Cities all around the world have vast, empty spaces just going to waste – abandoned buildings, empty lots, decommissioned military barracks – but the Hotello wants to put those spaces to use. The Hotello is a tiny, portable hotel room that can go anywhere and provide a comfortable sleeping space no matter where you are.

Designed by Antonio Scarponi and Robert de Luca for the Swiss firm daskonzept, the Hotello starts out as a rather nondescript wheeled trunk. It does the seemingly impossible by packing an entire 4 square meters room into a surprisingly small area – bed, desk, wardrobe and all.

Thanks to its wheels, the Hotello can be taken almost anywhere. You can set up the room in a matter of minutes by folding out the bed and setting up the metal structure that supports the sound absorbent privacy curtain. A small work space and stool let you catch up on work before bedtime, and the trunk itself acts as a storage area for clothing or other objects.

Several Hotellos could be placed together to create unique configurations if desired, but a single unit is perfect for the business traveler who simply needs a place to lie down for several hours before work starts again in the morning. Since the portable hotel room doesn’t come with a bathroom, though, it would be wise to plunk the Hotello down in a place near some public facilities.

Looking beyond the most obvious uses of the Hotello, though, it is clear that a solution like this would be ideal for housing victims of natural disaster. Similar, though hopefully more modest and cost-effective, solutions could be used to house homeless populations in otherwise-abandoned buildings. But of course, part of the project’s appeal is the idea that you can travel around the world with nothing  but a suitcase and a red trunk on wheels and always have a comfortable place to sleep at night.

(Check out our complete collection of 70+ Amazing Theme, Castle, Jail and Art Hotels.)

Think your last apartment or hotel room was small? Believe it or not, there are a lot of contenders for the dubious title of smallest hotel on the planet. Some claim this world record by number of rooms, others by size and all are quick to defend their position. However, you can judge for yourself after taking a look at this incredible collection of the tiniest hotels from around the globe!

A few feet from the flowing Danube river in Germany, these cramped Das Park pipe hotel accommodations seem as cozy as they are tiny. Simplicity is the key word to these elegant designs, blank round pipes on the exterior and minimally finished rooms on the inside. Even better, guests get to stay in a lovely park setting and pay only what they want to.

The Yotel airport hotel is as cleverly designed as it was named, a slick luxury hotel room in a very small space. It is located incredibly close to the check-in counter at London’s Heathrow airport and comes with flat screen televisions, wireless internet and 24 hour room service. The basic idea is to blend luxury, convenience and reasonable pricing as well as clever and creative space solutions that maximize comfort and minimize space.

On the island El Hierro, a part of the Canary archipelago, sits the strange little Punta Grande stone hotel that is the opposite of luxurious. It has no amenities to speak of and sits dangerously close to the waves, which often toss up over the rocks and hit the sides of the hotel itself. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful getaway for those seeking a full retreat from the typical bustle of urban living.

This one room hotel in Cambodia is arguably the most luxurious guest room in the world, or the smallest, or maybe even both. Despite having only one room this hotel has everything a normal hotel would, including a reception area, doorman and ful services found in any respectable hotel setting. The single room can even be turned into a restaurant on demand.

The town of Eernum, Hollad is perhaps too eager for the title of smallest hotel in the world. As their own modest one room hotel‘s website itself points out: it is the town’s only claim to fame, alongside its three cafes, candle maker an mustard museum. Nonetheless, they do boast a Guinness Book of Records spot for their curious an quaint accommodations and a crown prince’s wedding night as well.

Though most people have heard of them by now, not mentioning capsule hotels in a list of the world’s tiniest hotel rooms would be impossible. Despite their almost unbelievably small size, capsule hotel rooms can cost as much as $40 a night and often feature surprising amenities including wireless internet access and television sets. Outside of the rooms themselves, vending machines, restaurants, pools and other communal spaces can also typically be found. On a more humorous note, thrill-seeking foreigners are sometimes discouraged from staying in these, while intoxicated local businessmen too drunk to go home are welcome.

The Phillips so-called “One Star Is Born” high-tech hotel project may be the wave of the future, based as much on economic savings as on technological innovation. The Citizenm hotel in Amsterdam is a test version including ready-made rooms that are jacked into a grid when a customer arrives and set to their preset preferences. In theory, this will provide greater customization for the user while reducing costs.

Enjoy this one? Check out these great related articles:
The 10 Narrowest Houses in the World
Mobile Urban Architecture: Hotels and Homes
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The world’s interest physical mobility has, to the surprise of many urban theorists, not decreased with the rise of global digital communication. In fact, people are more mobile than ever, changing jobs, cities, or even countries with increased frequency. This trend has played out in a variety of interesting ways when it comes to architecture and urbanism. More and more designers are developing nomadic alternatives to traditional models of static urban living.

The GMC PAD was designed as an alternative to the financial problems of fixed living, particularly in areas with high land prices such as Southern California. Others have proposed it would be useful as an alternative FEMA-type emergency residence. Sustainability is, of course, of great concern in something that is in effect a souped-up kind of advanced mobile home. This portable living unit was therefore designed a diesel-electric hybrid. It also comes equipped with photovalic cells that charge onboard batteries, increasing the necessary time between refuels to weeks or even months.

As the global number of available shipping containers grows, more and more designers are considering creative ways to adapt underused or discarded containers to architectural purposes. Such shipping container architecture has exists in a surprising variety of settings. Cargo containers have been used for institutional, commercial and residential projects including museums, stores and single- or multi-family housing. Their use as emergency medical units has also been advocated.

The world’s first mobile hotel room, though still in a test phase, is designed to be placed virtually anywhere. These portable rooms can be taken or delivered to remote or urban locations, from campgrounds and festivals to driveways and parking spaces. They contain virtually all of the standard amenities – from the basics, such as running water, to air conditioning and television, though, of course, no forseeable room service! The sustainability of these is, however, questionable. Are they the next wave of urban mobility or a sign of decadent times?