Editor’s Choice

Host Unusual’s Most Architecturally Stunning Stays Around the World

18 August 2021

Fine architectural gems aren’t just jaw-droppingly beautiful to look at (though that’s a huge plus if you’re an Instagram fan!)

Designed with imagination and crafted with care, these mesmerising retreats also breathe in harmony with their surroundings, for a sumptuous stay that’s completely unique to its location.

Come and see exactly what we mean, by browsing our list of the most architecturally stunning stays the world has to offer.

Author: Nina Jervis
Main image: Futuro House at Marston Park | Somerset

The Stonehouses

Ullapool, The Highlands, Scotland

Modern luxury, exceptional design and views to die for await at The Stonehouses - two truly unique holiday homes in the magnificent North West Highlands of Scotland.

Bedrooms: 2 per property

Sleeps: 3-4 per property

From

£255 / night

Kudhva

Tintagel, Cornwall, England

For a true escape to pure wilderness, come to Kudhva - an incredible wild camping experience in stunning Tintagel, Cornwall.

Bedrooms: Studio

Sleeps: 2 per unit

From

£134 / night

Art Hangar

Val d'Orcia, Tuscany, Italy

Stray from the beaten Tuscan track at Art Hangar, in an industrial hangar transformed into a unique loft space that's perfect for creative dreamers.

Bedrooms: 2

Sleeps: 4

From

£1,655 (7 nights)

The Mirror Houses

Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy

The Mirror Houses are a contemporary duo of master-designed holiday homes that reflect the breathtaking natural beauty of Northern Italy.

Bedrooms: 1 per house

Sleeps: 2 (+2) per house

From

£175 / night

SWEETS hotel

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Take your pick from one of the unique bridge house suites, beautifully scattered along the canals of Amsterdam.

Bedrooms: 1 per house

Sleeps: 2 per house

From

£117 / night

Backwater

Wroxham, Norfolk, England

A timber framed, architect-designed scenic haven that provides total immersion in the serene beauty of the Norfolk Broads.

Bedrooms: 4

Sleeps: 8

From

£1,395 (4nts)

The Onion House

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA

A breathtaking work of art in natural architecture, perfectly positioned on Hawaii's awe-inspiring Kona coast.

Bedrooms: 3

Sleeps: Up to 6

From

£330 / night

Ty Cwch

Aberporth, Ceredigion, Wales

A unique, award-winning architect designed ‘boat house' that's ideal for an adventure-packed beach break, next to the invigorating Welsh Coast Path.

Bedrooms: 3

Sleeps: 12 (or 4 per cabin)

From

£136 / night

Balancing Barn

Thorington, Suffolk, England

A Dutch architect-created rural haven, rich in design-led originality and poised dramatically over calming Suffolk countryside.

Bedrooms: 4

Sleeps: 8

From

£1,100 (4 nights)

The Sea House

Camber Sands, East Sussex, England

An award-winning, architect-designed haven, expertly crafted from natural materials and set right on the magnificent beach at Camber Sands.

Bedrooms: 4 (+ optional studio)

Sleeps: 10 (+2)

From

£2310 (3nt)

Pilot House

Drimnin, The Highlands, Scotland

A unique aluminium cabin for two, architect designed and perfectly set in the remote Scottish Highlands, for spectacular views over the Sound of Mull.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£160 / night

De Bossche Kraan

's-Hertogenbosch, North Brabant, Netherlands

An architect-designed ‘luxury hotel room' in a crane nestled above the water, with rotational Old Town and city views from the south of the Netherlands.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£171 / night

Rink Hill

Galashiels, Scottish Borders, Scotland

A glorious, architect-designed bolthole for two, gently nestled into the magnificent Scottish Borders landscape with views that stretch out for miles.

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£800 3 nights

Casa Eterea

San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico

An off-grid, art-inspired ‘theatre to nature' hideaway, camouflaged on the wildlife-steeped slopes of an extinct volcano by the UNESCO World Heritage city of San Miguel de Allen

Bedrooms: 1

Sleeps: 2

From

£358 / night