All Night Long

You've spent 1001 nights conquering every position in the Kama Sutra. Now what? Maybe it's time you and your partner thought out of the box and out of the bedroom. How about doing the deed in an undersea lodge, in a cedar tree that overlooks Mount Rainier or in the same Manhattan hotel room made famous by Madonna in the Eighties? We've done our homework and here nominate 11 unconventional places in North America to shack up--and many of them cost less than regular hotels, inns or resorts. Pack light. We know what you're doing.

Cedar Creek Tree House Ashford, Washington

Thanks to the handiwork of owner Bill Compher, lovebirds can mate in a tree house with a view of Mount Rainier. Built in 1982, this hideaway sits in the canopy of a giant cedar and features two double beds, skylights, bathroom, kitchen, dining area, electricity and an observation room. As if to set the mood, the tree trunk extends straight through the floors of this two-level, 16'×16' retreat and into the ceiling. Hope your date isn't afraid of heights. Rates: $200 per night, double occupancy.

Safari west Wildlife Preserve and tent Camp Santa Rosa, California

You might call it a B & B & B--"bed, breakfast and beast." That's no metaphor. You can see ferocious animals in the wild while you enjoy a glass of chardonnay. Situated in the heart of California's wine country, Safari West is home to nearly 400 animals, including zebras, giraffes, lemurs, wildebeests, birds and cheetahs. They roam free, and you sleep nearby in a luxury tent with a king-size bed and a private bath. Rates on weekends: $225 per night, double occupancy.

Madonna Inn San Luis Obispo, California

If your girlfriend is the type who can't make up her mind, stay away from this landmark hotel on the California coast. The Madonna Inn, which opened in 1958, is a dizzying display of over-the-top ornamentation. Visitors can choose from 108 rooms, each showcasing a different gaudy theme. For example, the Indian room boasts various artifacts amid a red, yellow and green interior; the Caveman room has solid rock floors, walls and ceilings; the Jungle Rock room swings with zebra-patterned sheets and a waterfall shower; and the Irish Hills room is green throughout. Our favorite is the Tall and Short room, furnished with a bed that is five feet long on one side and six feet long on the other. Rates: $147 to $330 per night, double occupancy.

Viva las Vegas Villas las Vegas

It started as a themed chapel but quickly expanded into a kitschy hotel. Travel back 25 years and stay in the Disco room, featuring Travolta-type decor--colored lights, fog and mirrored balls. Or stay in the Thirties-style Gangster room, decorated with a garbage-can nightstand, bank-vault bathroom, dead-body-outlined-in-chalk bedspread and images of Chicago mobsters. There are also the Egyptian room and the Intergalactic room. And if things go really well, there's always that chapel. Rates: Theme rooms are $125 per night. Honeymoon suites go for $175 per night, double occupancy.

Shady Dell RV Park and Campground Bisbee, Arizona

What began in 1927 as a trailer and camping park is still a trailer and camping park. But today it's retro chic, thanks to decor that hasn't changed in 50 years. Couples can sleep in any of the permanently parked vintage aluminum trailers, including a 1949 Airstream, a 1950 Spartanette and a 1951 Royal Mansion. The interiors have been carefully maintained so guests can actually use the propane-fueled stove, refrigerator and electric percolator. Some even have black-and-white TVs, phonographs and LPs. For a matching culinary experience, visit Dot's Diner, a Fifties restaurant on the premises--or ask the owners to lend you a barbecue grill. Rates: $35 to $75 per night, double occupancy.

Kokopelli's cave bed and Breakfast Farmington, New Mexico

If only our cavemen forebears could have stayed at Kokopelli's Cave Bed and Breakfast. Situated 70 feet below the earth's surface, this 1650-squarefoot cave is a hideaway replete with plush carpeting, Southwestern-style furniture, a fireplace, microwave, washer and drier, TV, VCR, stocked fridge and hot tub. Depending on how fit you are, getting there may or may not be half the fun. The entrance is in the face of a cliff, which makes for great hikes and mountain views but lousy access. Visitors must follow a foot trail, descend a series of sandstone steps and climb down a ladder. Rates: $220 per night, double occupancy; $260 per night for three or four people.

Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel Memphis

Capitalizing on those fans who live and breathe the King, Elvis Presley Enterprises created this hotel and restaurant. But of the 128 tchotchke-filled rooms, only four are exceptional. These are the fit-for-the-King suites, each of which includes two kitchenettes, two bedrooms and at least two baths. The Graceland Suite is inspired by Presley's living room, dining room, TV room, billiard room and "jungle room" den. The Hollywood Suite celebrates Elvis the movie star with an art deco theme, while the Gold and Platinum Suite honors Elvis the pop star with Fifties and Sixties decor. The Burning Love Suite tips its hat to "Elvis the pelvis" with deep-red walls and black furniture. Rates: Theme suites are $470 and up, per night, double occupancy.

Chelsea Star Hotel New York City

This former flophouse on West 30th has been transformed into an inexpensive hotel that honors an assortment of artists and heartthrobs. There's a Dali room with surreal clouds and a Rudolph Valentino room with a canopy. You can even stay in the room where Madonna slummed in the early Eighties. The rooms have cable TV and will soon offer DSL Internet connections, but they are tiny and the bathrooms are shared. Where else can you find hotel rooms in a fashionable Manhattan neighborhood for under $100? Rates: $79 per night, double occupancy.

Ice Hotel Quebec-Canada Quebec City

In Quebec's frozen palace, everything from the walls to the furniture is made of ice and snow. It's not about freezing your ass off, though. Each of the 31 rooms and suites includes sleeping bags on beds of deer pelts. You can work up a sweat under the covers or by partaking in any of the hotel's winter sports activities, including skating, ice fishing, dog sledding, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Afterward, warm your insides at the Absolut Ice Bar where vodka is served in "ice shooter" glasses. The hotel melts in April. Rates: $140 per person per night, including cocktails, dinner and breakfast.

Jules' Undersea Lodge key Largo, Florida

Though it's not quite 20,000 leagues under the sea, the world's only submerged bed-and-breakfast is named after Jules Verne. What was once a marine research lab is now a two-bedroom apartment 21 feet below the surface in the middle of a private one-acre lagoon. Most visitors are scuba enthusiasts who come for the diving. But even if the only water you explore is in your bathtub, you can pay $75 to learn the basics. Amenities include air-conditioning, hot showers, a stereo, phones, VCRs and a stocked fridge. There's no room service, but a chef scubas down to prepare a gourmet dinner on the premises. Rates for the Luxury Aquanaut Package: $350 per person per night (groups of four to six--$300 per person). Ultimate Romantic Getaway Package: $1050 per night, double occupancy (includes flowers, caviar appetizers and a gourmet breakfast).

Déjà vu Resort key west, Florida

It's probably not a good first-date idea, but if you and your latest squeeze are curious--or you're exhibitionists--this clothing-optional adult resort may be the ticket. You don't have to bare your bum, but approximately 90 percent of the visitors do. Some go one step further to explore the swinger's lifestyle--not hard to do when there's a 14-person hot tub, a sauna and a heated pool open 24 hours a day. Ask about the local clothing-optional bars and nude cruises. Rates: $70 to $135 per night, double occupancy.

Where and How to buy on page 160.