Hotels are meant to be your home away from home. Often, though, especially with the advent of boutique and luxury hotels, they are even more than that, they become experiences in and of themselves.

From art-themed, to book themed, to green and clean to haute cuisine and high fashion, hotels have clung onto every chic and hip meme out there, developing them into posh design concepts which easily attract the curious and smart from all corners of the world to lay down their heads and their dollars for a night’s sleep.

Of course, you’ve got your standard beachside paradises, fully equipped with peace invoking reflecting pools, shabby-chic villas with mosquito netting romantically slung around the beds and organic chocolate covered coffee beans on the pillows; and you’ve got your upscale, metropolitan affairs, architecturally zeitgeisty structures that double as upstanding lessons on high class and elegance as well as those staid, institutional hotels which never go out of style.

But, for those looking for something different, for something a little more off the beaten track, something more adventuresome or creative, there are a host of options out there.

Here’s a look at some of the world’s most unique and unusual hotels.

The Magic Mountain Hotel, in Panguipulli, Chile, at the center of the Huilo Huilo nature reserve, is a hotel in the shape of a  mountain. Water spouts from the top of the mountain, cascadeing down the sides creating a spectacular sight. This is definitely not your ordinary hotel. It’s set in the middle of a forest in beautiful southern Chile; there are hot tubs made out of tree trunks, perched on a wooden deck overlooking the woodlands; and there’s also a nearby golf course. Rooms start at around $170USD per night.

In Sweden, visitors to Jukkaskjarvi can stay in a hotel made out of pure, solid ice. Although there are several ice hotels in the world, this one was the original Ice Hotel; it’s also the world’s largest hotel made out of ice and snow, covering some 5500 square meters. The hotel started out as a small igloo built on the Torne River, as an art exhibit. Some visitors decided to sleep in the igloo and the ice hotel concept was born from there. Today there are several ice hotels all over the world.

The Lighthouse at Harlingen Harbor in the Netherlands, once served to shepherd sailors and ships in the harbor; it was closed in 1998, however, one intrepid individual determined that although the light might be extinguished, the historic structure and landmark itself could still be put to good use. The lighthouse is now a luxurious hotel; guests can sleep in the tower, where the beacon once was, or they can stay in the lifeboat, which now rescues people from the daily grind, rather than the harrowing north seas.

The Franklin Feel the Sound Hotel in Rome is all about music. This place is dedicated to good tunes, good design and modern technology. Located a few blocks away from the Vatican in the Prati quarter, this hotel offers guests all the creature comforts including high quality stereo sound systems and vinyl records.