5 Unique US Hotels: Alternatives to Boring Chain Hotel Vacations

Bored with Best Western? Had it with Holiday Inn? Don’t want to spend a fortune? These 5 hotel ideas offer a unique change of pace from the cookie cutter rectangles of chain hotels in the US.

At the Dog Bark Inn, you can stay inside a giant, brown beagle. Kids will love sleeping in the loft within the massive dog’s head. You'll love the peace and quiet of this unique destination in Cottonwood, Idaho. If you need a restroom, venture outside to the giant red fire hydrant (you'll find it inside).

Visit the gift shop brimming with woodcarvings of many breeds of dogs and other animals created by the Dog Bark owners and chainsaw artists Dennis & Frances. Nearby activities include white water rafting, Hell’s Canyon jet boat tours and exploring the Lewis & Clark trail.

Rates: $86 single, $92 double.

If you enjoyed the film “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” you may enjoy Walker, Minnesota’s Paul Bunyan Guest House at the Northland Lodge. Shaped like a giant tree stump astride Bunyan’s mighty red axe, this abode is large enough to sleep 8 regular-sized people with three bedroooms, three baths, kitchen, fireplace, and a whirlpool in the ‘axe’.

Nearby attractions include the Mississippi Headwaters at Lake Itasca, Paul Bunyan statues in Bemidji and fishing excursions on Leech Lake. Just don’t expect to fit your blue ox through the human sized front door.

Rates: $275/per person per week (though not exactly 'cheap', the per night cost is no worse than a chain hotel, especially if you stay with a group)

Many states offer a night in a real lighthouse. Fall asleep with the sound of water lapping at your door, seagulls your neighbors. In Minnesota, the Two Harbors Lighthouse has guarded the rocky shores of Lake Superior since 1892. Today, at Lighthouse B&B, visitors can rent a room in the historic lighthouse.

In the evening, perform your lighthouse-keeper-in-training duties: lower the flag, close the portholes in the tower, and log the ships in & out of port. Next morning, if you’re an early riser, take your coffee out to the shoreline rocks and watch a 1000 foot freighter pull into port (in summer!); breakfast with other guests may include homemade muffins, local fruit, eggbake and potatoes.

Try a night in a lighthouse near your town; you won’t soon forget the harbor views or your night as a historic lighthouse keeper.

Lighthouse B&B – Two Harbors, MN, rates starting at $109 including breakfast

Another good choice:

Heceta Lighthouse, Yachats, OR, rates starting at $133 and up

One hundred fifty feet above the ocean, Heceta Lighthouse was built on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, in 1892. After the lighthouse was automated in 1963, the lighthouse keepers moved away. Now as a bed & breakfast, this stunning locale in Yachats, Oregon is available to anyone. Beware of the three month waiting list for a stay - justified by the views & seven course gourmet breakfast.

If you’re in Europe you’ll find many impressive castles-turned-bed-and-breakfasts. Here in the US, pickings are slimmer. Castle Marne in Denver is an exception. Built in 1889, this amazing site is on the National Register of Historic Places. Don't miss the delightful free breakfast in the Peacock Dining Room. If you can’t swing a trip to France’s Loire Valley, a night at Castle Marne might be a regal alternative to Motel 6.

Castle Marne - Denver, CO, rates starting at $110

Another good choice:

Amsterdam Castle – Amsterdam, NY, rates starting at $125

Most people don’t aspire to a night in jail; at several jail Bed & Breakfasts around the country you’ll be locked up and offered more than just bread and water in the morning. The Newport Jail House Inn, the former Newport County Jail, built in 1772 is now a federal style B&B. Accommodations include mahogany furnishings, fine linens and an afternoon tea with views of the harbor. Once sprung from your cell, stroll along the waterfront Cliff Walk, dine at the White Horse Tavern, or take a sunset cruise.

Newport Jail House Inn – Newport, RI rates starting at $115

A few nights lodging at these unique locales and you may never stay in a Super 8 again.