The oldest, the largest, the ugliest…hotels

Do you know where the smallest hotel in the world is? And the largest? And how cold is the coldest lodge on the globe? From the tallest to the ugliest, check out the record-breaking hotels which could be destinations in themselves.

THE LARGEST: First World Hotel in Malaysia

With 6,118 rooms, First World Hotel in Genting Highlands resort, Pahang,

Malaysia,

is the world's largest hotel complex by the number of rooms. Each of the hotel's two towers has 28 floors, 11 official restaurants and a number of smaller cafes and bars. The complex was completed in 2000 and until 2008 it was also the largest hotel by area, when it was surpassed by the Palazzo in Las Vegas.

THE OLDEST: Hoshi Ryokan in Japan

Komatsu, a Japanese town in Ishikawa Prefecture, is home to Hoshi, the oldest hotel in the world. The old ryokan, a type of traditional Japanese inn, was founded in 718, being the oldest continuously operating company in the world. For 46 generations the hotel has been run by the same family. It has 100 Japanese-style guest rooms, a private guest residence, as well as outdoor hot spring baths, and the guest are always welcomed with the traditional tea ceremony.

THE TALLEST: Rose Tower in United Arab Emirates

Rising 333m (1,093 ft) above Dubai's skyline, the Rose Tower is a 72-story hotel and the world's highest building used exclusively as a hotel. Opened in December 2009, the complex surpassed the Burj Al Arab, the renowned boat-shaped hotel also located in Dubai.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE: Hotel Palms Casino Resort in the USA

Sauna, gym, spa treatment room, private pool with a view of the city, multiple bars, huge rotating bed, indoor waterfall, media room...does this description fit your image of the world's most expensive room? Apparently it does for some of the world's millionaires willing to pay at least $40,000 for a night in the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, a luxury suit in the Hotel Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The two-story, three-bedroom suit of 9,000 square feet cost $ 10 million to build.

THE COLDEST: Ice Hotel in Sweden

The Ice Hotel as the name implies is a complex entirely constructed from ice. Located somewhere inside the Arctic Circle, in a small Swedish village Jukkäsjarvi, the cool complex is the coldest hotel in the world with the interior temperature as low as -6ºC (20ºF). Its chilly atmosphere does not stop around 15,000 guests from coming to stay for a night or two in this ice palace. The hotel is reconstructed every winter from around 30,000 tons of snow and 4,000 tons of ice. Brrr...

THE UGLIEST: Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea

According to various surveys, as well as travel and real estate magazines and polls, Ryugyong Hotel in

North Korea

is truly the ugliest hotel in the world. Well, the picture does not lie - the grey, concrete complex dominating the skyline of Pyongyang is a 105-floor skyscraper rising to a height of 330 metres (1,080 ft). A massive reconstruction began in 2008 though, so there is hope that the worst designed building on the globe will be transformed into a bit more appealing construction.

THE SMALLEST: Hotel Punta Grande in Spain

If you are looking for absolute solitude on the edge of Europe, this is a place to go to. Located on El Hierro, the smallest and farthest south and west island of the Canary Islands, Hotel Punta Grande is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest hotel in the world. Both the size and dramatic location of Punta Grande (it sits on a volcanic cliff) make the spot one of the most exciting hotels to stay at.