If you’re planning an exciting, one-of-a-kind vacation, why stay in a conventional accommodation? The world is filled with hotels, motels and hostels that can add a much-needed sense of adventure to your trip. From underwater hotels to piles of hay, check out some of world’s most interesting places to lay your head.

Hôtel de Glace. Photo: lander2006

Jules Undersea Lodge

Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Fla., provides its guests with the opportunity to scuba dive 21 feet down to the hotel and enjoy a night watching angelfish, barracuda, snapper and all sorts of underwater life swim past the 42-inch windows. Situated in a tropical mangrove habitat, this eccentric accommodation doesn’t lack in traditional amenities such as a shower, a fully stocked kitchen, a refrigerator and microwave, books, TV and movies.

For more information, visit www.jul.com.

Zum Alten Marstall

This refurbished historical building situated at the foot of castle Burg Guttenberg is just one example of the newest lodging craze overtaking Europe—heuhotels, or “hay hotels.” At Zum Alten Marstall in Germany, you can choose to stay in a traditional room with the option of hay-filled or feather-filled pillows, or bring your sleeping bag and sleep on a pile of hay in the barn with up to 60 other guests.

For more information, visit www.heuhotel.cc.

Hôtel de Glace

Built completely out of ice and snow, Hôtel de Glace in in Québec, Canada is rebuilt entirely every year. The temperature inside the hotel remains between 26 and 23 degrees Fahrenheit, so make sure to bring a lot of warm clothes. Stay in a theme suite or book a room with a fireplace if you’re especially sensitive to the cold. Make sure you warm up with a stiff drink at the Ice Bar before you go to sleep on a solid ice bed—but don’t worry, an artic sleeping bag will be delivered to your room.

For more information, visit www.icehotel-canada.com.

Jumbo Hostel. Photo: Jumbo Hostel

Jumbo Hostel

Even for travelers who have a fear of flying, boarding this 747 jumbo jet won’t cause you to cower in fear—it doesn’t take off. Jumbo Hostel in Arlanda, Sweden is actually a 1976 vintage plane with 25 rooms and 85 beds. If you didn’t think this hotel could get any more offbeat, book the luxury suite that’s located in the cockpit.

For more information, visit www.jumbohostel.com.

Art Hotel Atelier sul Mare

Every room is a work of art at Art Hotel Atelier Sul Mare in Italy. This hotel-museum boats 40 rooms, 20 of them art rooms uniquely decorated by international artists. The hotel encourages guests to switch rooms every night in order to get the most out of their stay. Rooms with names like Mystery for the Moon and The Mouth of Truth provide the backdrop to an inspirational and moving vacation.

For more information, visit www.ateliersulmare.it.

Even luxury properties need sprucing up every now and then. The Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco recently completed its $7 million renovation of its 277 guest rooms as well as suites and corridors. The newly modernized rooms (with rates starting at $395) have been completely outfitted with new carpets, LG LCD television sets, as well as stylish furniture including desk chairs, coffee tables and sofas.

Located in the Yerba Buena cultural district, the Four Seasons is close to several San Francisco highlights— shop at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market or meander through the Museum of Modern Art. The hotel, which offers several kid-friendly amenities such as child-size bathrobes, also boasts a full-service spa and art collection.

For more information, visit www.fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco or call 800-332-3442.

Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

For those who want to venture beyond the wonders of the Bay Area and explore the territories off the coast of Africa, you can book a room at the newly opened Four Seasons Resort Seychelles. The 170-acre resort is located on the island of Mahé, which is north of Madagascar, and features 62 treehouse villas, five suites and 28 private residences (with rates starting at $550). From the hilltop spa or the villas perched on tall stilts in the lush forest, guests have stunning views of the Indian Ocean. The hotel offers a series of family activities such as snorkeling, swimming and sailing. Guests can also enjoy fine dining at the resort’s two restaurants while the kids participate in the Kids for All Seasons Programme.

For a list of more amenities and attractions, visit www.fourseasons.com/seychelles/.

