When on holiday, why stay in a dull old hotel room? Check out these accomodations instead…

The Samaritan Tank

A former battlefield staple, jaw-droppingly restored and beautifully positioned on a lake for peaceful, nature-steeped views of rural Lincolnshire

Once a working vehicle that transported injured people to safety, these days you’ll find The Samaritan Tank situated by a shimmering Lincolnshire lake, all ready to welcome two guests looking for the perfect countryside escape. Freshly painted in NATO green on the outside, the inside boasts underfloor heating, LED lighting, and comfy bench seating that’s cleverly and easily converted to a double bed when it’s time to turn in. Along with Wi-Fi, you’ll have a Smart TV with a built-in DVD player to keep you entertained on snuggly nights in. There’s even a small worktop that houses those true holiday essentials… a kettle, toaster, and electric hob. Further inventiveness includes an original frame attached to the back of the tank, which pulls out to become an awning with seating and lakeside views—perfect for lazy afternoon chats over a bottle of wine or two. Particularly since the tank door rather handily contains both a fridge and a wine rack! Prepare a sizzling sunset supper on the barbecue, and keep the firepit nicely lit until the stars come out to play for pure evening bliss. In the morning, freshen up in the pristine shower block – a mere two-minute stroll away – and plan the rest of your day over coffee and birdsong. You’re just seven miles from the seaside town of Skegness, or you can take a walk or bike ride around the surrounding family-run farmland

Go to prison

Get locked up for the night in a converted prison or jail cell for a truly memorable and quirky holiday experience

Lock yourself up in a characterful Cornish landmark steeped in history and creative imagination. It features elegant design features, dog-friendly rooms, and a gourmet restaurant in the gothic chapel! Built in 1779 and nestled on the edge of the famous Bodmin moor, Bodmin Jail was considered a landmark design in its time. With individual cells, segregated areas for men and women, and running hot water throughout, this was a much-admired prison that looked to the future. After a dark and thrilling history, which included the Royal Navy occupying an entire wing, the Crown Jewels being stored there during World War One, and 55 executions for crimes including murder and burglary, the prison was finally closed in 1927. Reborn by a team of architects as a luxurious and contemporary retreat for solo travellers, couples, groups, families – and dogs! – The Bodmin Jail Hotel is now ready and waiting for new stories to be told and fun, lasting memories to be made within its walls. The imaginative interiors (described by The Times as “surprisingly warm”) add a touch of gentleness to the jail’s many original features. Despite the sturdy doors, barred windows and exposed stone walls, you’ll be enveloped by lush furnishings and a sunshine-filled glass atrium that creates a huge, magical space. Choose from a selection of elegant and characterful rooms, including a double or twin Classic Room, an Executive Governor’s Room, complete with access to the Executive Lounge, or a Family Room with a pull-out sofa bed. All of the rooms feature Egyptian cotton-dressed beds and deep free-standing baths. There’s also a selection of accessible rooms, and if you don’t want your best four-legged friend to miss out, the range of dog-friendly rooms on the ground floor comes with a cosy dog bed, tasty treats, and a sausage for breakfast!

Underwater on the Great Barrier Reef

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the magical Great Barrier Reef in all its glory, with a jaw-dropping stay in Australia’s first underwater suites

