of peace for those who want to stay in a quiet place full of history, eat Spanish classic dishes, and enjoy an extremely beautiful view of the Carmona Valley. Parador de Carmona, situated in a charming town just 30 km from Seville, is …