11 Strange and peculiar farmhouses and hotels in Italy

Have you recently returned from holiday but can't wait to get going again? Then why not try something original in the near future? We suggest the 10 most bizarre establishments to stay in Italy with a hint of eccentricity.

1 - Hotel Sabrina, Emilia Romagna

• Where is it: Via Pascoli 83, Rimini - Marina Centro, Rimini

• Costs: from €30 to €65 per night, depending on the season and treatment (breakfast only, half board or full board)

• Contact: www.riminiadria.com - Tel. 0541.381461

A hotel with a young and creative flavour in the heart of Rimini's summer nightlife. A simple structure that has veered towards design choices linked to the use of colour and a new concept of common space, to be experienced and shared, starting with the hall redesigned on the theme of love. The 2017 season is marked by the introduction of a new love element: we are talking about a heart-shaped swimming pool measuring 45 square metres and 1 metre 35 deep, the only one of its kind in Italy. An enormous heart of water in the centre of an illuminated garden that will itself become the 'beating heart' of your time in the hotel. Whirlpools, water sprays and underwater music and light effects, with the water turning red as love at night.

2- iRooms, Lazio

• Where is it: in Rome (Piazza di Spagna: Via Vittoria 32 - Fori Imperiali/Colosseo: Via Baccina 45 - Pantheon/Piazza Navona/Campo dei Fiori: Piazza del Gesù 47 - Colosseo/Stazione Termini: Via Merulana 227)

• Costs: from €150 upwards, depending on the type chosen

• Contact: www.irooms.info - The phone number is different depending on which accommodation you choose. Best consult the website or write to info@iroomsrome.com

Its 'subtitle' speaks volumes when it comes to comfort: Jacuzzi rooms & Suites in Rome. It is the perfect accommodation for all technology lovers. Those who cannot live without the internet even for a second will feel comfortable and at home. Futuristic rooms with a geometric design, LED lights, waterfall showers and Ipads in every room. Ah, of course Wifi is present and free of charge. The various iRooms facilities are located in strategic positions in the centre of Rome (Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Fori Imperiali, Colosseo, Campo dei Fiori, Termini Station) and are therefore an excellent starting point for a visit to the splendid Eternal City.

3 - Abalì Gran Sultanato, Sicily

• Where is it: Via S. Agostino 5 (corner of Via Maqueda), Palermo

• Costs: from €80 to €180 depending on the type chosen

• Contacts: facebook - Tel. 0039.338.36.18.241

In Palermo, in an ordinary building a stone's throw from the Teatro Massimo, is this highly original bed & breakfast. Run by young artists, it offers colourful rooms. Each room is unique and has its own colour scheme and special designs.
SEE ALSO: THE BEST B&B'S IN SICILY
You can choose your favourite: is it better the colourful balloon room, the pop room with its peculiarities, all 'old style' and no half-measures (including the non-functioning demodè television and the record player to listen to the vinyls hanging on the walls) or is it better the suites? Do you prefer the luxurious and glitzy Sultan Suite or the elegant and romantic Tango Suite? The breakfast room, then, is a veritable explosion of shapes and colours that will give you the right charge and a good dose of enthusiasm as soon as you wake up.

4 - Etruscan Chocohotel, Umbria

• Where is it: via Campo di Marte 134, Perugia

• Costs: from €60 upwards depending on the type of room chosen and the period

• Contact: www.chocohotel.it - Tel. +39 0755837314

Do you love chocolate? Can't resist that indescribable delicacy that brings joy every time you taste a piece? As soon as you set foot in this hotel you will want to eat it even more, guaranteed! Why? You will find out when you enter: you will be greeted by the unmistakable aroma of chocolate. The special feature of this hotel, in fact, is that the rooms are furnished with wardrobes, bed backs and lamps in the shape of chocolate bars or Baci Perugina. A dream for all gluttons, a libidinous paradise for lovers of this fantastic delicacy. Ah, there's even a chocostore inside, yuhuu!!!

5- Casa sull'Albero, Lombardy

• Where is it: Viale Penati 5/7 (Ref. navigator Via Sant'Antonino), Malgrate (LC)

• Costs: on request

• Contact: www.casa-sullalbero.eu - Tel. +39 (0)341 1880440

The name is already a whole programme: what does it bring to mind? Nature, exactly! In this boutique hotel, nature comes alive. First of all, it has a splendid view of Lake Como, but that would be 'trivial'. The suites have transparent walls that allow you to be one with the surrounding park of centuries-old trees. The structure consists of two modern, eco-friendly villas made of glass and wood with an all-Italian design. An exclusive, elegant and private place. Don't forget to try the Honesty Kitchen: a shared kitchen, open 24 hours a day, where all guests can serve themselves and then note down what they have consumed. If this is not enough, know that La Casa sull'Albero is less than 10 minutes' drive from the Lecco Golf Club. Not bad, is it?

