Crane Hotel

If operating heavy machinery in your pajamas piques your interest, please direct your attention to the Netherlands. 

Sporting an industrial appearance on the outside, the dockside crane is actually a luxurious, one bedroom hotel in the Dutch fishing town of Harlingen. The crane’s original vocation before housing tourists was moving massive containers on a North Sea port. Reincarnated, it was converted into an elegant guest house in 2003. The seaside hotel accommodates two people and features an entertainment system, an observation deck, and even a shower. These highlights pale when juxtaposed with the hotel’s most exhilarating attraction:

 You get to operate the crane.

 Yes, the crane still runs, and while sadly you can’t use it to snatch up unsuspecting bystanders, you can enjoy a pretty exceptional panorama without bothering moving your head. Queasy stomachs beware–the crane has been reported to wobble just a bit in high winds.