The 400-room El Algarrobico is a controversial structure that rises like a huge white pyramid against the beautiful coastline of Almeria. It has earned a reputation as the poster boy for Spain's poor coastal management and its location is illegal due to its proximity to the shore and being inside a protected national park. The ugly building never opened and was close to completion in 2006 but remains an eyesore on the stunning coastline.

Ever seen a hotel this striking? And we don't mean in the pretty sense. Surely the designer of Grand Lisboa intented to blind its guests before they even arrived. The super flashy hotel is (very) shiny and not just during the day when you can see just how reflective those gold windows are! At night, its exterior lights up with over a million colourful LED lights for all to see the skyscraper.

Hotel Uzbekistan's exterior could be considered cool in a design hotel kind of way or just plain ugly. The complex design hurts your eyes if you stare for too long but the inside of the hotel may surprise you, with its classic interiors and cosy-looking rooms. Weren't you ever told not to judge a book by its cover?

Occupying half of the Beetham Tower in Manchester, the Hilton Manchester has dominated the city's skyline since 2006 and from the side resembles an old-school mobile phone or something from the latest robot flick. On a clear day the £150 million structure is supposedly seen from ten English counties. But would you want to see the hotel from where you live?

Formerly a Holiday Inn, the Holiday Hotel in Sarajevo was made famous for housing dozens of war correspondents during the four-year Siege of Sarajevo. Its dazzling yellow exterior and design may look like the kind of hotel only Pac Man would stay in, but it certainly adds some colour to the city.

Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea is nicknamed the 'Hotel of Doom' and has been dubbed by many as 'The Worst Building in the World' - need we say more? The pyramid-like structure dominates the skyline of Pyongyang at 1,080ft and is currently the 47th tallest building in the world. Construction on the building began in 1987 but it was halted in 1992 due to North Korea's economic crisis. It resumed in 2008 and is set to open in the summer of 2013. That's one long construction period! Would you stay at this unattractive hotel?

It may attract A-list celebrities and be in a fabulous location overlooking the High Line in New York, but The Standard Hotel seems to take the term 'does exactly what it says on the tin' too literally. The 'modern' hotel, which was built just a few years ago is supposed to appeal to young, hip people in the Big Apple but it's architecture has been compared to that of the communist era of East Germany. Saying this, it does look more appealing at night when random lights are switched on.

We know this hotel is a crane and isn't supposed to be pretty, but would you really want to spend the night in a piece of machinery? The genuine dockside crane that is the Crane Hotel has modern lifts replacing its old ladders and sleeps two. The interior is luxurious and ideal for those looking to live out a boyhood dream! If you're intrigued by the structure and fancy spending the night here, Unusual Hotels of the World offers stays from 319 euros per night.

Were your eyes burning when you looked at this hotel too? The colourful (or ghastly?) building you see is the First World Hotel in Pahang, Malaysia. With 6,118 rooms, the three-star hotel was once the largest hotel in the world, before The Venetian in Las Vegas expanded in 2008. You might need sunglasses if you're planning to visit but there are a few reasons to stay here. The First World Hotel has the world's largest indoor ski park, a 28-lane bowling alley, giant replicas of world landmarks and a hand-gliding rollercoaster!