Fodor's Travel, Kristy Alpert
These hotels hold the key to one-of-a-kind local activities all over the world.
Forget pillow menus and minibars, these hotels are offering something a bit more transformative. At one point the mission for hotels was to keep guests inside their rooms, but these unique experiences are only offered at hotels around the world and are designed to do just the opposite. From private horse polo lessons at a hotel in Uruguay to a one-on-one lunch of chanko nabe with a sumo wrestler inside a training stable in Japan, it may take booking a hotel room to experience these unreal activities.

Track Gorillas at Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge
The Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge in Uganda was recently renovated to include eight luxury suites (bandas) and the brand new Forest Spa Humula mw’ Ishamba. Despite the additions, the main highlight for guests remains the wild encounters that take place at this eco-luxury resort. The lodge overlooks the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where mountain gorillas roam freely. It’s not uncommon to see these giants relaxing nearby the resort, but the lodge also offers exclusive gorilla tracking expeditions that take no more than eight guests per day into the jungle to get a closer look at the lifestyle and livelihood of the Ugandan gorillas.