Had enough of hotel rooms? Bored of B&Bs? Vexed by villas? Up the ante by booking a night away in one of these extraordinary places – whether you’re camping on the side of a cliff, snoozing in the world’s deepest bedroom or being banged up in a communist jail, you’ll certainly have a night to remember…
Read on to discover the world's most extreme places to spend the night...
Spend the night under the star-strewn sky on top of the highest observatory in western Europe. Set 9,850 feet (3,002m) up in the Hautes-Pyrenees, the historic research centre was built in 1880. It was used in the Apollo Moon landings research and today guests take a cable car to start an incredible stay with sunset cocktails. A meal is served as the skies darken and you'll enjoy some astronomer-guided stargazing before you retire to sleep in the former lodgings of scientists and astronomers.
You'll truly feel alone in Alaska's wilderness during a stay at super-luxurious Sheldon Chalet, which rests on a granite nunatak on the flanks of north America's highest mountain, Denali. Thankfully, the luxury is as extreme as its location. When you're not exploring the natural wonders of Denali National Park, you can sip Champagne as you lounge by a roaring fire and watch for the Northern Lights from the wraparound windows. It sleeps 10 and comes with two guides, a chef and a concierge.
Polar conditions might not sound ideal for a camping foray but a night sleeping with the incredible Antarctic skies above you and penguins around you is likely to beat any other camping trip. Various tour operators, including cruise companies, offer a night's camping in the extreme conditions of the South Pole. No fuel or external heating is allowed, so guests get a real feel for the challenges of survival here.
Forget forest bathing and go all out with forest sleeping. You can snooze high in the canopy of a beautiful beech tree on the bucolic Isle of Wight with Goodleaf Tree Climbing. After quite literally learning the ropes from recreational tree-climbing experts, you'll go to dinner at the local pub, enjoy a warming drink by the campfire then make your ascent to your 'tree boat' – a comfortable hammock-like design. Breakfast will be delivered straight to your hammock.
Do you dare to bed down beneath the ferocious beasties of the Dangerous Lagoon at Toronto's Ripley's Aquarium of Canada? The attraction offers a number of sleepovers every year for families within its see-through shark tunnel. There will be various interactive experiences to teach children all about the circling sharks (sand tiger, sandbar and nurse) and other marine animals above.
Go well and truly off the grid at Clayoquot Wilderness Resort's Cloud Camp in British Columbia. At 4,500 feet (1,372m) above sea level, guests are taken to the lofty camp from the spectacularly remote resort by helicopter. You'll have an unforgettable one-night stay in a tent decked out with a four-poster bed, plush duvet, fireplace and hot shower. Campers can kayak, hike around the lovely mountain lake or simply gaze at the endless wilderness below before indulging in a five-course meal.
Go glamping in Greenland for an incredible wilderness adventure. Camp Kiattua is set on a remote inlet in the Nuuk Fjord and only accessible by boat or helicopter. You're promised mind-blowing views across the icy water, expeditions to ancient Viking ruins (the only man-made sight for miles around) and winter activities galore. Tents have wood burners and private toilets while guests gather to eat meals and mingle in the main tipi. There's a sauna tent or make for the hot tub to soak under the starry skies.
Ever wanted to get away from it all? Retreat to this remote and historic lighthouse on the very tip of Shetland's southernmost point where you'll only have passing seabirds for company. Built in the 1820s, many original features remain but lodgings are modern and comfortable. Spend evenings cooking seafood suppers on the traditional Aga stove before watching the sun sink below the horizon with a wee dram or two. Thankfully, you're not on duty – the lights are now automated.
Release your inner free spirit by daring to spend a night or more dangling high between the trees within a rainforest on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Your base will be one of three giant spheres that are reached via a series of walkways and suspension bridges. Each one of the incredible structures is individually decorated and tethered to the trees with ropes, meaning they sway gently in the breeze.
Things can get extremely uncomfortable should you wish them to during a stay at Liepaja's notorious Karosta Prison, which was built as an infirmary in 1900 before becoming a Nazi and Soviet military jail. Now a hotel, it hasn't entirely unshackled itself from its past. You can book an 'Extreme Night' in the Communist-era prison to experience enforced exercise, insults from the guards, cleaning duties and prisoner rations. You'll also be locked up overnight in an iron-clad cell.
Do you dare to enter this spooky 19th-century Airbnb property in Saint Paul, Minnesota? It looks like something straight out of a horror movie with its dramatic haunted house exterior and antique-filled rooms and is said to be one of the most haunted places in the USA. Test your mettle by booking a stay in the master chamber. If you get a case of the night-time jitters, seek out the owner's pet Doberman, Scorch, who should soon scare any spooks away.
You have to hike, raft or ride a mule if you want to stay at Phantom Ranch, a historic lodge in the Grand Canyon set on the north side of the Colorado River beside Bright Angel Creek. However you get there, you won't regret the effort as you stop to absorb its enchanting setting. It's the only lodging below the canyon rim and its cabins and dorms are very popular with hikers.
