Guinness World Records recently announced its list of the world’s most impressive hotels, ranging from one extreme to the next. Here’s the mix of the world’s most ‘extreme’ hotels – from one biggest to smallest and all the record-breaking quirks in between.
Smallest hotel: Eh’häusl Hotel, Germany
The history of this tiny hotel, which dates back as far as 1728, is all in its name. The name is derived from ‘Ehe-Haus’ in German, which means ‘marriage house’.
The man who built the hotel had to prove he was a land-owner, before he could wed his beloved.
He built what is locally known as Eh’häusl in the tiny space between two other buildings to evade the laws of the time, resulting in a living space of 2.5m wide and comprising 53m² in total.
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Largest hotel: First World Hotel, Malaysia
Boasting 7,351 rooms and the 15,240m² First World Plaza, this Malaysian resort in the Genting highlands. The standard room size here is 58m², and the largest goes up to 128m², including a living space. Guests have easy access to SkyAvenue, the Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park and an international convention centre.
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Tallest hotel: Gevora Hotel, Dubai
As expected, the hotel has capitalised on its great heights by maximising the experience of its lofty views. The Middle East’s highest-view restaurant and lounge is 280m in the air and on Gevora’s 75th, rooftop floor.
Access is limited to those willing to pay AED100 ( about R420). A lot lower down, the Level Twelve has a restaurant and overview pool deck and lounge which still boasts great views and offers more entertainment options, and is considered to be one of the ‘most Instagrammable’ hangouts in the city.
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Tallest Residential Hotel: Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
While not the prettiest building, the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong’s 118 floors stand out impressively amid skyscrapers. The residential hotel offers unobstructed views of the city skyline and the waters of Victoria Harbour to the east and west.
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Oldest hotel: Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, Japan
This traditional Japanese inn or ryokan has withstood the test of time, having been established 1,300 years ago in Hayakawa in the Yamanashi Prefecture further east of Tokyo.
The ryokan has been around since the year 705 and is sought after for its natural free-flowing hot spring water, which flows through all baths and showers in the rooms. You can enjoy more modern comforts too, from karaoke to Wi-Fi, which are available throughout the inn.
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Largest hotel suite: Grand Hills Hotel & Spa, Broummana, Lebanon
Known as the ‘Royal Residence’, this five-bedroom Lebanese suite would give anyone the sense of absolute freedom, privacy and complete dominion over all 4,131m at their disposal.
The five-star Beiruit-based suite affords you 3 pavilions, 2 private swimming pools and 7 staggering storeys filled with specially-curated artworks and sculptures. For the average traveller, it’s nothing short of palatial.
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Resort with the most swimming pools: Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson, Malaysia
According to Forbes, this resort already located in the waters off the coastline of Pasir Panjang Beach, boasts 643 swimming pools. Some are a bit smaller and are designed to look out over the waters surrounding the villas.
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Featured image: supplied/Marriott International
