Five of the World’s Strangest Hotel Designs
Some hotels count on their irreproachable services to attract visitors, while others rely on the beauty of their surroundings, but there are also hotels that pull in customers through their outrageous design. Here are five of the most bizarre-looking hotels you’ve ever seen:Ryugyong Hotel
Photo by Timur
It may be the tallest structure in North Korea, and one of the tallest hotels in the world, but Ryugyong still looks like one of those cheap hotels only communists know how to build. Its construction started in 1987, but it was halted, in 1992, due to serious financial difficulties. Ryugyong Hotel remained deserted for 16 years, until 2008, when, under the supervision of an Egyptian company, construction of the building was resumed.
Photo by Misha
The existence of Rygyong Hotel was denied for several years, after construction had begun, and the North Korean government went to great lengths to manipulate photos and keep it off printed maps of Pyongyang. Even now, it’s hard to obtain much information about the giant structure.
Marques de Riscal
Designed by renowned architect, Frank O. Gehry, the man behind Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum, Marques de Riscal has become one of the most recognized structures in Spain. Located on the edge of Elciego, in the middle of the Spanish “City of Wine”, Marques de Riscal was commissioned by a local winery, to promote the international interest in Spanish wine.
This unique structure is covered with sheets of mirror-finish stainless steel and golden-pink titanium. The hues were obtained by passing the titanium through an electric current in an acid bath, and it’s said they were inspired by the colors used for the wine bottles, by the company that commissioned Marques de Riscal Hotel
Hotel Spirit
Photo by look-closer
According to the official site of this establishment, the uniqueness of Hotel Spirit comes from the complex services it offers, but I’d say it has a lot more to do with its crazy design. Located in the broad center of Bratislava, Hotel Spirit features an abstract architecture complemented by a wide range of colors.
A true rarity in a city like Bratislava, Hotel Spirit has become much more than just a place of temporary residence, it’s now one of the local tourist attractions.
Hotel Unique
Photo by richardsummers
One look at these photos and you can see the name of this bizarre hotel states the obvious. Designed by Ruy Ohtake, one of the most famous architects in Brazil, Hotel Unique resembles a half a coin, placed on its edge. It looks strange, but it was a great way to make the most of the 85-meter-height restriction.
Photo by seier
If you’re looking for a nice view over the incredible Sao Paolo, Hotel Unique is the place to go. Thanks to its crazy design, this place has 30 rooms on the top floor, compared to just 4, on its narrow second floor.
Crazy House
Photo by 43391993@N03
One of the weirdest hotels in the world, Vietnam’s Crazy House was built to look like a tree house, when it was really made with common construction materials. The credit for this bizarre hotel goes to Hang Nga, the woman who designed it. She is the daughter of a former Vietnamese dictator, so she was allowed to let her imagination run wild, without having to consider architectural rules and regulations.
Photo by upyernoz
The end result of Hang Nga’s design efforts was named Crazy House, by locals, and that’s name that gained it international fame. Unfortunately for its designer, who lives in her masterpiece, most of the tourists choose to take a few photos and look for a more conventional hotel, to spend the night.