You've glamped in a shepherd's hut and gypsy caravan, so what next? How about stowing away in a disused coal crane? Super-luxe one-bedroom hotel The Krane is set on the old industrial harbour of Nordhavn in Copenhagen. The structure's heritage is reflected in the interior – rooms are black while windows offer panoramic views of the stark seascape, sky and the city. As part of this unique stay, guests enjoy access to a spa, terrace and a selection of fine champagnes and wines.
Sleeping in a swag bag under the stars is a quintessential Australian experience, but how about doing it on a pontoon on the outer Great Barrier Reef? Black Tomato's Blink offers just this, one of its incredible unique and personalised stays in temporary accommodation. Only a few select guests can stay at this floating tent camp. After a barbecue, dinner guests drift off to the sound of the water lapping around them.
For a dose of extreme solitude, make like a monk and disappear to this peaceful digital detox retreat deep in Umbria's countryside. Guests sleep in 'celluzze', stone-walled cells inspired by medieval hermitages. They have basic furnishings but are very comfortable. Vegetarian meals are eaten communally but in silence and by candlelight, while the 'relax room' is the place to go for Gregorian chanting and yoga.
Kip under a canopy of leaves in a gorgeous treehouse set 90 feet (27m) up in a Costa Rican nature reserve. After you've settled into your high-end treetop abode, which sleeps up to six, head off to explore more of the lush forest and wildlife via a network of ziplines and hanging bridges.
Arguably the world's most extraordinary campsite can be found at the gaping mouth of Son Doong Cave, the world's largest cave. Within the UNESCO-listed Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, it's so vast that a 747 could fly through its largest cavern. Oxalis is the only operator allowed to take people into this incredible space – it runs intense five-day expeditions that involve trekking, abseiling and climbing and crawling through underground rivers. You’ll camp inside the cave and nearby Hang En – the third largest cave in the world.
Sleeping half-way up a cliff is not for everyone, but those with a head for heights and appetite for adventure will love this extreme experience in Colorado's Estes Park, whether they sleep or not. After abseiling down the side of a mountain with Kent Mountain Adventure Center, climbers will settle into their little portaledges to spend a surreal night. You'll wake to soaring views of the Rocky Mountains with only the birds for company. Prefer to sleep on solid ground? You can nip down the cliff for a 'cliffnic' instead.
Seek out the simple life at this off-the-grid eco cabin on the edge of the Isle of Eigg. It has a bed, kitchen, wood stove, table, library snug and cosy armchair where you can gaze at the magnificent views from this lofty perch in the cliffs of Cleadale. There's no fridge (cool bags and ice blocks are provided), but Sweeney's Bothy generates enough electricity for lights and charging devices should you wish. But we’d recommend switching off and enjoying a digital-free escape.
Sleeping among the lions, elephants, rhinos and zebras in the African wilderness might not sound like a sensible idea, but you'll be perfectly safe in one of Lion Sands Game Reserve's exquisite treehouses. Perched high above the savannah in Kruger National Park, the stunning structures are secluded, electricity-free and a prime spot for uninterrupted wildlife spotting and stargazing.
Many honeymooners dream of a little lodge lapped by azure waters with only tropical fish for company. Take it one step further and stay in the three-level underwater room of the Manta Resort in Zanzibar's dreamy island of Pemba. Set 820 feet (250m) from the shore, guests are delivered to their outpost by boat and left to their own devices. You'll have a kayak and snorkelling gear to get to know your neighbours. The sea-level landing deck has a lovely lounge and bathroom, head down below the waves to the bedroom for 360-degree views or duck down one more level more to the underwater observation room.
Clinging vertiginously to the side of a mountain in the Sacred Valley of Cusco, these transparent suite capsules are as extreme as it gets. Gutsy guests must either climb 1,300 feet (396m) of via ferrata to reach their bed or follow an intrepid trail of ziplines instead. Each suite has four beds (complete with cosy bedding), a dining area and bathroom. Guides deliver gourmet meals in backpacks. Dine as you gaze across the valley and spy condors as they swoop around your nest.
If you’ve got cash to splash, then look no further than the three-storey underwater suite at The Atlantis in Dubai. It promises a night’s sleep surrounded by thousands of sea creatures. With floor-to-ceiling lagoon views, you feel truly immersed in underwater life. Even the marble bathtub faces a window to the Ambassador Lagoon – an aquarium filled with 65,000 marine animals. Although it’s popular with honeymooners, the lavish pad has enough room for five guests and you get a private lift and butler.
What could be more extreme than watching the Northern Lights unfold in the middle of Finnish Lapland? That’s what’s in store at Hotel Kakslauttanen – except that you’ll be in the comfort of your very own glass igloo. Located in Saariselka, the hotel is a network of wooden chalets and igloos made from electrically heated glass, ideal for watching the Aurora. The two-person pods are decked out with cosy beds beneath glass roofs, proper bathrooms and feature Scandi chic touches like antler chandeliers. Some even have their own sauna.
Once a place no traveller wanted to stay in, this former quarantine station on the north head of Sydney Harbour is now home to a desirable hotel. But the site is still said to be one of Australia's most haunted places – around 600 people died here from scarlet fever, smallpox, typhoid, cholera or Spanish influenza. Dare to stay in the former doctors' and nurses' quarters on one of the monthly Ghostly Sleepover nights or check into the accommodation on 'healthy ground'.