10 Unique Hotels from around the World

Here are a list of ten incredible international hotels to visit on your travels!

1 Hotel Kakslauttanen - Finland

The Igloo village of Hotel Kakslauttanen offers 20 glass igloos allowing guests spectacular views of the Aurora Borealis from the warmth and comfort of their own room. The sparse trees and lack of light pollution means guests at this hotel have some of the best and most uninterrupted views of the incredible phenomenon. While temperatures outside can drop as low as -30 degrees Celsius; each igloo is fitted with thermal glass to ensure occupants are kept warm throughout their stay.

2. Hotel Conrad - Maldives 

 The resort is set across three palm fringed islands, linked by a 500m footbridge, and offers 3 different luxury experiences; thatch-roofed Water Villas perched on stilts over the shallow waters, beautifully furnished Beach Villas, or luxurious Retreat Water Villas, each with their own treatment room and jacuzzi. Set 5 metres below the sparkling waters of the Indian Ocean is the Maldives first underwater restaurant

3. Giraffe Manor Hotel - Kenya

This incredible Kenyan hotel offers guests the opportunity to stay in one of Kenya's most beautiful reserves located among 150 acres of land. The real reason to visit this hotel are the herd of Rothschild Giraffes which reside in the hotels' grounds regularly coming up and sticking their heads through the windows hoping for treats.

4. Ice Hotel - Sweden

This architectural marvel requires yearly reconstruction to stay stable but offers guests a truly unique experience. With everything from walls, chairs and beds being constructed from ice blocks taken from the local Torne river, the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi was the first of its kind. With famous artisist being approached to design rooms each year this ensures return visitors have a unique experience each time.

5. Mirrorcube Hotel - Sweden

Another example of Scandinavian innovation this incredible hotel consists of five cube rooms spread out among the Swedish forest in Harads. The Mirrorcube is a 4x4 dwelling coated in mirrors which reflect the surround woodlands causing the hotel to disappear into the beautiful surrounding landscape.

6.  Montana Magica Lodge - Chile

This man-made volcano hotel situated in the Chilean forests 'erputs' daily spewing water over the entire hotel. The 'Magic Mountain' retreat is so remote it is only accessible by foot and guests are required to negotiate a rope bridge to access the hotel.

7. Hanging Gardens Ubud - Bali, Indonesia

This beautiful hotel is located in the Indonesian rainforest and consists or private villas each with their own infinity pool overlooking the Ayung river.

8. Resort Taj Lake Palace - India

Floating on its own island in the middle of Lake Pichola, the Taj Lake Palace offer guests a royal experience. With beautiful panoramic views of the lake and full spa, cycling and hiking trails this hotel has plenty to keep guests entertained during their stay.

9. Katikies Hotel - Santorini, Greece

This luxury hotel boasts spectacular views of the sapphire waters of the surrounding Agean sea. The hotels crisp white walls and blue waters create an incredible calming atmosphere; and if that's not enough the hotel offers full spa services to ensure complete relaxation.

10. The Burj Al Arab - Dubai

Widely regarded as the world's most luxurious hotel, the Burj Al Arab boasts the world's first seven star rating. The building itself is a landmark of the Dubai skyline; a sail emerging from the sea, the hotel has over 200 rooms, full spa, and dining experiences are on offer to guests.

Visited any of these amazing hotels or have your own to add? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

Top International Clubs to Visit while Travelling

Here's a list of the top clubs to stop in on during your travels. Visited any or more to add? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Row 14 - Barcelona

Tucked away about a 15 minute bus ride outside of the city, Row 14 is a hybrid indoor/outdoor club. The club boasts a retractable roof, and a mixture of house, techno and drum & bass DJs.

Social Club - Paris

Located in the centre of Paris, Social Club is decorated in a self-proclaimed "retrofuturist" style, painted completely black with strategically placed neon lights. The music ranges, but house, techno, disco, and electro.

AgeHa - Tokyo

Ageha is a nightclub located in Tokyo's Bay Area Shin Kiba. Opened in 2002 and outfitted with Octagon speakers, it's renowned for its sound. The main dance floor is called Area, and has a capacity of approximately 2,400. While the club holds extensive techno and electro nights on weekends, on weekdays the space is used as a live music venue under the name Studio Coast.

D-Edge - Sao Paulo, Brazil

D-EDGE is a landmark in Brazil's nightlife and a global stronghold for quality underground electronic music. We have created a revolution in the concept of nightclubs when syncing cutting-edge audio systems to floor-to-ceiling LED panels in the club's 4 rooms. The futuristic look architected by award-winning designer Muti Randolph provides a unique sensorial experience for the 20,000 people who visit club every month.

Cocorico - Riccione, Italy

A pyramid structure, which follows the idea of mystique ascension and transparent walls, which evoke a vision of infinity. The Cocorico club is and is never as it seems and is much more of what you remember: the evolution is its peculiar characteristic. Cocorico a symbol.

Trouw - Amsterdam

Trouw is a nightclub, music venue, event space and restaurant housed in the former newspaper printing facility of several national newspapers. Trouw combines food, music and the arts, and was the first nightclub to receive the 24-hour permit from the city of Amsterdam.

Paradise Club - Mykonos, Greece

The most popular club in Mykonos, with its modern décor, located by the water at the beautiful Paradise Beach is undoubtedly: ‘Paradise Club’ Mykonos, the phenomenal award winning club in Europe.

Lux Fragil - Lisbon, Portugal

One of Portugal’s biggest clubs, Lux Fragil is well worth a visit. Regularly featuring high profile guests that run the electronic gamut, Lux Fragil should definitely be your first choice if a variety of underground sounds is what you’re after. Previous headliners have included the likes of Apparat, Erol Alkan and Daniel Bell alongside the ‘Curated By’ nights, which feature a guest DJ choosing the line-up.

Sub Club - Glasgow, Scotland

Dimly-lit and powerfully-equipped with an immersive soundsystem, the underground room invites you to get lost for hours, surrounded on all sides by bodies locked in a groove. Oh, and there’s a Body Sonic dancefloor to get you further inside the music. An enduring fixture is the Subculture night led by resident tastemakers Harri and Domenic, two DJs with very deep record bags.

Gap Year Travel Ideas

Every student desperately wants to take a gap year and travel the world, however very few of us actually follow through with the plan. Limited funds and a struggle to find friends also able to go holds thousands back every year, but there may be hope for us yet. 

Several organisations now exist who cater travel plans for young people; arranging everything from accommodation, activities and catering for clients. Social media is also adopted by these companies to allow travellers on the same journey to interact with and get to know each other before leaving, easing the fear of travelling to the other side of the world alone.  

Contiki Holidays is one such company offering young people the opportunity to customise trips to suit their requirements and allowing travellers to interact with one another before departing.

Contiki Holidays

About: Founded in 1962, Contiki tailors holidays for travellers aged from 18 to 35 and arrange trips to destinations including: Europe, Asia, Latin America, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

What’s included: Travellers can expect twin shared accommodation, Meals and transfers to be included in their package; along with guides and a comprehensive schedule of activities for their chosen destination.  However travellers are required to book flights independently as Contiki have no options of including travel in their packages.

Price Range: A wide range of travel packages are on offer to suit most budgets, prices vary from £185 for 2 day UK trips to £2460 for 2 week visits to Japan.

Networking: Additionally, Contiki offer customers use of their ‘Meetup’ service. Basically this is a forum for all those who are travelling with the company, allowing travellers to speak with and get to know the others who will be taking part in the trip from around the world. This makes the service attractive to individual travellers who may be nervous or apprehensive about booking a trip as they will have the opportunity to get to know others before leaving.