The summer season is on its last legs, signifying that it’s as good a time as ever to take advantage of the warm weather, pack your bags and head off to an exotic destination. But while beaching it in Barbados, or heading (via Jitney) to the Hamptons is what your friends and colleagues may be doing, it’s far from a real change in pace. So, why not plan your vacation around an unconventional accommodation instead?

It may come as a surprise that the international world of travel comes complete with a slew of novelty hotels that are good for in some cases a laugh, and, in others, a life-changing experience. How would it feel to watch the Aurora Borealis from beneath a glass-top igloo in Finland? Or cozy up to your significant other within the confines of a giant beagle in Idaho? Read on, to find out the five best places to find a getaway you’ll never forget:

Galactic Suite
As recently reported by Reuters, Galactic Suite is the first hotel scheduled to accommodate intergalactic travel. Expected to open for business in 2012 the space-traveler-friendly stop will guarantee guests a slew of opportunities they’re not likely to find on earth… that is, if they’re willing to fork up the $4 million price tag for a three-day-stay. The brainchild of Barcelona-based architects, the hotel will allow patrons the chance to watch the sun rise 15 times a day (most likely secured via Velcro suits to various spots in their pod rooms). There are some critics that claim the ETA for opening is impossible; so, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Jules Underwater Lounge
Especially convenient for those looking to learn to dive, snorkel, or tie nuptials below sea level, this novelty hotel is located underwater in Key Largo, Florida. In order to enter the lodge, one must actually scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface off the sea. Upon entering the Emerald Lagoon, one will find all the amenities of a standard, terrestrial hotel – the cottage-sized building comes with a well-stocked kitchen (which includes a refrigerator and microwave), hot showers, books, music, movies and cozy beds from which you can peer out the 42” round windows and watch the fishes swim by (all for $445 a person, per night). What began its existence as the La Chalupa research laboratory is now an unconventional getaway where one can enjoy the company of tropical angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, snappers, sponges and more, proving there’s nothing like getting your feet wet when vacationing.

Dog Bark Inn
This unconventional hotel takes enjoying the company of animals, specifically canines, to a whole new level. At this bed-and-breakfast guesthouse, located inside the world’s biggest beagle, guests will find kitschy accommodations (where dogs are obviously welcome) complete with carvings by Dog Bark Park chainsaw artists Dennis & Frances (visitors and passersby alike can actually purchase their own to take home at the Bark Park gift shop). Located in Cottonwood, Idaho, the hotel offers a vacation unlike any other. Definitely not for the dog-afraid traveler, this destination will most likely go over best with the canine-obsessed… or, at least, vacationers on a budget (as, at under $100 a room, it sure beats staying at a Super 8).

Kakslauttanen Hotel and Igloo Village
Looking for something a bit less ironic, and even more breathtaking? Head to Finland, where you’ll find one of the most awe-inspiring novelty hotels around. The Kakslauttanen Hotel and Igloo Village offers 31 first-class log cabins in Lapland, off the Urho Kekkonen National Park, not far from Nordkap and the Arctic Ocean. From within the Igloo Village’s unique Glass and Snow igloos, guests can experience the wilderness in an entirely unprecedented way - if you’re heading there anytime between late August and late April, we highly recommend the Glass, as you can watch the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) from the comfort of your own bed. Home to the world’s largest snow restaurant and largest smoke sauna, the hotel charges between $250 and $350 a night for rooms. Not bad, considering there’s ice swimming to boot.

Woodlyn Park
Located in Otorohanga, this New Zealand hotel complex, which includes a fighter plan ($125 per couple, per night, or $135 for the cockpit), old train ($115 per couple, per night) and hobbit dwelling ($145 per couple, per night) all outfitted with standard overnight amenities, guarantees a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not only can you crash in a LOTR-hobbit-appropriate pad, you can visit with owner Billy Black’s record-breaking pig Don Rash, with whom Black performs occasional shows. Don Rash is the-most traveled pig in New Zealand (having abseiled into the Lost World Cave in Waitomo and ridden in a motorbike sidecar). Hey, we said it was gonna be unconventional...