The Cocoon was built by designers Bellemo & Cat as a lightweight structure with minimal impact on the surrounding environs, and was placed in such a way, that, from the inside, it appears the place is resting in the treetops. The Cocoon, which is located in Wye River, Victoria, can be rented for as little as $240 a night, but you'll have to bring your own period furnishings; the Cocoon's interior decorations are decidedly modern.

[Bellemo & Cat via Inhabitat]

Artist Mikael Genberg has already put a hotel underwater, and another one 30 meters up in a tree. He's also designed a place called "Cafe Koala," where all the chairs are as tall as eucalyptus trees. So naturally his next target is the moon.

He wants to erect a Swedish house called a "stuga" on the moon - similar to the ones he put in the tree and underwater - soon after 2020 in order to house visiting astronauts, and allow them to do experiments. He hopes, rather whimsically, that creating such a house will glorify Sweden, and unite people around the idea that they can achieve anything if they work together. He has a lot of backers for the project already, so perhaps this will be the first offworld stop for Virgin Galactic.

Luna Resort [via Intelligent Travel] Thanks, Marilyn Terrell!

The Aerohotel is the latest concept design by Russian architect Asadov. A system of supports anchored to the ground keep the structure aloft while creating the impression that it would fly away if it weren’t tethered. Docks can be placed around the supports for boats, but the design includes landing strips for zeppelins to increase the ethereal experience of your stay. Light filters into the rooms and public areas from all directions, and the center of the hotel would feature not only shops and cafes, but also hanging gardens.

Although the hotel is not currently in development, it has attracted a great deal of attention, especially from Arab investors. Because the Aerohotel support system requires very little subaquatic construction, it can be placed in any body of and does little to disrupt the environment below. As a result, it could prove a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to the man made islands that have proven so ecologically devastating.

[World Architecture News via Inhabitat]

The Fraunhofer Society is made up of dozens of research institutes throughout Germany, each practicing an area of applied science. The laboratory in Duisberg is focused on concocting futuristic designs and amenities for luxury hotels:

Its carpet is lined with sensors which monitor the guest's arrival and, without delay, heats the room to the required temperature. The bed simulates a light pendulum motion. "It feels as if you were being gently rocked from a seven meter long rope," project leader Vanessa Borkmann said. "It's like being in Nirvana."

The frequently humble hotel bathroom is revamped into the "Future-spa." Here infrared beams from the walls can instantly transform it into a sauna and up to two people can bathe in the whirlpool set in the floor.

Meanwhile, room service also gets a modern twist: at the touch of a switch, a robot delivers the drink of your choice.

Luxury hotel features are quickly becoming an arms race among design companies. While the Waterworld project in Songjiang, China and the Poseidon Hotel in Fiji will feature underwater suites, the Apeiron Island Hotel in Dubai will be reachable only by helicopter or boat. But Fraunhofer’s interior design-focused and technology-driven innovations suggest luxury that goes beyond novelty.

German Laboratory Dreams up Hotel of the Future [Spiegel]

From their press materials, "The study desk folds out of the techno wall with its own stow able chair and a complete range of power and connectivity including free internet access and cosy local lighting." Ah, there is nothing like cosy local lighting, and where's our techno wall?

Capsule Hotel In London [UrbanDaddy]