Six luxury hotels in unusual locations and one for sale

Can you imagine sleeping in an old radio station in the Arctic, inside an old Boeing in Costa Rica, in an old jail in Boston, or in a church more than 800 years old in Belgium?

The luxury tourism trend of offering experiential travel, in which the most important thing about a destination is what you are going to do rather than the destination itself, has long since reached some hotels that offer more than just a luxurious room to sleep in. But in this case, we're not talking about activities, but about the very places where these hotels are and which previously held very different purposes. Their luxury lies most of the time in their history.

1. NO MAN'S FORT, Portsmouth
On the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, No Man's Fort is a Victorian fort that was designed by Captain E. H. Stewart. Construction work began in 1865, and the fort was completed in 1880 with the aim of protecting the city of Portsmouth from a possible invasion from Napoleon III. After going through various uses and having been abandoned several times, the fort opened in 2015 as a 23-room luxury hotel.

2. COSTA VERDE HOTEL, Costa Rica
This Boeing 727, which was manufactured in 1965 and used by South Africa Air and Avianca, was purchased in 2006 by Allan Templeton, owner of the Hotel Costa Verde. Templeton invested $500,000 to convert it into a two-bedroom luxury suite which he christened "Phoenix", likely represented by the way this bird rose from the ashes and was repurposed.

The fuselage of the plane was transported in five trucks to the jungles of Manuel Antonio, where it was resurrected as a high-altitude luxury suite, perched on a pedestal 15 meters high. Panoramic views of the ocean and jungle are unique from the wooden deck built over the plane's former right wing.

3. THE LIBERTY, Boston
Completed in 1851, the Charles Street Jail was the work of Gridley James Fox Bryant, considered Boston's most accomplished architect of the time. The building, considered one of the finest examples of the mid-19th century "Boston Granite Style," was formerly "home" to some of Boston's most legendary inmates, including famed activist Malcom X.

Now, elements of the old building that is now The Liberty Hotel, such as the octagonal floor plan, walkways, and arched windows, have been retained. The names of the CLINK Restaurant and ALIBI Bar are also related to the building's historic past.

4. MARTIN'S PATERSHOF, Belgium
Located in an 800-year-old Franciscan church in the town of Mechelen, 20 minutes from Brussels, the history of Martin's Patershof began around 1231 when a group of Franciscan friars settled in Mechelen. At the end of the 18th century, the religious were expelled from the city by the French revolutionaries, although after a few years they returned to the city.

During World War II, the Germans temporarily requisitioned the church. Subsequently, the friars carried out various renovations and reconstructions, until, in the late 1990s, they decided to sell the buildings. In 1999, the complex was deconsecrated and converted into a residential area with gardens, then in 2009 the building opened its doors as one of the most unique hotels in Europe.

5. CORSEWALL LIGHTHOUSE HOTEL, Scotland
The historic Corsewall Lighthouse was built in 1815 by an engineer who was the grandfather of the renowned writer Robert Louis Stevenson, author of "Treasure Island", and is located on the north shore of Rhinns of Galloway, near Stranraer. If the night is clear, the lights of several Scottish and Irish lighthouses can be seen guiding ships across the North Channel. During the day, the Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel is ideal for spotting local wildlife, including deer, seals, dolphins, and seabirds.

The hotel is housed in the converted former lighthouse keepers' residence, which offers a combination of rooms, suites, and common areas in which to relax and admire the rugged and craggy coastline of northern Scotland.

6. ISFJORD RADIO. Spitsbergen
Isfjord Radio is a 1933 weather post and radio station located on the largest of the Svalbard Islands, 1,300km from the North Pole. It was a strategic enclave during the Cold War. A remote place, far from civilization, with no road connection. During the winter, it can be reached by dog sled or snowmobile only, and in summer, by boat crossing the Arctic Ocean. This radio station converted into a hotel, surprises guests through the contrast between a simple and functional exterior and a modern and cozy interior, which still uses the sauna that was built for workers in the 1950s.

7. FEATHERBED RAILROAD, California
In Lake County, northern California, a rural bed and breakfast can be found that combines old-fashioned railroad nostalgia with modern luxury. The Featherbed Railroad is located in a park on the shores of upper Clear Lake and consists of 9 refurbished vintage train cars. From there you can engage in multiple activities in the nearby lakes and forests such as kayaking or relax during an afternoon of fishing.