Plan on making it to the Super Bowl, someway, somehow? Here are some hotels in the Tampa/[St. Petersburg|http://www.travelmuse.com/destinations/US/FL/103/saint-petersburg], Fla., area that are still available (some are even affordable), if you just can’t miss the biggest day in football.

• Ramada Inn, St. Petersburg. Just three miles from downtown St. Petersburg and 20 minutes from Raymond James Stadium, the Ramada Inn St. Petersburg offers pigskin-patrons amenities such as a heated pool, fitness center, two onsite restaurants and complimentary breakfast. Rates start at $149 per night for one king bed room.

• Alden Beach Resorts. Get the best of what the Tampa Bay area has to offer with sun and sports. Stay right on the beach at the Alden Beach Resorts. Starting at $239 per night, travelers get an in-room kitchenette, access to the fitness center and free Internet. Even if you can’t land those sought-after tickets, you can tailgate at the resort’s beachside bar and enjoy its barbeque grill, right by the two Alden Beach Resort pools.

• Renaissance Vinoy Resort. If you want to make a trip out of your Super Bowl pilgrimage, try the Renaissance Vinoy Resort, a hotel featured in our Tampa/St. Pete Hotels article. The hotel features free high-speed Internet, fitness and business centers, two pools, 18 holes of golf and a 12-court tennis complex. This historical hotel runs for a manageable $379 per night, a steal considering its beachfront location and that it’s less than 30 minutes from Super Bowl XLIII.

For more information about things to do in Tampa and St. Petersburg, read our coverage of Ybor City, Tampa Bay Tours,Tampa and St. Pete for Families and, for family travel information, check out  and our Busch Gardens Tampa article.

As fortune would have it, I had selected the first weekend of December for a Napa girlfriend getaway—which just so happened to mark the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition on Dec. 5, 1933. Prohibition, which was ushered in by a constitutional amendment in 1919, may be remembered partially as a glamorous time of speakeasies and flappers, but in the wine-producing Napa Valley its repeal was a much greater cause for celebration.

Special Anniversary Events

•    Dozens of the area’s wineries, especially in St. Helena, marked the occasion with open houses and special deals on wines and tastings (many of which were priced festively at $19.33).

•    Raymond Vineyards was in full party mode, with wines paired with delicious cheeses and meats from Oxbow Cheese Merchant and the Fatted Calf.

•    At Spring Mountain Vineyard, we enjoyed a tour and barrel tasting, sampling five different components that go into a finished cabernet sauvignon.

•    An open house at the intimate Salvestrin Winery was also a treat.

Budget Treats

“Napa” and “budget” may sound contradictory, but with a little planning and luck it’s possible.

•    To save on tastings in general, even if there’s not an occasion to celebrate, do some research in advance to find if any wineries have special events planned. They may be a rare breed, but a few of Napa’s wineries, including August Briggs Winery and Frank Family Vineyards, still feature complimentary tastings.

•    We chose a budget hotel—the Calistoga Inn, a cozy “European-style” bed and breakfast that costs about $100 a night—and saved our splurging for Napa’s amazing restaurants.

Culinary Splurges

•    We loved our dinner at Ad Hoc, one of Chef Thomas Keller’s restaurants that features a $48 four-course prix fixe menu that changes every night and is always a surprise.

•    After checking out a fondue cooking demonstration at the Culinary Institute of America (C.I.A.) the following day, we had an amazing lunch at its Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant.

To finish the weekend with a site that represents the ultimate in indulgence, we visited the Castello di Amorosa on a recommendation from a vintner at August Briggs. The winery is set in a multi-million dollar magnificent replica of a medieval castle, which features turrets, a moat, drawbridge, frescoed great hall, chapel and torture chamber.

I have never been one to exercise while on vacation; I mean, it’s my vacation after all.

Besides, what if I get lost?

It’s valid concern for many travelers who want to continue their exercise routine, but feel daunted in an unfamiliar environment. If you are a business traveler with back-to-back meetings or a busy mom looking to squeeze in 30 minutes of cardio before daylong family gallivanting, your time is precious. You can’t waste it getting lost.

