If you've got wanderlust, you travel to see things you've never seen before. That's why where you stay is as important as where you explore...you wouldn't go to Paris and bunker down at the local Motel 6, would you? Next time you consider your lodging options remember these one-of-a-kind hotels. If you're lucky, bad weather will keep you in your room all day!
In the South China Sea the Sanya Nanshan Treehouse Resort and Beach Club has 4 new treehouses that sit atop a sand dune in beautiful tamarind trees. Completely isolated and overlooking an endless, untouched beach, the treehouses are adjacent to a new 5,000-acre Buddhist and ecological theme park including temples, pagodas and botanical gardens. If the South Sea is a little far, visit the treehouses of Hana in Maui. Relying on Tiki torches for light, the magical monkeypod trees hold the homes 25 feet up with thick trunks and large spiral braches. One of the treehouses has wall-to-wall windows that look out on Waipio Valley and a two thousand foot waterfall. For prices and information visit Sanya Nanshan Treehouse Resort and Beach Club.
Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida is the world's only underwater hotel. If you've ever wanted to explore outer space, this space-station-esque dwelling is located under 30 feet of water and can only admit certified divers. To reach your abode you dive down to the lodge and then climb up through a hole in the "deep sea capsule." After you attach yourself to a 120-foot air hose you are free to head back out and investigate your new world. The rooms have their own TV, VCR and 42-inch porthole for viewing other worldly creatures. For prices and information visit Jules Undersea Lodge.
The Desert Cave Hotel located down under in Coober Pedy, Australia, The Desert Cave claims to be "the only underground hotel of international standard." The locals of this semi-desert neighborhood in Australia's rugged Outback live in dugouts (underground homes) that allow the earth to maintain a natural -- and livable -- 78 degree temperature. The Desert Cave hotel allows you to live like a local in this opal mining town, with trips that visit a working opal mine and an underground Serbian church. If the tours don't get you in the mood, try a local concoction at the Underground Bar or test your luck on poker machines that really are down under! For more information visit The Desert Cave Hotel.
The most amazing vacation quarters are the ones that go where you go. With that in mind one of the most unique places to stay while on vacation is a train. The Orient Express has gained notoriety around the world for luxurious and elegant accommodations on board a train bound for mystery and excitement. The cabins are exquisitely individual in decor from the veneers to the inlaid marquetry. With a glass of champagne, head to the open carriage observation deck and toast your journey through Europe, South East Asia or Australia. For more information visit The Orient Express.
The Imperial Boat House Hotel in Thailand offers a fantasy world that blends the line between a cruise and resort life. The hotel features thirty-four authentic teak rice barges, creatively converted into two-story luxury boat suites, and "marooned" on land just seconds from a picturesque beach. Every night you are lulled to sleep by the lapping of waves and the whispers of sea breezes in the luxurious stateroom...and then awaken to find you're still safely on land. Each suite features a sunbathing deck, living room, dining corner, tea & coffee making facilities, fully fitted sky-lit bathroom and luxuriously appointed bedroom. At the bottom of the gardens a unique boat-shaped swimming pool sits invitingly beside the beach. For more information visit The Imperial Boat House Hotel 
