World’s weirdest hotels

Harlingen Harbour Crane, Netherlands

Sleep in a crane.

Located along the banks of the Wadden Sea off the Dutch coast, this former timber-hauling derrick has been repurposed into one bi-level room that towers 60 feet in the air. The luxe accommodations include a shower/bath for two, Eames chairs, a rooftop patio and touch screen lighting systems.

Tired of the view? Then let it swing (the crane that is). At your command, the 143,000-pound crane rotates 360 degrees, allowing you to change the panorama, day or night.

Giraffe Manor, Kenya

Dine with a friendly giraffe.

This small and exclusive hotel -- surrounded by 140 acres of indigenous forest just outside Nairobi -- is famous for its resident herd of giraffe. Enjoy feeding and photographing the giraffe over the breakfast table and at the front door. (While you dine, the giraffes poke their heads through the window.)

As well as the giraffe, the property is also home to many species of birds, large families of warthogs and the elusive Bush Buck.

Whitepod, Switzerland

Kick back in a dome-shaped tent in the Alps.

Talk about off-the-beaten path. Visitors at the Whitepod Eco-Retreat stay in an eco-geodesic dome (there are 10 of them) on a glacier-topped ridge above the village of Les Cerniers. Located about 90 minutes from Geneva, the hotel won the 2005 Responsible Tourism Award for Innovation.