{"id":74863,"date":"2024-05-24T10:17:44","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T14:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.tablethotels.com\/en\/?p=74863"},"modified":"2024-07-12T13:10:38","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T17:10:38","slug":"life-less-ordinary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.tablethotels.com\/en\/2024\/05\/life-less-ordinary\/","title":{"rendered":"Life Less Ordinary"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n
\"\"
Freycinet Lodge \u2014 Coles Bay, Australia<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When we call a hotel \u201cunusual\u201d it’s our highest form of praise. It means there are no other hotels quite like it. It’s singular, and it stands above the status quo. That’s the kind of hotel we live for.<\/h4>\n

We describe hotels sometimes with adjectives that might sound hyperbolic even though we mean them in the humblest, most literal way possible. For example, it might seem like stretching reality to call a hotel extraordinary<\/em>, but we don\u2019t mean extraordinary like the Grand Canyon or the aurora borealis. We mean it in the sense that there are a lot of hotels out there that are ordinary, and a lot of hotels on Tablet tend to go beyond that \u2014 they tend to be extra<\/em>-ordinary.<\/p>\n

So it is also with unusual<\/em>. An unusual hotel doesn\u2019t have to be strange or odd or have upside-down rooms or float in the middle of the ocean \u2014 it just has to be uncommon, unorthodox, unconventional. It should feel like a singular experience, and a product of its unique environment. Those are the hotels that get us the most excited.<\/p>\n

It’s not unusual to want every hotel to be a little unusual \u2014 like the fourteen examples featured below.
\n <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Tainaron Blue Retreat<\/a><\/h2>\n
Vathia, Greece<\/h5>\n

\"Tainaron<\/a><\/p>\n

The location of Tainaron Blue Retreat is a pretty idyllic spot: perfectly positioned at the southernmost point of the Greek mainland, undiscovered by the tourist crowds, boasting spectacular sea views to match any Aegean island. Housed in a centuries-old tower that was designed to keep intruders out, the fully restored guesthouse now welcomes visitors from around the globe, but not too many of them \u2014 there are just three suites, one at the base of the tower, another in its upper section, and a third in the adjoining tower house.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fpeloponnese-hotels%2Ftainaron-blue-retreat%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Gold Diggers<\/a><\/h2>\n
Los Angeles, California<\/h5>\n

\"Gold<\/a><\/p>\n

Its name might not be its most unusual feature. The original Gold Diggers was a bikini bar, above which was a small residential hotel, and behind it was a rehearsal space where all manner of L.A. rock royalty is rumored to have practiced. Today, not only is it a richly textured and eclectic boutique hotel \u2014 one perfectly in tune with the tastes of the Los Angeles creative class \u2014 but it\u2019s also a recording studio and a cocktail bar complete with a stage for live performances.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Flos-angeles-area-hotels%2Fgold-diggers%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

The Caves<\/a><\/h2>\n
Negril, Jamaica<\/h5>\n

\"Caves\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Caves is a collection of twelve private cottages atop a cliff, overlooking the ocean, with plenty of jumping-off points to impress one\u2019s companion and other guests. The sea looks better from higher up, and at The Caves it becomes your own private pool. Below, in the cliffside, are natural volcanic caves and grottos which can be explored whilst swimming, or set up for private candlelight dinners. The cottages themselves are after the style of a tropical hut, with thatched roofs and construction of wood and stone.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fnegril-hotels%2Fthe-caves%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Titilaka<\/a><\/h2>\n
Lake Titicaca, Peru<\/h5>\n

\"Titilaka\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The magnificent Lake Titicaca, considered by Incas to be the sacred birthplace of human civilization, is one of the largest, deepest, and highest bodies of water on the globe. Backpackers have long made the pilgrimage to the water\u2019s edge; this, by contrast, is a high-end luxury boutique hotel that\u2019s set to bring a whole new audience to these shores. The simple structure, standing solitary on the grassy edge of the lake, is a forward-looking and eco-friendly hotel, with 18 plush suites decorated in earthy hues.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Flake-titicaca-hotels%2Ftitilaka%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Sundance Resort<\/a><\/h2>\n
Provo, Utah<\/h5>\n

\"Sundance<\/a><\/p>\n

Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort is hardly a typical ski resort. Here, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos, conservation is paramount, and you\u2019ll find the development has been as sensitive as possible. It\u2019s part eco-lodge, part artists\u2019 community, which is not just ethically correct but also quite aesthetically satisfying; the lofts and suites are understated, with a certain hand-crafted quality, and the freestanding cottages are immersed in the landscape, surrounded by picture-perfect Rocky Mountain pine forest.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fprovo-hotels%2Fsundance-resort%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita<\/a><\/h2>\n
Matera, Italy<\/h5>\n

\"Sant\u2019Angelo<\/a><\/p>\n

The village of Matera, in far southern Italy, is famous for the houses carved into the volcanic hillsides, some of them dating back to Paleolithic times. An ordinary hotelier might have built a traditional inn somewhere in town, to offer some proximity to the village\u2019s famous sights. Not Daniele Kihlgren, whose \u201cdistributed hotel\u201d concept \u2014 the albergo diffuso<\/em> \u2014 is one of total immersion. At Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita the hotel rooms, spread throughout the town, occupy the caves themselves \u2014 needless to say the d\u00e9cor is untraditional.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fmatera-hotels%2Fsextantio-le-grotte-della-civita%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Emerson Spice<\/a><\/h2>\n
Zanzibar, Tanzania<\/h5>\n

