What A Cool Hotel! Trivia Quiz

Answer:

- The underwater suite, known as "The Murake", was created at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort that opened in 1997 in the South Ari Atoll of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The resort became world famous in 2018 when it unveiled this luxury suite. It was the first underwater luxury hotel suite. Above the water, the villa features two bedrooms, an expansive living and dining area, a private sun deck, and an infinity pool. Accessible by a spiral staircase or a private elevator, the submerged master bedroom features a 180-degree curved acrylic dome. Guests sleep directly beneath the ocean and can watch blacktip reef sharks, stingrays, and tropical fish swim by.

- Actual giraffes come see the guests at Giraffe Manor, an elegant boutique hotel located in Nairobi, Kenya. While the original historic building was constructed in 1932 as a private home, it was converted into a small private hotel and wildlife sanctuary in the late 1970s and early 1980s. What makes this property, which overlooks a surrounding forest sanctuary, unique is its resident herd of friendly Rothschild's giraffes. Almost every morning and evening, these gentle giants wander up and poke their long necks directly through the large, open dining room and bedroom windows, allowing guests to feed them right from the breakfast table.

- Not just rooms, but the entire hotel, is made of ice. Yes, this is The Icehotel located in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, not far north of the Arctic Circle. Founded in 1989, this hotel is built completely from scratch (using new shapes) every winter from thousands of tons of ice and snow harvested from the nearby Torne River. Every single room, bed frame, chair, and spectacular art sculpture is custom carved by artists from around the world. Because the hotel is made entirely of frozen water, the original structure lasts only a few months before completely melting back into the river every spring.

- Don't look down! The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore boasts a pool almost 657 feet (200 m) in the air. The resort officially opened in 2010 along the waterfront in the financial hub of Singapore. What makes this property entirely unique is its breathtaking Sands SkyPark, a massive rooftop platform shaped like a ship that spans across the tops of three separate 57-story skyscrapers. Perched on top of the platform is a huge outdoor infinity pool, stretching an incredible 479 feet (146 m) long. That is nearly three times the length of an Olympic swimming pool. Swimming is strictly reserved for hotel guests, who can float right up to the seemingly invisible edge to take in an unobstructed 360 degree view of the city skyline.

- Want more of an avian point of view? The Treehotel officially opened in 2010 in Harads, a small village in northern Sweden right near the Arctic Circle. It has a collection of architect designed treehouses suspended 13-10 feet (4-6 m) above the forest floor, particularly "The Bird's Nest" room. From the outside, this specific room looks exactly like a massive, naturally tangled bird's nest completely camouflaged among the pine tree canopy. Guests climb a retractable ladder to enter, to find a surprisingly modern and cozy interior hidden entirely inside the web of branches.

- The volcano hotel is actually the Montana Magica (Magic Mountain) lodge. It opened in 2005 inside the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, a rainforest in southern Chile. What makes this hotel eyeatching is that the entire building is shaped exactly like a lush, moss covered volcano. Instead of spewing molten lava, a waterfall cascades down from the very peak of the roof, washing over the sides of the structure and past the guest room windows. Guest rooms are treehouse like, with native wood paneling and warm light. (And there's not a TV in sight) To match the theme, guests must cross a wooden suspension bridge swinging high in the forest canopy just to reach the entrance.

- The Caves Hotel opened in 1995 along the scenic limestone cliffs of Negril on the western tip of Jamaica. This boutique resort, with its accommodations and amenities, is carved directly into a natural network of volcanic sea caves. Guests can stay in cliffside cottages that open up to these ancient caverns or dine by candlelight inside a private cave overlooking the ocean. For the more adventerous types, there is swimming through the cave grottos or even cliff diving.

- Is a warm igloo an oxymoron? Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort opened its iconic glass igloo village in 1999, located deep in the Lapland region of northern Finland, well above the Arctic Circle. What makes this wilderness property so entertaining is its rows of futuristic, thermal glass igloos nestled in the snowy forest. Unlike traditional snow structures, these glass domes stay perfectly warm inside while remaining completely frost free on the outside. This means that guests can lie back comfortably in bed and look straight up into the clear night sky to view the glowing Northern Lights and millions of stars directly through the ceiling.

- Need some salt? Try the wall. Hotel Palacio de Sal originially opened in the 1990s on the edge of the world famous Salar de Uyuni (the largest salt flat on Earth) in southwestern Bolivia. The hotel is built almost completely out of solid salt blocks harvested directly from the surrounding flats. Over one million blocks of salt were used to construct the walls, floors, ceilings, and even the furniture inside, including the beds, tables, and chairs. The hotel's architecture echos the landscape outside, featuring striking domed ceilings made of salt that feels like an oasis on the edge of the dazzling white plains.

- There's a fish underfoot! The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort officially opened in 2006 on its own private island in the lagoon of Bora Bora, French Polynesia. What makes this legendary resort so special is its collection of ultra luxurious overwater bungalows. Suspended on stilts directly above the turquoise water, these thatched roof retreats feature glass viewing panels cut right into the living room floors, allowing guests to watch tropical fish swim underneath the villa. Each bungalow has a private outdoor deck with direct ladder access into the lagoon, and the premier suites even include private plunge pools hanging right over the ocean waves.

The others sound fun, but, alas, do not exist:
- Rooms hanging from balloons: Safety regulations, wind changes, and weight limits keep this strictly in the realm of fantasy.
- While plenty of resorts have standard trams or golf carts, none give you your own private, on demand monorail car attached directly to your balcony.
- No hotel actually features rooms where the beds permanently float in mid-air via high-powered magnets.
- Many hotels have climate controlled indoor atriums, but none offer individual guest rooms where you can turn a dial to simulate a localized indoor thunderstorm, blizzard, or tropical rainforest vibe.
- There is no terrestrial hotel on Earth that can actively turn off gravity for a good night's rest.