From private jets to former prisons: These are some of Europe’s quirkiest repurposed hotels

As nan world displacement towards an experiential system gathers pace, much European travellers are looking for unsocial aliases utmost enactment experiences. 

The emergence of societal media has besides supported nan request for much shareable moments, which offbeat repurposed hotels, particularly those which are architecturally aliases historically unique, tin offer. 

Some of these hotels besides springiness travellers nan chance to immerse themselves much afloat successful section civilization and traditions. 

“Today’s travellers- sloppy of generation- are looking for meaningful experiences wherever they consciousness seen, understood and valued,” Daniel Charbonnier, co-founder of Null Stern and Zero Real Estate, tells Euronews Travel. 

But which quirky European hotels should beryllium connected your must-stay list? 

Reflect nether nan stars astatine Zero Real Estate, Switzerland

The Zero Real Estate brand, a spin-off type of nan Null Stern Hotel aliases “Zero Star Hotel”, is simply a Swiss creation conception featuring an open-air double furniture pinch nary ceiling aliases walls. It intends to promote guests to bespeak connected world issues and societal changes. 

“The original Null Stern Hotel was successful a nuclear bunker, underground pinch nary view. The marque “Null Stern – nan only prima is you” encapsulates nan principle of nan concept: nan prima is not nan edifice but each impermanent and his/her experience,” Charbonnier says. 

“This caller version, Zero Real Estate, keeps nan aforesaid essence, but this clip we sewage free of each nan walls and nan only point near is you and your experience.”

These open-air ‘rooms’ are located crossed Switzerland, including successful Gonten, Valais and Safiental. 

As nan hotel is chiefly intended for reflection, not luxury, comfortableness aliases moreover sleep, nan amenities are comparatively basal compared to accepted hotels. 

Along pinch a double bed, broadside tables and lamps, travellers person a individual butler for drinks and meal and tin usage adjacent nationalist bathrooms. 

“We judge nan liking goes beyond architecture aliases quirkiness. Our guests aren’t conscionable looking for novelty, they’re seeking affectional connection, authenticity, and presence,” Charbonnier says.  

“The Modern Butler, a section organization personnel trained to connection master yet profoundly quality service, embodies this shift. The domiciled combines empathy pinch work excellence, offering guests a individual anchor successful a deliberately minimal setting.”

This setup allows visitors to link much profoundly pinch nature arsenic well, pinch unmatched views of clear night skies and nan picturesque Swiss landscape.

While immoderate rooms are located successful serene Alpine meadows, others are “anti-idyllic” spots, specified arsenic adjacent petrol stations, to punctual deeper reflections astir rising prices and different societal issues. 

“The tangible has go expected- what now differentiates is nan intangible: really a spot makes you feel, really connected you are to nan environment, and really overmuch you are empowered to style your ain experience,” Charbonnier explains. 

Rooms are usually disposable from outpouring to autumn, depending connected upwind conditions, pinch an Alpine hut typically located adjacent by successful lawsuit of abrupt bad weather. 

“When you portion everything away- walls, amenities, distractions- you’re near pinch nan essentials. And erstwhile there’s obscurity to hide, each item counts,” Charbonnier said. 

Stay successful a repurposed pitchy astatine Apple Camping, Wales

Apple Camping, successful Pembrokeshire, Wales, offers an offbeat glamping acquisition pinch a number of repurposed accommodation options, specified arsenic a shipping instrumentality and a railway carriage.

One of its astir iconic experiences is its backstage pitchy stay. This quirky building was reclaimed from an craft scrapyard and has a colourful past. 

“It primitively belonged to Howard Hughes, nan famously eccentric billionaire, earlier passing done respective hands, yet ending up linked to organised crime groups. Needless to say, it has character,” Jake McCarthy, laminitis of Apple Camping, says. 

“A nighttime successful a converted private jet is thing you remember, it’s a speech starter, a standout photo, and a once-in-a-lifetime memory.”

The jet, which dates backmost to nan 1970s, has been repurposed to bespeak sleek modern luxury, pinch electrical lights and heating, arsenic good arsenic a power and Bluetooth-compatible CD player.

The cockpit has been transformed into a gaming room, complete pinch flight-themed games and an Xbox, which you tin play while sitting successful nan original aviator and co-pilot seats. 

The main cabin has a cosy sofa and six leather seats pinch walnut-inlaid dropdown tables. The level besides features a lit-up bar, complete pinch padded leather upholstery and retro 70s mirrors. 

In nan dedicated bedroom, guests tin bask a bully night’s remainder successful a king-sized bed, pinch a azygous furniture for children and a leather sofa furniture besides available. 

The pitchy includes a toilet and sink; however, ablution blocks offering basking showers are located adjacent by arsenic well. 

Commenting connected nan rising request for repurposed accommodation, McCarthy notes: “There’s a existent activity toward ‘meaningful novelty.’ It’s not conscionable astir being quirky for nan liking of it, but giving caller life to objects aliases spaces that would different spell to discarded for illustration planes, trains, submarines, moreover aged silos aliases shipping containers. 

“There’s besides a beardown inclination toward combining quality pinch nan unexpected — group want some a consciousness of flight and thing to constitute location about.”

Repurposing nan pitchy was not without its challenges. Transport unsocial required important readying and manoeuvring. 

“Then there’s nan situation of fitting plumbing, electricity, heating and insulation into thing ne'er designed to beryllium lived in,” McCarthy explains.  

“You person to sphere nan character, show nan story, and still connection a warm, clean, functional abstraction for guests. The reddish portion isn’t ever straightforward either- planners don’t thin to person a shape fresh for ‘vintage level turned glamping pod.’”

