There's a lot to love about a regular hotel room: a comfy bed, room service, those cute little soaps, the occasional HBO subscription... I could go on. However, some hotels go above and beyond when it comes to what they offer, and this list of unique hotel room amenities around the world is proof of that.
From rooms with real old-school popcorn machines (something I never thought I needed until I knew it was an option) to rooms with massage chairs with foot warmers, these rooms offer... A level of comfort. Sure, some of the features might seem a little redundant—but traveling is as much about experiencing a new culture as it is about getting away from everyday life so that you can come back with a new perspective. I think the latter is easier to do when you have an old-school popcorn machine in your hotel room.
All of these rooms are located in different locations around the world, so no matter where you travel in the world, you're likely to be close to at least one of them. The phrase “treat yourself” comes to mind…
Check out the list below.
Nyama Private Island Resort – Maldives
See the lights, cameras and action at the beautiful Nyamama Private Island Resort in the Maldives, where rooms feature vintage popcorn machines. Corn kernels, bags and salt are stored and replenished daily. I bet you’ve never eaten popcorn while dipping your feet in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island – Maldives
Conrad regulars know that little stuffed animals on their pillows are a signature welcome at Conrad hotels around the world. Often, these animals are similar to those native to the area. At Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, guests will find these furry tropical creatures waiting for their arrival. Look carefully in the water and you might just find the real thing!
Dromoland Castle – County Clare, Ireland
Dromoland Castle in County Clare, Ireland, provides children with special welcome gifts such as crowns, shields, books and toys. Families love the tower rooms in the original castle architecture, and even the parents feel like royalty.
Grand Hotel Tremezzo – Lake Como, Italy
You won't find this special scent anywhere else except the Grand Hotel Tremezzo. Until the customer falls in love with it and takes home a bottle of Aqua Como body perfume. Yes, the hotel invites guests to break glass bottles as souvenirs... although the hotel's boutique sells diffusers, candles and bath salts with the same scent. The hotel owners carefully selected a fragrance to match the stunning scenery surrounding the Lake Como hotel.
Westchester Country Club—Westchester, New York, United States
Check out the LG SIGNATURE OLED TVs available to guests and members of Westchester Country Club in New York. It offers high-resolution viewing and attaches to the wall with magnets, eliminating the need for wires. It can be bent slightly and is as wide as three credit cards.
Hennna Hotel Tokyo Ginza — Tokyo, Japan
A clever LG Styler installed in the guest rooms of Japan's innovative Henn-na Hotel (a hotel run entirely by robots) allows you to dry your clothes with steam. The LG Styler allows travelers to pack fewer clothes as it refreshes and dries them, eliminating wrinkles and odors.
The Curtis Hotel Denver, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel—Denver, Colorado, United States
Guests can find many of their favorite classic video games in the Curtis Denver – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel's themed video game room. Other themed rooms at the hotel include Talladega Nights, Jimmy Buffett and Star Trek.
InterContinental Tokyo Bay—Tokyo, Japan
Forget the spa. If you're jet-lagged at the InterContinental Tokyo Bay, all you have to do is roll over into one of the Panasonic massage chairs in many rooms. There's even a foot warmer to warm and relax the soles of your feet before lying down for a cervical massage
Blackstone—Chicago, Illinois, USA
At Blackstone in Chicago, a vintage typewriter (probably not a laptop replacement, of course) can be provided at the reception desk to honor the building's history. No word yet on whether it will have internet access.
Hotel Valencia — San Jose, California, United States
These wine wipes from Hotel Valencia in San Jose, California, could save lives. Visit San Jose has partnered with several hotels in the area to offer special packages that include gift cards, picnic lunches and wine towels for that awkward moment when the wine arrives.
Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak — Bali, Indonesia
Hotel minibars have definitely gotten more creative over the years, but Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak's Punch & Munch in-room bar has a full house-made cocktail suite. Guests can prepare Balixology cocktails following the hotel's bartender's recipes, using a juicer, shaker, blender, a bottle of arak (traditional Balinese liquor), fresh oranges (stocked daily) and a recipe book. They can also go off script and make their own version!