\"Emerson<\/a><\/p>\n

You know we\u2019re sincere in our love for contemporary design, but you don\u2019t go all the way to Zanzibar for pan-global modernism \u2014 you go there for its utterly unique blend of Swahili and Arab cultures, and for the riotously eclectic architecture and design that\u2019s created by this collision of traditions. Or, to put it more simply: you go to Emerson Spice. Once an aristocratic home, it comprises three landmark buildings set on a picturesque pedestrian-only street in the Kasbah, and is divided into a mere 11 rooms, each one lavishly decorated with a lifetime\u2019s worth of antiques under high timbered ceilings.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fzanzibar-hotels%2Femerson-spice%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Six Senses Bhutan<\/a><\/h2>\n
Thimphu, Bhutan<\/h5>\n

\"Six<\/a><\/p>\n

Bhutan is one of the world\u2019s most unique destinations, and the Six Senses Bhutan is not just a single luxury hotel, but five of them, each one in a different location, with a different landscape and a different aesthetic: Bumthang in the forest, Gangtey for a bird\u2019s-eye-view, Punakha for a pastoral, agricultural atmosphere, Thimphu for hilltop views of the capital, and Paro for an impressive re-creation of the ancient stonework of the nearby monasteries.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fthimphu-hotels%2Fsix-senses-bhutan%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Aethos Monterosa<\/a><\/h2>\n
Champoluc, Italy<\/h5>\n

\"Aethos<\/a><\/p>\n

Aethos Monterosa is a hotel whose mission is to place as few obstacles as possible between you and the adventure you\u2019ve come to the Alps to experience. That\u2019s why there\u2019s a rock-climbing wall in the lobby, and, in winter, an ice-climbing wall on the exterior of the hotel. Clearly, this is not your grandfather\u2019s Alpine lodge \u2014 its contemporary architecture and its modern construction, in concrete, wood, and weathered metal, see to that.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fchampoluc-hotels%2Faethos-monterosa%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

The Kumaon<\/a><\/h2>\n
Almora, India<\/h5>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Originally intended as a private estate, this parcel of land in the Indian Himalayas would have been quite simply too stunning not to share. Sri Lankan architects Pradeep Kodikara and Jineshi Samaraweera, disciples of the modernist master Geoffrey Bawa, have built something absolutely extraordinary. \u201cTropical modernism\u201d looks different at the top of a mountain. Here vast floor-to-ceiling windows frame unforgettable views, and materials like stone walls and raw concrete beams are warmed by bamboo cladding and hardwood floors and ceilings.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Falmora-hotels%2Fthe-kumaon%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Freycinet Lodge<\/a><\/h2>\n
Coles Bay, Australia<\/h5>\n

\"Freycinet<\/a><\/p>\n

The utterly unique Freycinet Peninsula is a tiny appendage sticking off the sparsely populated east side of the island of Tasmania, which is itself set a hundred miles off the south coast of the not exactly crowded nation of Australia. So suffice it to say, if you make it as far as Coles Bay, you\u2019ve really gotten somewhere. You won\u2019t likely find yourself just passing through \u2014 and the Freycinet Lodge is a worthy destination. In keeping with the rugged realities of the landscape, Freycinet Lodge is something like a luxury rethink of the classic camp cabin.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fcoles-bay-hotels%2Ffreycinet-lodge%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Hotel Viura<\/a><\/h2>\n
Villabuena de Alava, Spain<\/h5>\n

\"Hotel<\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, those photos are real. Hotel Viura really is a precarious-looking cubist stack, an audacious modernist boutique planted in the soil of a traditional Spanish wine village in the Rioja Alavesa region. The contrast is only heightened by the fact that its next-door neighbor is an 18th-century church. Needless to say, the place has received some attention since its 2010 grand opening, but we\u2019re happy to report that it\u2019s more than just a pretty picture.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fvillabuena-de-alava-hotels%2Fhotel-viura%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amist\u00e0<\/a><\/h2>\n
Verona, Italy<\/h5>\n

\"Byblos<\/a><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve seen design hotels, and we\u2019ve seen fashion hotels, but the Byblos Art Hotel Villa Amist\u00e0 is something slightly different. Though it\u2019s owned by the family that owns the Byblos fashion house, it\u2019s far from just an exercise in cross-branding \u2014 instead it\u2019s something more like a museum, a showcase for the family\u2019s impressive collection of 20th-century design objects and contemporary artworks, right down to the gallery-style placards in every room listing the pieces contained within.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fverona-hotels%2Fbyblos-art-hotel-villa-amista%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n

Shipwreck Lodge<\/a><\/h2>\n
M\u00f6webaai, Namibia<\/h5>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Designed in tribute to the numerous shipwrecks on the so-called Skeleton Coast of Namibia, the Shipwreck Lodge is nothing if not unique: its cabins lie in a row a mile inland, surrounded by picturesque dunes, looking out towards the Atlantic. They\u2019re designed in a contemporary style that refers to shipwrecks without lapsing into imitation, and the interiors are as plush as the desert environment is unforgiving.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View the hotel” shape=”round” color=”black” size=”lg” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tablethotels.com%2Fen%2Fm%C3%B6webaai-hotels%2Fshipwreck-lodge%3Futm_source%3Dagenda%26utm_medium%3Dpage%26utm_campaign%3Dlife_less_ordinary”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

<\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″]\"mark\"