The Day Tripper: Three Non-Hotel Hotels

The Wilds, Cumberland, Ohio
Overnight in one of 14 yurts nestled among the trees at The Wilds’s Nomad Ridge. The yurt—a round, portable, tent-like structure traditionally used by nomads across Central Asia—has gotten a serious upgrade here: king-sized beds, bamboo floors, en-suite bathrooms, climate control, and private viewing decks to catch the sunset over the valley of this former strip mine. Breakfast, dinner, and a safari tour of the property are included. The concierge has swapped out yak butter tea for beer and wine, and roaming Bactrian deer provide the soundtrack. “They make kind of a burping, bellowing sound,” says Wilds spokesperson Patty Peters. “You’ll be serenaded by them at night.” thewilds.columbuszoo.org

Photograph by Grahm S. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Jailer’s Inn Bed & Breakfast, Bardstown, Kentucky
Planning on drinking your way along Bardstown’s bourbon trail? Be prepared: by day’s end you might find yourself in jail. The Jailer’s Inn Bed & Breakfast owned by Paul McCoy, formerly known as the Nelson County Jail, was a working prison from 1819 to 1987. McCoy’s parents bought the property at auction in 1988 and six months later opened it as a B&B. The 1819 Room has shed its shackles in favor of a queen bed and double Jacuzzi tub, but the 18-inch thick, hand-hewn beams remain. The Cell Room is just that: a former cell that still has its steel door (with food slot) and original bunk beds. Says McCoy, “It’s basic, but a fun room if you have the right mentality.” jailersinn.com

Photograph courtesy Jailer's Inn

Wisteria Heights, Carmel, Indiana
What’s it like to live like a mogul? Spend a night at the former residence of tech entrepreneur Scott Jones (if you use voicemail, you’re familiar with his work). Jones, who now lives full-time in Hawaii, offers up five bedrooms in his sprawling mansion. But to truly live large, if even for just a night, book the master suite with its king-size bed, brass claw-foot tub for two, and waterfall shower. The breakfast buffet is laid out down the hall from a 2,500-gallon salt-water fish aquarium. Guests also have access to the gym, indoor basketball court, and a 27-foot mahogany slide, which delivers you to the home theater and bar. Of course. airbnb.com/rooms/12348970

Photograph courtesy John Bragg

Photograph courtesy Danny Sullivan