Moxy Hotel Tempe—Tempe, Arizona, United States
The guest rooms and lobby of the Moxy Tempe, Arizona feature a collection of vinyl records and acoustic guitars (complete with vintage record players) for guests to borrow and use during their stay. It's part of the clever Moxy Hookups program, which offers perks like free cocktails or amenities to random guests during their stay.
Himalayan Pavilion – Himalayas, Nepal
I bet you have never had a welcome glass of buffalo milk before your arrival at your villa. However, you can experience it at The Pavilions Himalayas in Nepal. Another eco-friendly perk for guests is single-piece biodegradable soap made in-house.
OPUS Vancouver—Vancouver, Canada
At OPUS Vancouver, guests in Executive Suites and OPUS Signature Suites can relax easily with ultrasonic diffusers in every room. Guests can choose essential oils from the in-room "scent bar" and fill the room with their favorite scent.
Hard Rock Hotel - various locations
Hard Rock Hotels' The Sound of Your Stay program provides music installations in 25 of its hotels worldwide. At the newly opened Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, guests will find a Crosley turntable and a selection of ten iconic vintage records to keep them entertained during their stay.
Landscape - Lugano, Switzerland
Have you ever walked into a hotel room and disliked its design? Or its fragrance? Even its lighting? VIEW in Lugano, Switzerland, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, has ideal solutions that allow guests to design their rooms to their liking - including everything from in-room fragrances and minibars to linens and pillows. Chromotherapy showers allow guests to choose a color to suit their mood and even choose toilet paper to match.
Margaritaville Island Hotel – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States
Each room at the Margaritaville Island Inn in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has this refrigerated dressing machine. Ice and cocktail ingredients are never too far away.
The Redbury Hotel—New York, New York, United States
Experience a retro feel at New York's The Redbury Hotel, then known as the Martha Washington Hotel and the first hotel to accommodate working women in the early 1900s. Its neighborhood, known as "Tin Pan Alley," has long been home to popular music. To tie in with this musical connection, guests can connect their iPod to a vintage gramophone and enjoy a fun retro moment while listening to their favorite tunes.
Waldorf Astoria Hotel Park City—Park City, Utah, United States
Order a bar and game cart to your room at the Park City Waldorf Astoria. Specialty carts are ready and waiting in your room, offering cocktails and drinks for adults and board games and candy for kids. Kids, or the young at heart, can also request a specially prepared hot chocolate (complete with chocolate syrup, marshmallows and mint chips). It's the perfect indoor solution after a day of skiing or enjoying the resort's spa and pool.
Aloft Element Austin Downtown—Austin, Texas, United States
Get in cowboy style at the Aloft Austin Downtown and Element hotels, where guests can borrow a pair of authentic Texas boots to use during their stay. Order a pair of Allens Boots from Austin's renowned brand to be delivered to your room, or have them ready and waiting when you arrive.
Kimpton St. George Hotel — Toronto, Canada
The newly opened Kimpton Saint George Hotel in Toronto is the only Kimpton hotel in Canada. Its 20 suites and the Presidential Suite are equipped with TEAC turntable systems, which house music by Kimpton music director Lauren Bucherie. Specially curated collaborative vinyl releases from various Canadian artists. Partnered with local independent record store Sonic Boom Records.
Confidante—Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Just push a button and enjoy a delicious glass of chilled wine from one of the Plum wine vending machines at The Confidante, part of Hyatt Unbound Collection Miami Beach.
Art Acclaim Hotel—Sarasota, Florida, USA
At the Art Ovation hotel in Sarasota, a Marriott's Autograph Collection hotel, guests can find ukuleles and leather-bound sketchbooks in their rooms for those extra creative moments when the mood strikes.
InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun Tongying Center and InterContinental Guangzhou Poly—Across China
China’s InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun Tongying Center and InterContinental Guangzhou Poly have partnered with Baidu to offer artificial intelligence services in their new “smart” rooms. Voice control can manage in-room functions such as temperature, lighting and even room service orders. There are plans to expand this to other hotels in the near future.
W Mexico City — Mexico City, Mexico
The Lucha Libre bottle opener at the W Hotel in Mexico City is modeled after Mexico's iconic masked wrestler. If you stay in one of the hotel's superior rooms or suites, you'll get a few gifts to take home.
