Weird and wonderful: Quirky hotels around the USA

This nearly 100-year-old hotel boasts the largest collection of keys (20,000) in the world.  Baldpate Inn

Standard hotels are no longer the name of the game with so many boutique guesthouses springing up across the country that are full of personality as well as unique charm. We take a look at ten hotels from coast to coast loaded with character you won't find anywhere else.

Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel: Chattanooga, Tenn.
How often do you get the chance to sleep in historic train cars that have been beautifully renovated into a plush hotel? At the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel, you can choose from 48 luxuriously refurbished Victorian train car hotel rooms, or opt for a standard room or suite. The terminal has been remodeled to accommodate several dining options beneath the grand domed ceiling. So super size your model trains and spend the night aboard this locomotive.
Hangar Hotel: Fredericksburg, Texas
Let your vacation take flight with a stay to remember at the Hanger Hotel. Built to emulate a WWII aircraft hanger, the interior of the Hanger Hotel aims to catapult you into the 1940s era. Furniture is covered in bomber jacket leather, walls are adorned with airplane memorabilia and model planes abound. After spending the day exploring Fredericksburg, unwind at the hotel's Officer's Lounge, equipped with a fireplace, pool table, full bar, grand piano and inviting leather chairs.
Curtis Hotel: Denver, Colo.
A play on pop culture, each of the 13 guest floors of The Curtis Hotel incorporates a different light-hearted theme. Just this year, the hotel launched different "hyper themed" rooms dedicated to Star Trek, Jimmy Buffet and the Ghostbusters. The Curtis Hotel prides itself on helping guests to "Stay Happy," whether that means receiving waking up calls from Elvis, Yoda or Austin Powers (yah, baby) or challenging a comrade to a game of Battle Ship. Don't forget to grab some Bazooka Joe bubblegum from the hotel's Five & Dime store before you leave.
Moonrise Hotel: St. Louis, Mo.
The Moonrise Hotel is a boutique hotel bursting with bright colors and evocative art. Judging by the décor, one could make the assumption that the owner has an affinity for the Final Frontier. The luxury digs are accented with lunar toys, spaceships and unusual space memorabilia. If you've always regretted missing space camp as a child, then beam yourself up to the Moonrise. The rooftop terrace bar and eco-friendly practices like the solar panel roof are just a few of the added bonuses – not to mention the hotel's prime location on Delmar Loop near The Pageant and Blueberry Hill.
Jules' Undersea Lodge: Key Largo, Fla.
After a successful day of scuba diving, stay underwater and hang with your favorite finned friends at Jules' Undersea Lodge – the only undersea accommodations available in the world. Leave your car on the shores of Key Largo, don your scuba gear and dive 21 feet to the lodge's entrance. Cuddle up in bed beneath warm blankets and watch schools of fish swish past the 42-inch windows. And yes, there are luxuries like hot showers, TV and movies to enjoy while devouring a Papa John's pizza. The pizza chain makes an underwater delivery of a fresh, hot pizza. The only caveat is that you must be scuba certified to be an underwater guest.
Baldpate Inn: Estes Park, Colo.
Modeled after the inn from the mystery novel Seven Keys to Baldpate, this nearly 100-year-old hotel boasts the largest collection of keys (20,000) in the world. Until WWI began, the inn gave away a key to every guest in the spirit of the novel. But the shortage of metal during the war terminated this practice. When devoted patrons caught wind of this, they began leaving a key at the inn with each visit – 20,000 times apparently. In addition to this marvelous backstory, the hotel features a welcoming B&B atmosphere and is ideally located within seven miles of Estes Park – practically at the doorsteps of Rocky Mountain National Park. Even if you're in a rush to explore the towering peaks, don't miss the homemade three-course breakfast.
Hotel Vertigo: San Franciso, Calif.
Alfred Hitchcock devotees visiting San Francisco should flock to Hotel Vertigo, located in the hip Nob Hill neighborhood. This is the hotel formerly named Empire that was featured in the thriller "Vertigo." Bright colors (oranges and creams used throughout the rooms) and subtle swirl patterns are a nod to its film heritage while simultaneously generating a playful, yet elegant atmosphere (the film loops continuously on a lobby TV). Go forth and uncover this hilly city, but do stay away from the rooftops!