Neither have I. Who knew this was even an option? But now, thanks to a new contest from TripAdvisor Rentals, two non-acrophobic guests will get to be the first people in history to sleep over in the iconic London landmark.
I’m not sure if this is resumé material, but it does sound pretty cool. TripAdvisor and furniture e-tailer Wayfair are apparently turning one of the glass capsules into a “rainforest-inspired luxury penthouse” (rendered above), which after one night will be traded for three nights in a TripAdvisor rental nearby.
The question is: Does the London Eye suite qualify as one of the world’s weirdest hotel rooms? After all, the bizarre bar has been set very high indeed:
Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho
Let’s face it: Who hasn’t wanted to spend a night in what this hotel’s website dubs “the world’s biggest beagle.” Yes, this two-storey dog-shaped B&B — the collar reads “Sweet Willy” — sleeps four guests, who must enter via the, er, anatomical exit. Once inside, you’ll find a queen-size bed in Willy’s tummy, a loft room in his head and a reading nook in his muzzle. You may even get to chat with proprietor Dennis Sullivan, and gain some insight into what it takes to be a self-taught chainsaw artist.
Propeller Island City Lodge, Berlin, Germany
Where to start with this temple to surreal stays? Its 15 artist-designed rooms range from “Freedom,” a “friendly prison cell” with a (literally) en suite toilet, to the caged beds and voyeuristic bathroom of “Two Lions” down the hall. But what really catches our eye here are the coffin beds of “Gruft” — “crypt” in German — which apparently caters to “all those ‘Nosferatus’ who cannot wait for that which awaits us all.” (It’s the buffet breakfast, right?) If the Nosferatus in question get a little too freaked out, regular beds are available right below the coffins.
Giraffe Manor, Nairobi, Kenya
You awake after a peaceful night’s sleep in one of this hotel’s six lavish bedrooms, get showered and dressed, and head downstairs to the light-filled sun room for breakfast. You pour cream into your coffee, spread jam on your toast, and offer a slice to an endangered Rothschild giraffe that has poked its head through a window to join you. Yes, you read that last part correctly: the Giraffe Manor and surrounding grounds offer the only place in the world where you can feed giraffes over the breakfast table, from your guestroom window or at the front door.
Dasparkhotel, Ottensheim, Austria
Fact is, if you’ve got five 10-tonne pieces of concrete drainage pipe just lying around, you might as well turn them into hotel rooms, right? Turns out the “sleep-pipes” are quite comfortable, with double beds, plush bedding, a cute little lamp and a nifty storage space for luggage. Toilets, showers and a café are located in a surrounding public park, the site of a former water purification plant. Drainage pipes housing guests where a sewage treatment plant once stood — was that ironic touch intended? Another innovative touch: room rates are pay-what-you-can.
Harbour Crane, Harlingen, Netherlands
What works for concrete pipe goes double for a disused timber crane in this Dutch port town. Unlike the sleep-pipes, however, the crane is luxuriously outfitted for two guests with a touch-screen entertainment and lighting system, Charles Eames furniture and an oversized shower/bath. The rooftop patio offers stunning panoramas of the Wadden Sea, which will change when guests grab the crane’s controls and slowly swing it around 360 degrees.
Jumbo Stay, Stockholm, Sweden
Who knew sleeping on an airplane could be this comfortable? Of course, the Boeing 747-212B in question never leaves the tarmac of Stockholm Arland Airport, and is split into 25 rooms for up to three adults, a four-bed dorm, and a “luxury suite” in the converted cockpit offering panoramic views of the runways. There’s even an onboard café — sadly lacking in those cute little airplane bottles — along with a left wing observation deck in case you’ve ever wanted to stand on a Jumbo Jet’s wing (and who hasn’t?). And according to staff, there are no life vests under any of the beds.