Worlds Wackiest Hotels!

Generally, we like our hotels luxurious and beautiful. But sometimes, you just want something a little different—like a hotel shaped like a donut, or a capsule hanging off a cliff's edge.

Here are our picks!

…a Jet-Setting Plane maybe?

One look at China's "Doughnut Hotel"—otherwise known as the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort—and it's little surprise that its architect, Beijing-born Ma Yansong, was named as one of the most creative people in architecture. The newly opened resort actually consists of three buildings, two of which curve to form a 27-story torus that towers over Taihu Lake, west of Shanghai in the Yangtze River Delta.

 The Ecocamp’s design is inspired by the dwellings of the Kawésqar, the all-but-extinct nomadic seafarers who devised domed huts to withstand 100-mile-per-hour winds. Though the 24 geodesic domes, run entirely on hydro- and solar power, provide some domestic comforts—bathrooms have flush toilets and running water—staying here isn’t for anyone unwilling to be immersed in the elements.

 A "oneness" theme is central to Tom and Rosey Chudleigh's woodland hideaway on Vancouver Island: Each of the couple's three rentable spheres was designed to blend innocuously into its natural surroundings. The cosy modules are strung to 15 feet off the ground with heavy-duty ropes and are anchored by nearby timber; they sway ever so gently with the whims of Mother Nature (or more turbulently as guests move about inside). The orbs are wired with electricity and stay toasty-warm in winter. Guests must be 16 or older.

Though Bivacco Gervasutti seems to rest precariously at 9,300 feet above sea level, the capsule is well-secured—it was designed to prevent snow accumulation, resist avalanches, and withstand high-altitude conditions (and it provides sleeping, dining, and living space for 12). The only trick is getting there: The ascent from Val Ferret Valley to Mont Blac's Frebouze Glacier takes about four hours.

A decade ago, a family decided to make a resort inspired by the way animals live, “perched lightly on the land.” Five years of permits and two years of construction later, this collection of 16 yurts dotting 11 acres along a bluff 400 feet above the Pacific Coast runs on its own generator, has a 65-foot ocean-view bar, sources all of its veggies within 40 miles, and feeds leftovers from its California cuisine restaurant and sushi bar to 18 resident chickens. Each yurt has hot and cold running water but no showers or toilets (those are in the main house, which has heated tile floors).

Snow pods.

Leave it to Las Vegas to bring Barbie's Dream House to life, courtesy of famed potter/interior designer Jonathan Adler, who created the Barbie Suite at the always-over-the-top Palms Hotel. Not a single detail has been overlooked in this 2,350-square-foot hot pink paradise, where girls of any age can live out their Barbie fantasies (the room can hold up to 50 people). Corseted "dress" chairs, custom wall coverings, a two-way fireplace, oversized Jacuzzi, and a sunburst-styled mirror constructed from 65 actual Barbie dolls are just a few of the amenities you'll enjoy in these ultra-girly digs.

This room—one of the hotel's most popular—drew inspiration from the "tankstelle," or gas station. Guests sleep beneath a massive pump canopy stained with "petrol grime" and emblazoned with the Shell logo. The room is also decked out with authentic 1920s Shell memorabilia, including an authentic Shell pump station and petrol canisters.

The newest of the bunch, this architectural treehouse villa just won the Grand Tourism Prize, Sweden's most prestigious travel award. Only five of its 24 rooms are presently available for booking (the rest are still under construction); one resembles a UFO, another a Brobdingnagian bird's nest, and yet another a gleaming mirrored cube. The Scandinavian design emphasizes sustainability: Rooms are outfitted with hydroelectric power, LED lights, and toilets that odorlessly combust or freeze waste; showers are located in a separate unit, as is the tree sauna. Though the closest town has a population of just 600, outdoorsy types will find no shortage of invigorating activities, from hiking and horseback riding to dog sledding and kayaking.

Would you stay in any of these?