6 - Art Hotel Atelier sul Mare, Sicily

• Location: Via Cesare Battisti 4, Castel di Tusa (ME)

• Costs: from a minimum of €50 to a maximum of €145 (per person per night)

• Contact: www.ateliersulmare.com - Tel. 0921.334295

In a beautiful Sicilian seaside village, art lovers will be enchanted. Here you will find not just tourist accommodation, but a hotel-atelier that is also a museum. Every room is literally dominated by works by contemporary artists. Painting, sculpture, architecture and spaces are uniquely designed. From the metal suites to the barn: each room carries a message from the author that the guest is invited to perceive and decipher. As the website states: "The dream of many: to spend a night inside a museum to fall asleep inside a work of art."

7 - Faro Capo Spartivento, Sardinia

• Location: Viale Spartivento SN, Chia (CA)

• Costs: varies considerably depending on the type of accommodation chosen and the period (from a minimum of 500 Euro per night upwards) - reservation only

• Contact: www.farocapospartivento.com - Tel. +39.3333129638

Built in 1854 by the Italian Navy, it was one of 20 lighthouses commissioned by King Victor Emmanuel of Savoy, whose initials still stand above the entrance door. Strafed by American aircraft during World War II, it was restored at the end of the conflict. Used for its purpose until the 1980s and fallen into oblivion until 2006, it now lives a second life. Awarded by the leadership of the Italian Navy as an example of restoration of military architecture, it is theonly lighthouse in Italy at the moment that is also used as a hotel. If you have always dreamed of living like an ancient guardian of one of these structures and observing the frightening magic of the stormy sea, this hotel is just for you! Moreover, the lighthouse is still active, with its brilliant beam of light ready, today as in the past, to light the way for ships. It is open all year round and offers various types of suites.

8 - Hotel San Luis - Trentino Alto Adige

• Location: Via Verano 5, Avelengo (BZ)

• Costs: vary according to the type of accommodation chosen - 72 sqm tree houses from €284

• Contact: www.sanluis-hotel.com - Tel. +39 0473 279570

How many times as a child did we dream of having a tree house of our own? How nice and fun would it have been to own a little place of secrets, far from prying eyes and hidden by foliage? A little corner of our own, 'unreachable', relaxing and exciting at the same time. Well, if you want to become a little child again and observe the world from above without being seen, this beautiful hotel is just right for you! At the San Luis, the tree chalets, about 5-10 metres high, built on the edge of the lake and surrounded by vegetation, are an enchanting place where you can spend pleasant moments of relaxation in contact with the sounds and scents of nature.

9 - Motel K, Lombardy

• Where is it: via Valloni 8, Casei Gerola (PV)

• Costs: from €50 per night for a standard room without Jacuzzi to a maximum of €275 for the most beautiful suite with Jacuzzi

• Contact: www.motelk.com - Tel. (+39) 0383 - 61821

A hotel that is made up of many particular hotels packed into one. This is its characteristic! Between Voghera and Tortona, changing suites takes you from sparkling Manhattan to romantic Santorini, from the experience of an Arabian night to the exotic allure of Thailand, all across blue lagoons and lush green caves. All suites are themed, with attention to detail to create the exact atmosphere of each location. Also perfect for escaping the everyday for just one night. A bit kitschy perhaps, a bit of a 'Gardaland effect' for many, but definitely fun. Which theme would you choose?

10 - Felino Castle - Emilia Romagna

• Location: Strada al Castello 1, Felino (PR)

• Costs: on request - we also organise weddings, receptions, meetings

• Contact: www.castellodifelino.it - Tel. 0521 272717

Elegance and charm in an exclusive castle, immersed in a broadleaf forest, surrounded by a wide and deep moat and defended by imposing bastions. A location jealously guarded by thousand-year-old walls. Enchanting outdoor spaces and sumptuous, refined indoor rooms will make for a perfect romantic getaway or even just a different experience from the usual routine. You will be able to breathe in the ancient and refined atmosphere of the castle throughout. Its rooms and suites will leave you spellbound and make you feel like a real prince or princess from another era.

11 - Sextantio le Grotte della Civita, Basilicata

• Where is it: Via Civita 28, Matera

• Costs: €100 to €300 per night, depending on the cave chosen

• Contact: www.sextantio.it - Tel. 0835 332744

A 4-star boutique hotel with a decidedly unusual flavour. Located in ancient cave dwellings, it is a 4-minute walk from Matera Cathedral and 10 minutes from the historic Vico Solitario Cave House, a demo-anthropological museum. In the heart of Matera, in its famous and picturesque Sassi UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will stay in suites and rooms created inside caves of different sizes (the largest is even 150 square metres!) embellished with fine furniture and fabrics. An evocative atmosphere will further surprise you at breakfast time, which will be served in an ancient deconsecrated church from the 13th century. The hotel also offers a restaurant with regional specialities and pets are welcome.