I would have included the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel in this list. Their website is www.choochoo.com
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17 unusual but brilliant places to stay in the USA
loveEXPLORING staff
05 June 2017
Strange sleeps
There's no excuse for staying in a bland chain hotel when you can check into a cave, a tipi or a room in the shape of a dog. Here's the quirkiest accommodation you'll find in the USA. Inspired to find somewhere exceptional for your next trip? Our friends at Secret Escapes have some excellent deals on US hotels and vacations.
Beckham Creek Cave Lodge, Parthenon, Arkansas
Perhaps not one for claustrophobics, the luxurious Beckham Creek Cave Lodge is a 6,000 sq ft cave complex in the Ozark Mountains.
Beckham Creek Cave Lodge, Parthenon, Arkansas
It's available to rent out in its entirety, sleeping up to eight in its cave bedrooms.
Beckham Creek Cave Lodge, Parthenon, Arkansas
Set high on the mountainside, the windows look out on to the valley below.
Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nevada
We couldn't have a list of unusual hotels without at least one in Vegas, and Circus Circus is among Sin City's most outlandish places to stay.
Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nevada
As well as circus performances, it has an indoor theme park, the Adventuredome.
Circus Circus, Las Vegas, Nevada
Here you'll find the Canyon Blaster, the only indoor double-loop, double-corkscrew roller coaster in the world.
Caravan – The Tiny House Hotel, Portland, Oregon
Portland's first (but no longer only) tiny house hotel has six mini homes you can stay in, each individually designed.
Caravan – The Tiny House Hotel, Portland, Oregon
Smart design means these compact rooms have all the essentials, including a shower room and kitchenette.
Caravan – The Tiny House Hotel, Portland, Oregon
The Amazing Mysterium is the newest addition to Caravan, and despite being the smallest, it can sleep up to four people.
Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Arizona
This quirky motel has been run by the same family since it first opened in 1950.
Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Arizona
Although it's called the wigwam motel, guests actually sleep in 15 tipis (there is a difference!).
Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Arizona
Located along Historic Route 66, the motel also has a collection of classic cars on show.
Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station, Indiana
For a chain hotel, this Crowne Plaza is surprisingly unique.
Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station, Indiana
Located within Indianapolis's old station, it has rooms in old train carriages, still positioned on the tracks.
Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station, Indiana
And you can admire the original architecture in spaces like the ballroom.
Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho
You can't miss Dog Bark Park – just look for the giant beagle.
Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho
Inside this 12ft-tall canine is the park's only accommodation, a (no surprises here) dog-themed room.
Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho
Around the property you'll find wooden sculptures created by the chainsaw artist owners, some of which you can buy in the gift shop.
Jules' Undersea Lodge, Key Largo, Florida
To stay at what claims to be the world's only truly underwater hotel you have to be a qualified scuba diver, or take a course on arrival.
Jules' Undersea Lodge, Key Largo, Florida
That's because you actually have to dive 21 feet to get to your room, which is accessed through an opening underneath.
Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, California
Yes, as in the actual Queen Mary – the ship that once plied the Atlantic between the UK and the USA.
Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, California
Retired from service as a cruise liner in 1967, she now lives on the Pacific, where visitors to Long Beach can spend the night on board.
Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, California
Cabins have been restored to how they were in their heyday, with art deco features and 1930s artwork, while guided tours will take you to the ship's bridge and engine room.
Getaway, New York and New England
Getaway's collection of wooden box-like cabins are all either within two hours of New York City or Boston.
Getaway, New York and New England
Inside they're minimalist but functional.
Getaway, New York and New England
Guests are only told the exact location once they've made a reservation.
Baldpate Inn, Estes Park, Colorado
Right next to Rocky Mountains National Park, the 100-year-old Baldpate Inn looks fairly unremarkable from the outside.
Baldpate Inn, Estes Park, Colorado
Once you get to reception, however, you'll find the largest collection of keys in the world – around 20,000 of them, many of which hang from the ceiling.
Baldpate Inn, Estes Park, Colorado
The hotel is based on the inn from the 1913 mystery novel Seven Keys to Baldpate.
Legoland Hotel, Winter Haven, Florida
Just outside the gates to the Legoland park, this is the ultimate hotel for Lego-lovers.
Legoland Hotel, Winter Haven, Florida
Around the hotel are more than 2,000 models, made using more than two million Lego bricks.
Legoland Hotel, Winter Haven, Florida
Rooms are themed and each has a treasure hunt for kids to complete.
Featherbed Railroad, Clear Lake, California
Another place where you can sleep in an old train carriage, Featherbed Railroad sits right on the shore of Clear Lake.
Featherbed Railroad, Clear Lake, California
The nine vintage caboose cars are dotted around the park-like property, with breakfast served in – where else? – Central Station.
Featherbed Railroad, Clear Lake, California
Each room is themed, from the biker-friendly Easy Rider to the Art Deco-inspired Orient Express (pictured).
Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Don't want to travel all the way to north Africa? Experience the Vegas take on the ancient Egyptians instead.
Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
At the Luxor, guests can check into rooms in the central pyramid and take a boat ride along the 'Nile' to different parts of the hotel.
Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
There's also a replica sphinx, and by night, a beam of light (said to be the world's strongest) shoots out of the pyramid.
Frying Pan Tower, Cape Fear, North Carolina
The brave can stay over on an abandoned US Coast Guard light station, 34 miles off the coast of North Carolina.
Frying Pan Tower, Cape Fear, North Carolina
The tower has eight guest rooms, and even a helipad for those arriving by chopper.
Frying Pan Tower, Cape Fear, North Carolina
With no other structure or land in sight, you can spend your time diving, fishing and even playing golf.
The Roxbury, Catskills, New York
Arrive by night and you'll get an immediate inkling there's something different about The Roxbury.
The Roxbury, Catskills, New York
The themed rooms include the Wizard of Oz-inspired Wizard's Emeralds, complete with its very own Yellow Brick Road.
The Roxbury, Catskills, New York
Alternatively, try Maryann's Coconut Cream Pie, where everything from the pillows to the ceiling makes you feel like you're inside a giant dessert.
Conestoga Wagons, Torrey, Utah
Just outside Capitol Reef National Park you'll find a collection of 19th century-style wagons.
Conestoga Wagons, Torrey, Utah
Each sleeps up to six people, and is considerably more luxurious than it would have been in the 1800s.
Conestoga Wagons, Torrey, Utah
In the daytime you're surrounded by red rock, and after dark there's great stargazing.
Winvian Farm, Litchfield Hills, Connecticut
This 113-acre estate in Connecticut has 18 themed cottages, including a treehouse.
Winvian Farm, Litchfield Hills, Connecticut
Another of the cottages comes with its very own helicopter inside, and while you can't sleep in the chopper itself, you can admire it from the bed. Want to book somewhere amazing for your next trip? Check out Secret Escapes' fabulous hotel deals.
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09 June 2017