By transforming vessels originally designed for transporting cargo into clever accommodations, these small, efficient, mobile, and eco-friendly hotels offer an interesting alternative to traditional lodging.

Take a look at how the following innovative properties have brought together repurposed materials and a sense of style to create some unique places to stay.

Portable Hotels by Contained in Australia

These 20-foot shipping containers have been repurposed into luxurious hotel rooms by the Australian-based firm Contained. The portable structures have the unique ability to travel almost anywhere. Each container easily opens, flips out, and unfolds into an individual hotel room that opens up to the surrounding landscape, wherever that may be. Since its creation, Contained has designed amazing escapes in various locations including a winery in Victoria, a secret location on an island in the Sydney Harbor, and a wilderness retreat in Queensland.

Flophouze Hotel in Round Top, Texas

Flophouze Hotel is an eco-chic shipping container hotel located in Roundtop, Texas. The interiors are clad with sustainably harvested wood from their own farm in upstate New York, reclaimed lumber from across the U.S., and windows that have been salvaged from a school in Philadelphia that was slated for demolition. Artifacts acquired from Matt White's travels across the globe adorn each Houze, making them unique from one another.

ContainHotel in Czechia

Designed by Prague-based studio Artikul Architects, ContainHotel is intended to be easily constructed in various locations. Currently situated along a surf campsite in Czechia, the hotel was designed to be self-sufficient and eco-friendly while providing comfortable lodging accommodations that are closely connected with nature.

Ccasa Hostel in Nha Trang, Vietnam

Constructed out of brightly painted shipping containers stacked on top of each other, The Ccasa Hostel houses bunk bedrooms that are connected by aerial bridges with giant overhanging communal hammocks. Located in Nha Trang and designed by TAK Architects, the hostel is organized into different functional zones that reflect the organization of a typical Vietnamese courtyard home.

Quadrum Ski and Yoga Resort in Gudauri, Georgia

This year-round ski and yoga resort was built from recycled shipping containers. The minimalist design helps integrate the structure into its mountainside setting. The staggered construction allows most units to have a generous terrace space with stunning views of the Caucasus Mountains.

Alterra Pinamar in Pinamar, Argentina

Set amidst pine trees in a former art gallery, this eclectic resort was designed by the late-architect Clorindo Testa, with the addition of brightly painted shipping containers as individual "glamping" accommodations. The resort is located only a short walk from the beach area of Pinamar, which is 270 miles south east of Buenos Aires.

Also Appears In

6 Modern Hotels Around the World Made Out of Shipping Containers