Part of the pleasure of Reefsuites,  suspended three metres below water on Australia’s beautiful Hardy Reef, is the cruise you’ll take through the paradise-like Whitsunday Islands to reach them. A stay worthy of the most fantastic bucket list imaginable, these intimate underwater suites give a whole new meaning to the phrase “a room with a view”.  Feast your eyes upon endless marine life, including colourful shoals of fish and friendly green sea turtles, as they act out their daily comings and goings on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, otherwise known as the world’s most extensive coral reef system, and a magnificent natural wonder.  With giant, floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the turquoise water and endless marine life in all their spectacular glory, you could be forgiven for thinking you’ve just arrived at the world’s greatest cinema! Better still, with just two underwater suites available—both kingsize or twin—you can enjoy a truly exclusive experience that will not only stay with you for life but is guaranteed to have everybody talking back home. You’ll find your luxurious suite equipped with downy, premium bedding and a glass-walled en-suite (remember to pull the blinds down if you don’t want to be surprised by a passing snorkeller!)  Enjoy all the standard amenities you’d expect from hotel accommodation, with breakfast, morning and afternoon tea, lunch and a delicious evening meal all included. You’ll also find plenty to do in the surrounding area by day. Immerse yourselves in that sparkling water with a swimming, diving, or guided snorkelling session, or take an impossibly scenic helicopter ride to discover the famed, protected Heart Reef – a spectacular composition of coral in a natural heart formation

Light up your life

A historic Lighthouse B&B perched on the white cliffs of Beachy Head, with show-stopping panoramic views and many original features

Picture this – a former working lighthouse steeped in history, which has in its time been a home, a teashop and a filming location for a cult TV classic. Standing proudly atop the stunning white cliffs of Beachy Head, it’s surrounded by heavenly views of the rolling South Downs, the English Channel and the legendary Seven Sisters. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it gets better – you can stay there! Belle Tout Lighthouse offers a quirky yet utterly relaxing bed-and-breakfast experience. Built in 1832, it has been carefully restored to offer six en-suite bedrooms with stunning views of this iconic area. However, it still retains original features to remind guests of its former purpose. Watch for ships in the original Lantern Room with a drink, or relax and enjoy panoramic views of spectacular sunsets. The following day, tuck into a delicious home-cooked breakfast while looking out across green-topped cliffs and endless sky. There’s something extraordinary about waking to the sound of seagulls and waves crashing on the rocks below. Belle Tout’s bedrooms are finished to a very high standard, and each has en-suite shower facilities (the beautiful Old England room offers an extra splash of luxury with a full-size bath). New England offers wall-to-wall views of the South Downs, while the seaside-inspired Beach Hut room gives an additional view of the Beachy Head lighthouse. To look out upon Seven Sisters, stay in Shiraz with its luxurious soft furnishings. But if it’s original features that top your list, opt for The Captain’s Cabin with its brick fireplace, or for ultra-quirkiness, spend a night in The Keeper’s Loft – the former lighthouse keeper’s bunkroom. It’s not every day you get to sleep in a round brick room, climbing the original ladder to the mezzanine bed for a cosy night’s sleep!

Belle Tout is ideally located for walkers on the famous South Downs Way – a 100-mile trail through prehistoric sites, pretty villages and unspoilt nature. And if you’re not quite that ambitious, you can still get your daily dose of sea air on your way to the local pub! The Beachy Head is only five minutes away, offering hearty meals, cask ales and fine wines, while The Tiger Inn is a little step further in the sleepy village of East Dean

Railway enthusiast?

A short drive from the Glastonbury Festival site, Masbury Station Signal Box is a comfy and cheerful retreat for two that’s also captivatingly rich in history and heritage

Elevated over 800 feet above sea level, the former Masbury Station was once part of the Somerset and Dorset Line, which faithfully transported passengers on scenic journeys between Bath and Bournemouth. Opened back in 1874, the station closed in 1966 under the infamous ‘Beeching Axe’. Yet it remains a fascinating and picturesque site that’s in the process of being carefully restored, piece by piece. Freshly painted in vibrant yellow-and-green, you’ll find the Signal Box on the old station platform, nestled between the magnificently restored Station House and the Waiting Rooms (which are the dedicated owner’s next renovation project!) Surrounded by magical woodland and intriguing railway history, the views from the upstairs living space are guaranteed to relax and soothe you – particularly as it’s so elegantly furnished. Plenty of windows and a vaulted ceiling offer a glorious sense of light and space, and there’s a log-burning stove to light on chilly evenings… as you sink into squishy, vintage-style seating. Logs for the fire are gainfully supplied, and there’s a TV to keep you nicely entertained. Simply head to the buffet car – sorry, the fully-fitted kitchen! – to rustle up tasty meals and snacks. Here, you’ll find a complimentary supply of tea and coffee and even a washing machine… convenient after long, muddy woodland walks

