Most of the time when we travel we don’t stress too much about accommodation. As we get older, we just want a nice bed and a warm shower, but we’re not too fussy since we generally spend 90% of our time out exploring anywhere we are. This post is about those few special places we’ve stayed that are an adventure in themselves, places that we’ve been excited to spend a significant amount of time in. More & more, I am on the lookout for fun places like these.
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Hotel Winebox: Valparasio, Chile
This hotel was a fantastic experience from start to finish. Hotel Winebox is a hotel made of recycled shipping containers, and each container even has a story about where it was acquired from & what it was used for! The hotel is covered in art from the inside out, there are murals and beautiful bright colors everywhere you look. The owner and creator of the hotel is from New Zealand and is a wine maker and sommelier. The hotel is situated on a hillside with an incredible view of the whole town. It has a rooftop bar and also serves snacks. We were incredibly lucky to be a part of a wine tasting while we were there as well. Valparasio, while beautiful, also has a reputation for being somewhat unsafe in certain areas and at certain times. This hotel felt like an oasis away from it all. It was a great place to be tucked in at night and likely has one of the best views in all of the city. Some of the best memories of our trip were made here. I also wrote a very informative post about Valparasio, check it out here.
Arenal Observatory Lodge: La Fortuna, Costa Rica
This hotel was an actual true adventure in itself. I wrote a whole blog post about it which you can read here. When we first pulled up to the gate, it felt like we were entering Jurassic Park! It used to be a lodge for scientists studying the active Arenal Volcano. The hotel has 850 acres of property, and has so much to explore. You can hike, ride horses, visit waterfalls, hang out in the pool and spa, visit the ponds, and relax in your room or in the lodge dining area. There is so much wildlife that we were constantly out walking around the property looking for coatis and birds to spot! They even have a frog pond where you can go at night to see the tree frogs come out. If you love animals and nature, this is 100% the place to be. We went out of the lodge each day for an adventure, but were always excited to come back to go on our next hike, have our next meal, or have a glass of wine overlooking the beautiful lake. I would highly recommend this hotel if you’re traveling in this area of Costa Rica.
Attrap Reves Stay in a bubble: Outside Marseille, France
I just have to say, we were really ahead on this whole bubble hotel scene. I found this one outside of Marseille in 2016. It was such an excellent and well done experience. Each bubble had its own theme and was decorated accordingly. We chose the Zen bubble. We had dinner prepared for us and a bottle of wine, we brought books to read, and we were able to just sit, relax and enjoy nature. The bubble had the most beautiful views of the night sky and the stars, and they have telescopes you can borrow while staying. We were given a picnic basket for breakfast in the morning with hot coffee. Overall it was an experience I would highly recommend if you ever get the chance, no matter where the bubble is.
Houseboat: Amsterdam, Netherlands
If you get the chance to experience staying on a houseboat in Amsterdam, you should take it. We stayed in a very nice hotel the first time we went to Amsterdam and it was a wonderful experience, as well. However, there is something special about waking up and being right on the canal. Our houseboat had a little bench on the outside by the water, where we could sit and watch the world go by. We even had a swan come visit us a few times. The houseboat was so cozy and felt so romantic. We went to the Food Hallen to get our dinner and brought it back to enjoy on the boat.
Hotel Triglav: Lake Bled, Slovenia
This might be my favorite hotel that we’ve ever stayed in. Maybe it was because it was Christmas and it was just so romantic with fresh fallen snow all around, or because Bled is one of the most gorgeous places we’ve ever seen. But this hotel just felt magical. We were so well taken care of here from the moment we arrived, beginning with a welcome cocktail of our choice upon walking in the door. Our room had a view of the mountains and the lake, and even though it was cold, we spent time sitting on our balcony. The hotel served a multi-course meal for Christmas Eve & Christmas Dinners that were both absolutely delicious. The restaurant now has Michelin recognition. Before dinner on Christmas Eve, we did a wine tasting with the hotels Sommelier in the wine cellar. The location was perfect for exploring Bled, taking walks around the lake, and checking out the castle. We tried the famous Bled cake and it did not disappoint! The hotel felt like coming home, they took care of everything we could possibly want. We were so comfortable and happy and we dream of going back one day in the summertime. I wrote a blog post about why I want to return to Slovenia, you can check it out here.
Residenza Fabroni: Montepulciano, Italy
This is a family run house on the second floor of a historical building called the “Venturi Palace”. Walking around the house feels like walking back in time. We stayed in the blue suite and the experience was perfect. One bedroom and the bathroom overlooked the vast Tuscan countryside, the other room overlooked the beautiful streets of Montepulciano. The couple who run the hotel gave us great advice for what to do and where to eat within the town. We also got to have breakfast at the famous cafe in town as part of our booking! The best part of this hotel was the rooftop, we could look at the countryside for hours while sipping wine and relaxing. Our hosts did a full wine and snack tasting for us on the roof one evening. We tasted four different types of wine and each was accompanied with incredible homemade food. They taught us about the wine and used so many local products from the region, all while playing lovely music and allowing us to enjoy the view of the sunset over the countryside. It was an experience that I will never forget, and would highly recommend to anyone traveling to Montepulcanio.
Airbnb Speakeasy: Tallin, Estonia
We positively loved our time visiting the Baltics, and Tallin was one of the most special cities. We booked an Airbnb with a perfect garden that is open as a champagne speakeasy whenever the owner feels like it. The location was perfect, it was within walking distance of anything we wanted to do in town. The little A-frame bedroom was so cozy and homey. Sitting in the garden while sipping on rosé for happy hour was a fabulous experience that we may have never discovered had we not stayed there.
Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino
This isn’t the type of place we would typically stay, but my sister and her husband got married here. To be completely honest, the hotel itself is nice, but it is nothing super special compared to any other nice hotel in Aruba. What is VERY special however, is that this hotel has it’s own private island. You can take a water taxi from the actual inside of the hotel and go visit the amazing island. You may have seen the pictures on Instagram of people feeding the famous flamingos that hang out all over the island. There are beach bars and cabanas, and so many awesome places to hang out and enjoy the day. It really is an incredible place to visit, and, family aside, it was one of the best weddings we’ve ever been to!
Airbnb: Klima, Milos
On our first trip to Greece in 2015, we booked an Airbnb in the small fishing village of Klima on Milos Island. (I wrote a post all about Milos you can check out here). Staying in this village was a phenomenal experience. It is an old fishing house, and the ground floor was used to store & work on the owner’s fishing boats, so the front doors are like barn doors that open up right to the ocean. The ground floor is now an open living room & kitchen, and you can walk right out of those same barn doors into the water. The view was unreal and the peace and quiet of this little village was magic. We rented quads here to get to-and-from the house and to all of the amazing beaches of Milos. I dream of going back one day to stay in the same place.
Plan for me dani 