The answer? Bring a map. A really, really small map.

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has recently partnered with Athletic-Minded Traveler (AMT), to provide its guests with palm-sized route maps for their walking and jogging adventures.

A new feature in the hotel chain’s StayFit@Hyatt program, these map cards (designed by San Diego-based AMT) provide directions from the hotel, two- to eight-mile customized routes and mileage markers, to guide your workout course. The cards are available at Hyatt front desks and fitness centers.

If you’re ready to venture even farther, Hyatt also offers GPS-tracking armbands—available at its 24-hour gyms—that monitor your heart rate and track your route.

Got to www.hyatt.com for more information about the hotel chain’s StayFit@Hyatt program and www.athleticmindedtraveler.com to learn about the designers.

Here’s a cool deal to snag this winter: Get a free night of lodging during the busiest holidays of the year—Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day and Easter Sunday—for the 2008/2009 season at any RockResort property, as well as participating Vail Resorts properties.

The Holidays on Us package features a free fifth night of lodging when you buy four consecutive nights, for a savings of 20 percent over the holidays.  The deal is good at a variety of properties, including Snake River Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole and Hotel Jerome in Aspen. It’s even good at The Landings, RockResort’s beach resort in St. Lucia for those who prefer sand over snow.

Rates for RockResort lodgings start at $359 per person, per night; rates at other participating resorts start at $218. Packages must be booked before Oct. 15, 2008. Call 800-239-9290 or go to www.holidaysonus.com for more information.

Let me introduce myself: I’m Marley Bubbakin Skywalker Jedi Kibble Hound—but my friends call me Marley. I’m TravelMuse’s dog blogger, and I want to remind you that we pets like vacations, too. Sometimes we appreciate the time to chill out at home while you’re off on holiday; but remember, we’re part of the family too, and we enjoy tagging along so long as there’s enough food to make it worthwhile.

Many individual hotels recognize that people love their pets—and have added special packages and amenities for dogs and cats. My family and I recently stayed at the Cayucos Beach Inn in Cayucos, Calif., and I got cookies, bowls for food and water, a plush blanket and a beach towel, for only $10 extra per night. The hotel even had gas barbecues on the lawn area, so I could enjoy meals with my family.

Sometimes it can be hard to find that pet-friendly individual hotel at your vacation destination, and that’s where the chain hotels come in. There are some well-recognized hotel brands, from budget to luxe, that allow pets. Add this list to your travel resources:

• *Kimpton Hotels*—Special pet packages at Kimpton properties can include toys, treats, comfy beds and concierge-arranged services like pet sitting, grooming, walking and massage. Many hotels have pet ambassadors that greet pet guests and ensure a happy stay, such as Monaco Maverick (a chocolate Lab like me) at San Francisco’s Hotel Monaco.

• *Loews Hotels*—Gifts at check-in include treats, water bowl and a pet tag, but additional available items range from beds to scratching posts. Pet guardians receive a thorough listing of hotel and local pet services, and the room-service menu includes snacks for Fido or Fluffy. The hotels charge a one-time cleaning fee of $25.

• *Starwood Hotels and Resorts* (with nine brands, including Sherton, Four Points, W and Westin)—In 2003, Starwood hotels adopted its “Love That Dog” program (which I heartily approve). Hotel pet amenities include lush beds, water and food bowls, and an ID tag. The W brand has a pet package that offers toys and treats as well.

• *Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts*—Many Four Seasons properties allow pets 15 pounds and under. At my svelte 95 pounds, that doesn’t include me. But those teeny pets can enjoy a welcome package that includes a placemat and bowl, bottle of water and a toy.

• *Days Inn* and *Travelodge*—Many of the hotels in these two budget-conscious chains allow pets, but extra charges may apply. Be sure to contact the hotel at your destination directly and ask about its pet policy.

If you have great pet-friendly hotel recommendations, please add a comment and let me know (especially if they offer yummy treats). I work hard and can always use a vacation!