Jellyfish Lake (Palauan: Ongeim’l Tketau, “Fifth Lake”) is a marine lake located on Eil Malk island in Palau. Eil Malk is part of the Rock Islands, a group of small, rocky, mostly uninhabited islands in Palau’s Southern Lagoon, between Koror and Peleliu. There are about 70 other marine lakes located throughout the Rock Islands. Jellyfish Lake is one of Palau’s most famous dive (snorkeling only) sites. It is notable for the millions of golden jellyfish which migrate horizontally across the lake daily.

Jellyfish Lake is connected to the ocean through fissures and tunnels in the limestone of ancient Miocene reef. However the lake is sufficiently isolated and the conditions are different enough that the diversity of species in the lake is greatly reduced from the nearby lagoon. The golden jellyfish, Mastigias cf. papua etpisoni, and possibly other species in the lake have evolved to be substantially different from their close relatives living in the nearby lagoons.

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Rising high above Cologne, this international luxury hotel was once the largest water tower in 19th century Europe. In 1990, French designer Andrée Putman transformed it into an elegant 78-room hotel.

Classified as a heritage site, the timeless modern design still manages to preserve the water-tower architecture and a sense of refuge and protection.

http://www.hotel-im-wasserturm.de/

A hotel with rooms made of giant concrete sewage pipes might sound a little odd, but this artistic creation can be recreated to provide cheap lodging anywhere. These 9,5 tonne concrete sections are a standard item in near all concrete factories and the oden floors, a really comfortable double bed, minibar and room service through to 1am. For night owls, the reception is open 24hrs.

With the amazing view below there is little else needed, except if you’re staying in bed past 10am, when pajamas would be a wise thing to wear, as although you can look out – tourists can look in.

http://www.dasparkhotel.net/

This small and exclusive hotel — surrounded by 140 acres of indigenous forest just outside Nairobi — is famous for its resident herd of giraffes. It’s the only place in the world where you can enjoy the experience of feeding and photographing the giraffe over the breakfast table, at the front door or while you dine, and the giraffes poke their heads through the window.

As well as the giraffe, the property is also home to many species of birds, large families of warthogs and the elusive Bush Buck.

http://www.giraffemanor.com/

The De Vrouwe van Stavoren Hotel in the Netherlands salvaged four wine casks from Switzerland and converted them into rooms. Formerly filled with 14,500 liters of Beaujolais wine from the French chateau, each now holds a modest two-person room with standard amenities and even an attached bathroom and a sitting room.

The one thing that might bother you, if you’re not a wine enthusiast, is the smell of wine that the barrels still maintain. All in all the Barrel Hotel, in Stavoren, northern Netherlands, makes for a very pleasurable experience. General rates for a cask room are from 74-119 Euros a night with discounts of up to 75% off depending on season. If you go in the wintertime, a wine cask room can be as low as 18 Euros a night, cheaper than most hostels.

http://www.hotel-vrouwevanstavoren.nl/Engels/indexengels.htm

Your own survival pod! Escape pod hotel in a city centre dock location. Moored in The Hague, your room is a bright orange survival pod which once saw service on an oil rig platform. Originally built in 1972 they are 4.25 metres in diameter and unaltered apart from the addition of a lock on the outside and an ‘emergency’ chemical toilet inside. While not everyone’s luxury choice, each pod provides cosy protection from the elements for up to three occupants.

First created for accommodation as an art project in 2004, owner Denis Oudendijk has 8 different models ready for use and is currently working on additional locations in central Amsterdam and Nantes, France.

http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com

Picture this: a single suite, 155m underground in historic Sala Silvermine, one of the world’s best preserved mine settings. During its heyday, production amounted to more than 3 tons of silver a year at Sala, and a total of more than 400 tons of silver and about 40,000 tons of lead were extracted – completely by hand!

If you wake up in the middle of the night and have to use the bathroom, make sure you turn right or else you’ll end up exploring dark winding galleries, vast caverns and magic lakes.

http://www.vagablond.com/

Atkin’s Architecture Group won first prize for an international design competition with this stunning entry. Set in a spectacular water filled quarry in Songjiang, China, the 400 bed resort hotel is uniquely constructed within the natural elements of the quarry. Underwater public areas and guest rooms add to the uniqueness, but the resort also boasts cafes, restaurants and sporting facilities.

http://www.thecoolhunter.net/travel/WATERWORLD—China/