Five of the best... Aeroplane hotels

Some of the finest aircraft are in town for this week's Dubai Airshow. And as the region's top airlines invest ever more money in new planes, old ones are decommissioned. But before they are sent to the scrap yard, some find new lives as hotels. No, not just temporary homes in the sky, but honest-to-goodness hotels you can spend a few days in while pretending you are on the sets of Lost. Emirates Business looks at the finest of these winged wonders.


Airplane Suite

Nicknamed Hotel Honecker because this it once regularly ferried German Democratic Republic leader Erich Honecker around the world, this Soviet-era Ilyushin-18 at the Netherlands' Teuge airport has been converted into a single hotel suite for two. Forty metres in length and complete with Jacuzzi, infrared sauna, three flatscreen TVs, minibar and a pantry, it costs €350 (Dh1,911) per night, including breakfast. Add-ons include flight lessons, parachute jumps, a ride in a stunt plane – or it can be rented as a meeting venue. Book it at Hotelsuites.nl.

Costa Verde Resort

In the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest yet almost on the beach is the Costa Verde Resort's Fuselage Suite. A two-bedroom apartment inside a Boeing 727 that was rescued from its San Jose airport resting place, it sits on a 50ft pedestal. Teak-panelled interiors, a kitchenette, private entrance and scenic ocean and jungle views can all be had from $400 (Dh1,469) per night. And with its high ecological efficiency, this is one hotel you will feel good about crashing in. Book at costaverde.com.

Jumbo Hostel

Parked at Stockholm's Arlanda airport is this spanking new hotel in a rather ancient Boeing 747. With 85 beds in 25 rooms and prices beginning at SEK350 (Dh188), it's a pocket-friendly but novel accommodation option in an otherwise expensive hotel market. If that's too low, high fliers can check into the Dh1,765-a-night luxury suite situated in the cockpit with a view of the airport. Book at jumbohostel.com.

Plane Motel

One of the last allied planes out of Vietnam has been converted into surprisingly affordable accommodation in New Zealand. From NZ$160 (Dh436) at Woodlyn Park in Otorohanga on the country's North Island, you can choose to bed down in either the tail section or in the cockpit of this 1950s Bristol Freighter. The park has also several other attractions, including train- and Hobbit-themed motels. Book at woodlynpark.co.nz

Winvian

A former US Coast Guard Sikorsky helicopter given new life as a gloriously kitsch hotel suite in rural Connecticut, this once-flying wonder comes with flatscreen TV and minibar, but bed and bath facilities are in the hangar outside. Winvian also features several themed accommodation options from $750. Go to winvian.com.

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