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7 Design-Forward Shipping Container Hotels

August 23, 2023

Eco-friendly and affordable, this new trend has emerged as a fun way to experience repurposed shipping

By Adrienne Jordan
Yes, shipping containers are a durable and important mode of transporting goods around the world. Yet when recycled and repurposed into livable space, these rectangular structures take on a completely different meaning. Take the Texas-based Hotel Flophouze, whose interior design includes salvaged antiques, or the Hougoumont Hotel Fremantle in Australia—a space that has implemented a naval-inspired design as a nod to its marine surroundings. These shipping container-turned-accommodation creators have married two important concepts of eco-friendly upcycling as well as innovative and funky designs. From a hotel inspired by winemaking to a property designed to blend in with its Florida surroundings, these are the hotels that you need to sleep in for an experience that’s certainly outside of the box.
Photo: Courtesy of Hougoumont Hotel Fremantle
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Hougoumont Hotel Fremantle (Fremantle, Australia)

In the coastal town of Fremantle in Western Australia, the Hougoumont Hotel fuses an original building constructed in 1901 with local, modern-day shipping containers to create a luxe accommodation for this port town. Matthew Crawford Architects put forth sea-inspired design in conjunction with Yoshio Takagi–designed custom furniture and modern art provided by Troy Barbitta. The naval design suits the surroundings being in the heart of Fremantle, where you can visit the nearby Shipwreck Galleries containing nautical relics dating to the 1600s. hougoumonthotel.com
Photo: Courtesy of Tiny Urban Escapes
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Tiny Urban Escapes (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Located a few minutes from downtown Indianapolis in the verdant Eagle Creek Park, five luxury semi-glass cabins are made from recycled shipping containers created by Canadian designer Glasshaus featuring minimalist deor. Each container has an over-the-bed chandelier, a private deck with modern lounge chair, and an ottoman. In the common area, there is a shared fire pit, or you can choose to explore the grounds with the container’s complimentary bikes. Add on a Bohemian picnic, a private chef dinner alfresco, or an outdoor wellness experience with yoga and energy healing. tinyurbanescapes.com
Photo: Courtesy of Contain Hotel
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Contain Hotel (Treboutice, Czech Republic)

Custom-made furniture like a tin tub turned into a washbasin, birch plywood walls and ceilings, and a glazed wall make up the five-room micro Contain Hotel located along the Elbe River bank in the Czech Republic. Designed by Artikul Architects to sleep up to 13 guests, the three stacked shipping containers are geometrically placed for a two-level arrangement. The bottom level has bathrooms, storage, and two containers to fit four beds, while the top level allows guests to book the other four rooms and take advantage of an outdoor shared terrace. uncrate.com
Photo: Courtesy of Beach Box Hotel
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Beach Box Hotel (Baga, Goa, India)

India’s popular beach-going destination of Goa recently debuted the Beach Box Hotel, which contains 16 rooms, a restaurant, a bar, and a swimming pool—all made from shipping containers. The property used 70-percent upcycled materials, including most of the wood, which repurposed. The design of the containers is said to be strong enough to withstand earthquakes and sea salt for roughly twenty years. boxhotels.in
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Flophouze
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Hotel Flophouze (Round Top, Texas)

With cabinet bases retrieved from an FDA laboratory in Brooklyn and countertops from an old Texas bowling alley, the Hotel Flophouze was created with the intent on reusing salvaged items. The six shipping containers have a living area, kitchen, bedrooms with Matteo linens and pillows, and private bath as reclaimed artifacts acquired from the owner, Matt White and his world travels. As you are encouraged to disconnect (in the absence of TVs.), the space has music on record players from handpicked vinyl collections. Guests can swim in the Modpool container pool or swing in one of the on-site hammocks as well. flophouze.com
Photo: Courtesy of Headwaters Eco Retreat
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Headwaters Eco Retreat (Jupiter, Florida)

Tiny house-like living on the Loxahatchee River allows guests to disconnect and become one with nature at the Headwaters Eco Retreat in Jupiter, Florida. Once industrial shipping containers, the three off-the-grid vacation rentals are made of fully reclaimed materials and are surrounded by native Florida plant life, gardens (which includes edible herbs and plants), and hiking and biking trails. headwatersjupiter.com
Photo: Courtesy of Booking.com
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Hotel WineBox (Valparaiso, Chile)

On the coast in Valparaiso, Chile, the wine-themed Hotel WineBox features accommodations with private terraces. The property is constructed out of 25 salvaged shipping containers purchased from the nearby port of San Antonio. Repurposed furniture is also used throughout: Former bathtubs and sinks were turned into lounge seating; bed frames were made from wood from wineries; and decommissioned barrels serve as barstools. The property is also close to Pablo Neruda´s House and Museum La Sebastiana. booking.com/hotel/cl/
This article is originally available at www.architecturaldigest.com