Destination hotels are becoming more of a draw in this era of ubiquitous luxury accommodation. The Peak susses out some of the more esoteric choices out there.

PROTEA HOTEL FIRE AND ICE (Cape Town, South Africa)
It stands out as a rarefied enclave of edgy chic. Guests who wish to engage in some macabre humour may do so in the smoking lounge (appropriately named the Coughin Bar), which is furnished with seats built to resemble plush upholstered coffins.

CROWNE PLAZA INDIANAPOLIS (Indianapolis, USA)
Staying here is an amalgamation of two separate, equally unusual experiences: That of living in America’s first Union Station and of staying in a haunted house.

ARIAU TOWERS HOTEL (The Amazon, Brazil)
Imagine staying at a hotel perched high above the Rio Negro, tributary of the Amazon River. Ariau Towers Hotel is built at the level of the rainforest canopy and is reachable only by boat or helicopter.

NEW YORK NEW YORK HOTEL AND CASINO (Las Vegas, USA)
It may have been around since 1997, but its arresting profile on the glittering Las Vegas Strip still continues to take breaths away — no mean feat when its neighbours include such Sin City legends as the Bellagio and MGM Grand.

ICEHOTEL (Jukkasjarvi, Sweden)
Every year, thousands of visitors make the trek over frozen landscapes to drink at the hotel’s Absolut Icebar (where cocktails are served in glasses chipped out of pure ice), wander through the hotel’s crystalline passages and spend the night in temperatures that can dip to as low as -8°C.

AYDINLI CAVE HOUSE (Goreme, Turkey)
This hotel retains many of the original rock-cut features of this former residence for authenticity, while updating the facilities with contemporary comforts.

Keep time in the harshest of environments with these tough tickings.

Sharp tailoring and clean-cut looks will get you through the most trying occasions.

From fuel-sipping hybrids to fire-breathing exotic cars, here are rides for every occasion.