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Hotels in all shapes and sizes
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Some of the world's strangest and most luxurious hotels are under the spotlight at a New York exhibition. Since the 1830s, the public rooms in hotels have been places to do business as owners encouraged business people to see their properties as more than just somewhere to sleep. From Japan's tiny capsule hotels to Dubai's "seven-star" extravaganza, accommodation comes in all shapes and sizes as the Hotel Design Exhibit in New York's Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum showed. Japan's capsule hotels cater for one person in a space that contains a television, futon, mirror and a blanket. The hotels are often found at airports and train stations for travellers to grab a few hours sleep between connections. In contrast is the sail-shaped Burj Al-Arab in Dubai. Owned by the Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, and perched on its own man-made island, it is the world's tallest hotel at 57 storeys. It is coated with teflon to counter the heat, has plenty of gold leaf on the interior and includes a rooftop heliport. Rooms start at about $1,000 a night. Another quirky Japanese creation was the "love hotel." They are designed to be places for couples -- even married couples -- to meet in privacy, as many of them still live with their parents. The love hotels feature reception desks where guests can pick up their key without being seen. Even room service is delivered through a two-way door that maintains the guests' privacy. If having more control over your surroundings is what you require from your hotel room, then check into St Martin's Lane Hotel, London, where you can alter the colour of the lighting. "If you want it to be fuschia, it'll be fuschia," said a pleased guest. At a Swiss hotel -- called The Hotel -- sexy scenes from famous films adorn guest room ceilings. Indeed, from the cheapest flea pit to the height of luxury, hotels have always been fodder for filmmakers. Memorably Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho began in a hotel and climaxes in the Bates Motel with the famous shower scene. At the New York exhibition there was even a proposal for a hotel on the moon, called The Lunatic. CNN's Jeanne Moos contributed to this report
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