A room with a different view

Filed in archive Travel Industry on July 4, 2006

Major online hotel reservation aggregators like Hotels.com and Expedia can leave travellers still searching if what you're after is something a little bit different - an Austrian castle, for example, a North American dude ranch, or even a converted European prison.

"If you're planning a visit to a popular tourist area and you're interested in a moderate to upscale hotel (a chain in particular), the major sites will absolutely do the job. But for out-of-the-ordinary places to stay -- which are often the most memorable, for better and for worse -- take a look at these out-of-the-ordinary Web sites."

CNN has an excellent list of websites with frankly cool hotel accomodations. On their list: resources for French Chalets, historic English inns, world wide Bed & Breakfasts, and the Unusual Hotels of the World site for converted caves, prisons and lighthouses. To this list I would add the site for finding and booking Spain's excellent Parador hotels - historic and unusual Spanish accomodation in the country's most fantastic locations.