Best Extreme Hotels In The World

Travel is about experiencing new cultures. Why not do that in the most thrilling way possible? The Earth is a marvelous place and technology has made even the most remote or hidden lodgings available to the masses.

If you've stayed at a hotel made of ice, it's time to visit one made of salt. Palacio de Sal is built on the world's largest salt flat. Even the furniture in the hotel is made of salt. The rooms at Palacio de Sal look like igloos build with salt blocks. All the rooms have a private bathroom, hot and cold water and central or electric heating.

Sala Silvermine is known as the deepest hotel room in the world at 500 feet underground. It can only be accessed through a mine lift shaft. As you can imagine, there is no room service or anything you'd expect in a luxurious hotel, except a comfortable double bed, silver furnishings and champagne platter. It's cold and damp, but absolutely gorgeous. One night in the bizarre suite will cost about $500. Sala Silvermine, as the name suggests, was a mine, which produced about 3 tons of silver a year used mostly for coins.

It boasts three indoor green areas—the Cascades, the Delta and the Garden Conservatory—totaling nine acres of waterfalls and 50,000 plants representing thousands of different species. Book a room overlooking this incredible space, try a river boat cruise down the quarter-mile-long river or saunter along the miles of paved walkways.

This is one of the country's most secluded venues. Staying at this hotel is like having your own luxurious private boat—absolutely no neighbors. It was built as a line of defense against enemy attacks on the Solent and Portsmouth. No Man's Fort is the largest of three spectacular man-made forts that form the collective, Solent Forts. You will love the floor to ceiling windows giving you unrivalled panoramic views of the dramatic seascape.

You can stay in this former industrial monument and you can also free fall from the top – it's only 164 feet. This is an astonishing and unique experience, far removed from the bland standard hotels all over the place. Some tourists even call the Faralda a romantic to stay, so maybe you should consider it if you haven't book a St. Valentine's vacation yet.

Zacatecas lies at the edge of a cliff in the slopes of the Cerro de la Bufa. The hotel used to be a ring for the world's most notable bullfighters; the last corrida took place in 1975. Now it has 49 spacious suites designed in a classic colonial style, decorated with antiques and original works of art. The hotel has an International Architectural Award for its outstanding restoration.

You probably have never even imagined that you can actually stay overnight in a condor's nest. It is a transparent luxury capsule that hangs from the top of a mountain in the Sacred Valley of Peru. To get there, however, you have to climb 400 mt. of Via Ferrata or hike an intrepid trail through zip lines. Don't let that discourage you; the experience will be worth it.

This is the world's most northerly 4-star hotel with a 5-star conference center (the only one in Greenland). You'll be staying almost literally on the edge of the Ilulissat Ice Fjord, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. You can even spend the night in an igloo directly overlooking the ice fjord from May to October.

Sleeping in a bubble can be quite the experience! It's like being in a transparent luxurious tent; imagine how clear the sky is at night. This is one of the best stargazing opportunities you will ever get. Enjoy the incredible views of true Provençal pine forest. Little rabbits and squirrels may be eating and sleeping right next to you, outside of course.

This treehouse hotel is among the most famous in the world because of it futuristic and high-tech design. One of the houses, the Mirror Cube, reflects the surrounding trees. You may be under it and not actually notice a treehouse above your head. Talking about blending...Another treehouse is a cabin and a third is looks like a huge bird's nest.

Jules' Undersea Lodge is located in Key Largo. Getting there requires special skills though—you have to be a certified scuba diver to reach the entrance. Once you get inside, you have complete access to amenities including showers, air conditioning, and incredible views of the sea through windows.

This incredible hotel is open only until March 28 this year. Everything is literally sculpted ice, including the beds. If you're looking for an original vacation, this one certainly qualifies. You're surrounded by pure white snow and ice, which allows it to change its décor as often as customers please. Nearby activities include dogsledding, cross-country skiing and spa treatments.

This is a place you can actually be comfortable in. The antiquated 1965 Boeing 727 has been renovated as a two-bedroom hotel hidden away in a tropical forest. It's on the edge of the jungle giving you views that will make you feel like you're flying, seeing both the ocean and the forest at the same time. All furnishings are hand carved. Your most frequent neighbors will be sloths, toucans, and monkeys.

Transforming a plane into a hotel is one thing, but how about a helicopter? See for yourself. A 1968 Coast Guard chopper has been made into a unique cottage; its rotor blades are embedded in the ceiling. The seats, switches and gauges are the original. A sofa, modern TV, a woodstove and a king-sized bed have been added.

Glass igloos, log cabins and extraordinary views...who would not want to stay in this igloo village? They were designed so visitors can enjoy the Northern Lights in their full glory but sleeping there is an amazing experience even if you don't catch them. You can stay in a snow igloo if you feel that's a more authentic experience. You can go on a husky and reindeer safari in the winter. Boarding an icebreaker cruise is also popular.   

Go to bed with the fish surrounding and watching you carefully. You feel like you are in a turquoise blue bubble. But the underwater room is just one level of this amazing floating structure. The landing deck, at sea level, has a lounge area. A ladder leads up to the roof which also has a lounging area – for sunbathing by day and stargazing by night.