Container hotels and accommodation offer a unique escape, not skimping on luxury and versatility. These eye-catching constructions have become increasingly popular as they are mostly repurposed structures, giving a new lease on life so that you would never imagine it was initially a shipping container.
Beach Box Container Hotel, GOA
The Box Hotels refurbish discarded industrial excess into imaginative constructions made entirely out of high-grade, upcycled materials. Surplus cargo containers and pallet wood are thrown away by the shipping, construction, and manufacturing businesses account for a sizeable portion of wasted natural resources whose abandonment and decay may further damage the environment. Instead, The Box Hotels salvage and redesign scrap components to compose everything from a property’s mainframe architecture to its most minute decorative details.
The Beach Box in Baga, Goa, was launched in September 2017 and sat on the quiet end of a bridge that stretches between Baga’s crowded streets and surprisingly quaint corners. Painted cardinal red and overlaid with original artwork, these metal vessels are converted into 15 bedrooms, an in-ground swimming pool, bar, and an upper-deck restaurant.
Contained Hotel, Australia
These Contained luxurious boutique pop-up hotels allow guests to immerse themselves in Victoria’s wine regions while enjoying the local produce and curated experiences and to top it all, sleeping amongst the pinot noir, chardonnay, prosecco, shiraz, and muscat grapevines. Designed by Future Cities, refurbished shipping containers are used as a base that is designed and engineered to be an eco-luxury pop-up hotel room. Interior design features include timber flooring, Porter’s French wash paint finish to walls and ceilings, fully tiled bathrooms, and a super large walk-in shower, Phillip Jeffreys wallpaper, copper or concrete sinks, matt black bathroom fittings, custom joinery, and vintage light fittings with LED Edison lighting. The pop hotel is off-grid with a solar power generator, includes a hot tub, electric BMW i3, and VR in-room entertainment.
Copia Eco Cabins, South Africa
Constructed out of two used 40 ft shipping containers and joined side by side lengthwise to create a 60 sq meter space inside, Copia Eco Cabins was borne from an idea that started three years ago. “I became obsessed with used shipping container conversions and the endless possibilities all while doing my little bit to recycle,” says Lucas Steyn, owner of Copia Eco Cabins. The results are three solar-powered and completely self-sufficient structures, with recycled mineral wool to insulate the containers, ensuring comfort levels in both summer and winter. With a Scandinavian décor and very minimalistic interior finishes, the focus is all about the amazing views. “I highly recommend the wood-fired hot tub,” Lucas concludes. “And if you enjoy a BBQ, we have the facilities too.”
Flophouze Hotel Container, Texas
Born from pure wanderlust, an inherent obligation to recycle and a constant need to create, owner Matt White and his crew from Recycling the Past have created a fantastic new lodging concept in Round Top, Texas. Reclaimed artifacts acquired from Matt’s travels across the globe adorn each ‘House,’ making the décor truly one of a kind. This place is unique, to say the least; they keep the funky vibe going with cabinet bases from an FDA laboratory in Brooklyn and countertops from an old bowling alley in Texas. The floors are original to the containers, which have traveled the world many times over. At Flophouze, they don’t have a TV. Instead, their ‘Houses’ come equipped with record players, handpicked vinyl collections, a stack of books, and old songs for the soul.
Hideaway Litchfield Container Hotel, Australia
Hideaway Litchfield started at least four years ago as the brainchild of Roger and Vivienne Latham. Tossing around with many ideas, from refitted transportable buildings to imported kits, nothing seemed quite right until the result was a 40-foot container cut in half on the angle. The bedroom half was rolled on its side, making the timber floor into a feature wall. Cabin 1 is a ground floor option, perfect for younger families, with the second floor in Cabin 2. The cabins are situated 80 meters apart, and the design and build were conceptualized by the owner’s son, Simeon. “Though the concept was planned out before we started,” says Simeon, “there was a lot of designing on the fly, and I didn’t develop a floor plan until after construction.”
The Hougoumont Container Hotel, Australia
Now a luxurious boutique hotel in Freo’s vibrant West End, The Hougoumont has historically welcomed weary travelers throughout the centuries. “The lucent, minimalist designed and modern hotel it is today is redefining quality travel,” says Patrick Prendiville, Hougoumont Hotel’s owner. “It makes it less about simply passing through places but more about connecting with a place and the people that make it.” The hotel reflects this notion throughout while re-telling the story of Fremantle’s historic buildings and working port in its design choices. Hougoumont’s ultimate architectural goal was to transport guests through passages in time – past, present, and future. Standing proud today, the façade is heritage-laced, married with a dynamic blend of colors and materials, and modernistic artwork by Troy Barbitta, shipping container ‘cargotecture’ and custom-designed furniture from award-winning designer Yoshio Takagi.
Riverstone Famtin Container Hotel, South Africa
Riverstone’s FamTin offers modern and trendy accommodation for 4, in 2 en-suite rooms. If you’re looking for an escape from the City, to a fabulous farm, stay in quirky and contemporary accommodation, FamTin is precisely what you need. They were completed in 2018, an eco-build double container conversion, Riverstone’s FamTin is fully equipped for a great self-catering stay. Guests will find inside and outside dining spaces and lounge areas, a deep covered patio with a built-in BBQ, and an economical and efficient wood-burning stove inside the central space. Cozy in winter, and with fans throughout to keep cool in summer. FamTin is situated on the farm dam edge, which is perfect for swimming. With uninterrupted views of the gorgeous Mostertshoek Mountains, expect a beautiful pink or orange sunset every evening.
Tiny Urban Escapes Container Hotel, Indianapolis, US
“I’m delighted to share Tiny Urban Escapes with you!” says Robin Staten, owner of Tiny Urban Escapes. “Consider it your private space to seek lost sleep, enjoy sinfully lazy Sundays, live life a little slower, or simply unplug and de-stress. Creating a unique hospitality experience that is both innovative and out of the box, Tiny Urban Escapes makes use of upcycled shipping containers. The modular architecture allows guests to completely immerse themselves in the host site’s natural surroundings. The standalone individual suites are the perfect marriage of industrial steel of the container and glass, which is a beautiful, refreshing, and romantic material. Incorporating high-end materials and fixtures, including black porcelain tile, marble, and brass, Tiny Urban Escapes highlights the intersection of minimalism and luxury.