Holiday like a nomad

A unique and mesmerising part of the world, Finnish Lapland is the perfect setting for anyone who’s keen to tick the Northern Lights off their bucket list

Better still, you can watch them from the comfort of a hand-crafted cabin, transported right onto the glistening ice of Lake Inari, one of Finland’s largest lakes, located just north of the magical Arctic Circle. Friendly owner Esko had the idea to build himself a cosy portable cabin back in 2012, so he could savour the dancing Northern Lights from the lake’s vastly magnificent, completely uninterrupted viewing point. Esko enjoyed the experience so much that he crafted a second cabin for guests… and then another, and more besides! These days, you’ll find a total of eight mobile cabins on the secluded ‘base camp’ near Inari village. Here, six Classic Cabins are each home to a comfy double bed (one boasts two double beds, sleeping a family of four). There’s also a slightly narrower cabin that’s ideal for a solo traveller, and a refurbished caravan – with a glass roof and skis added to the tyres! – that features two single beds. Whichever cabin you opt for, you’ll also find it cosily equipped with toasty heating, lights, storage space, and a handy toilet. Not forgetting a power bank and Wi-Fi, since we’ve got a feeling you’ll be updating your Instagram account on a regular basis, with spectacular views from your roof-window

Once you’ve settled in, you can open a good book and relax, or venture out into the camp and take part in a number of local activities. The only issue could be which to choose! Will you finally learn to ski, with lessons from a local instructor, or embark on a fishing expedition with the famous fishing guide Atte Ikkala? You could also arrange a visit to a small family-run reindeer farm and get under the skin of the local culture, relax in a traditional sauna, go dog-sledding, or even take a reindeer sleigh-ride. Meanwhile, if you don’t fancy catering for yourself in the communal building, or visiting a local village restaurant, there’s also the evening option of local cuisine by an open fire… washed down with plenty of warm glogg, of course! Afterwards, simply sit back and relax as a friendly guide tows you and your cabin directly onto the glinting iced lake, in prime position to view the greatest natural light-show on Earth. Cabins are available to book during the ice season, during which dates vary but usually range from November to April. There is no guarantee that you will see the Northern Lights during your stay, but there is a very high chance that they will appear on winter nights

Mirror, mirror

A unique mirrored retreat, remotely secluded amongst French Alpine woodland with mesmerising views of the Aravis mountain range for an other-worldly escape into nature

The Space Conker has the feel of a unique other-worldly craft, carefully landed in the most beautiful natural spot its inhabitants could find. Elevated above the popular, picturesque French village of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, the glinting mirrored sphere reflects the surrounding Alpine landscape to perfection; taking in the mighty Mont-Blanc and the soaring Chaîne des Aravis in its panoramic sweep. Here, you can get beautifully lost amongst the tall, whispering trees, or take a ride uphill to explore the pistes of Les Houches… if the conditions are right, you could even ski your way home again! You’ll be perfectly secluded in this glorious location, and there’s plenty of comfort on board your Space Conker. A modular bed cleverly transforms into a sofa to snuggle on by day – fresh linen is provided – and there’s a handcrafted globe-shaped stove to warm your evenings with its soft, hazy glow. Just before you drift into a blissful slumber, listen out for owls hooting and watch the starshine from the windows… if you’re lucky, you might even catch the Milky Way or the occasional meteor-shower. Spend long, lazy afternoons on your cosily-furnished deck, complete with a firepit and a fondue stand for sublime al fresco cooking. There’s no running water, but you’ll have full use of a handy washstand with pure, drinkable mountain spring water, and towels are provided to help you pack perfectly light

For more like these amazing holiday stays, visit hostunusual.com. Happy holiday!