Hotel Chetzeron, Switzerland

Hotel Chetzeron, successful Switzerland’s Crans-Montana, is simply a converted cable car station, perched astatine 2,112 meters. It offers panoramic views of nan Rhone Valley, arsenic good arsenic Mont-Blanc and nan Matterhorn. 

“The thought of transforming nan erstwhile cablegram car position into a edifice and renovating its aged but history-rich edifice came to our founder, Sami Lamaa, successful 2003,” Serena Peyronnet, trading head astatine Hotel Chetzeron, says. 

“Throughout 2003 and early 2004, he developed his business scheme pinch a clear vision: to create a sleek, modern constitution designed for 21st-century travelers, guests who person seen nan world, knowledgeable countless destinations, and now activity thing genuinely unsocial and extraordinary.”

The edifice offers a refined, timeless design, while still capturing nan warm, welcoming consciousness of a mountain cabin. With only 16 rooms, it has an intimate, minimalistic vibe, pinch premier ski-in/ski-out entree successful wintertime and lush, wildflower-covered alpine meadows successful summer. 

Guests tin soak successful nan year-round heated outdoor pool, which offers stunning views, aliases effort retired nan hammam aliases sauna astatine nan spa, earlier indulging successful gourmet eating celebrating fresh, section ingredients. 

The edifice besides places a beardown accent connected sustainability, pinch star panels and different eco-friendly technologies. Local, sustainably originated materials are utilized successful some building and furnishings, supporting nan location economy. 

“There is simply a beardown activity toward sustainability and adaptive reuse. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, hotels are giving aged structures a caller life- whether it’s erstwhile factories, train stations, or, successful our case, a cablegram car station,” Peyronnet says. 

“Guests progressively admit concepts that trim biology effect while offering originality and authenticity. Another awesome inclination is blending architecture pinch nature, creating spaces that let nan surroundings to beryllium nan main attraction – done panoramic windows, minimalist interiors, and locally originated materials.”

However, turning an business cablegram car position into a luxury edifice astatine precocious altitude is nary easy task. Construction took spot nether harsh wintertime conditions, which included freezing temperatures, dense snowfall and constricted accessibility. 

Facades required insulation, walls needed seismic reinforcements and caller terraces and ample windows had to beryllium added, each while preserving nan original building’s character. 

YAYS Amsterdam The Crane by Numa Stays

YAYS Amsterdam The Crane, by Numa Stays, is 1 of Europe’s much extreme accommodation experiences, giving travellers nan chance to walk a nighttime successful a repurposed crane. 

Originally built successful 1957, this harbour crane has been cautiously renovated into a luxury apartment, featuring chic, modern interiors designed by nan renowned Dutch designer Edward van Vliet. 

Guests tin bask nan luxurious bathtub and breathtaking views of nan IJ River, on pinch quirky features, specified arsenic a preserved clip capsule offering a glimpse into nan crane’s past.

With aerial conditioning, a backstage bathroom, TV, dishwasher, java instrumentality and a balcony, nan edifice seamlessly blends modern amenities pinch historical significance. 

The YAYS Insiders concierge work besides offers personalised recommendations connected what to spot and do successful nan city.

Barabas Hotel, Lucerne, Switzerland

The Barabas Hotel Lucerne, aliases Barabas Prison Hotel, is simply a 135-year-old building successful nan bosom of Lucerne’s Old Town, which functioned arsenic nan city’s cardinal prison until its closure successful nan precocious 1990s. 

“Today, guests tin walk nan nighttime wrong nan aforesaid walls, though successful acold greater comfortableness than nan erstwhile inmates ever experienced. Our conception blends nan authentic situation architecture - barred doors, dense walls, constrictive windows - pinch modern hospitality and modern comfort.” Jeaninne, a head astatine Hotel Barabas Lucerne, says. 

The edifice is named aft nan creator Hugo Siegrist, who painted a unsocial mural successful 1 of nan cells during his imprisonment successful 1975 and signed it pinch his pseudonym “Barabas”. This mural is preserved to this time and now features prominently successful nan communal room. 

“A nighttime astatine Barabas is not a emblematic edifice stay, but a communicative worthy sharing,” Jeaninne points out. 

“The situation ambiance makes nan acquisition authentic and memorable, while besides reflecting sustainable reuse: alternatively of demolishing an aged building, it is brought backmost to life pinch a caller purpose. Guests besides admit nan cultural dimension- a historical tract preserved and reimagined.”

The edifice offers 60 different situation cells, including single, double and family rooms pinch backstage bathrooms arsenic good arsenic multibed rooms pinch shared bathrooms. Bookworms will emotion nan library, which features  an array of crime novels and tin besides beryllium booked arsenic a edifice room. The edifice besides has Wi-Fi and a souvenir shop. 

For an further €12, guests tin bask a section meal spread, including location cheese, homemade muesli and coffee. 

Feast connected accepted Japanese delicacies successful nan in-house Japanese izakaya edifice Nozomi, which serves smaller dishes successful nan evening and bento boxes astatine lunch. Three caller Japanese-style edifice rooms are besides disposable supra nan restaurant.

As pinch different repurposed accommodations, restoring nan situation was a analyzable process.

“Strict heritage protection regulations must beryllium respected, and integrating modern infrastructure for illustration backstage bathrooms, Wi-Fi, aliases occurrence information systems into heavy situation walls is highly demanding,” Jeaninne explained. 

“Conceptually, it besides requires balance: nan prison’s ambiance should stay tangible, while ensuring guests bask a comfortable and welcoming stay.”