One-room hotels: The Big Six

From Prague to Cambodia, plus possibly the world's smallest hotel

Central Hotel, Denmark

Leif Thingtved's tiny masterpiece sits above his café in Copenhagen's quirky Vesterbro neighbourhood. At first glance, the 12sq m room in a former shoemaker's studio appears barely to fit a bed. But look closer and you'll notice all the furniture is built-in. Under the window is a pull-out table with chairs; inside the wardrobe, a mini bar; behind a wall panel, the TV. Leif was a set designer for television and used his experience to create a space that is redolent of an ocean-liner cabin, with warm vintage touches and rich varnished wood. Breakfast is served in the room or at Leif's other café, Granola, just a block away.

Central Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark (00 45 33 21 00 95; centralhotelogcafe.dk). Prices from DK1,800 (£193), including breakfast.

One Room Hotel, Czech Republic

The Tower Park is one of the tallest buildings in Prague. Built under Soviet rule as a television transmitter, the concrete structure juts above the capital like a rocket, with nine pods affixed to its three pillars. One of these is your hotel for the night. It stands 70m above ground, providing a bird's-eye view of the Old Town. The interior features a free-standing tub at one end, a flat-screen TV at the other, all fitted around a plush double-bed.

One Room Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic (00 420 210 320 081; oneroomhotel.cz). Prices from CZK18,000 (£526), including breakfast.

Life is Good, Netherlands

Jeroen and Mandy Verhoeven restored their 18th-century wooden farmhouse, outside the quiet village of Heeswijk-Dinther, after buying it in 2005. Surrounded by gardens, with a gym, sauna and roof terrace, it also offers a separate one-room hotel in a detached barn. Oak beams and log fires imbue the place with a cosy feel. Take time to visit Heeswijk Castle or stroll through the countryside, with its typically Dutch array of canals and windmills.

Life is Good, Heeswijk-Dinther, Netherlands (00 31 6 4810 3687; bblifeisgood.nl). From €135, including breakfast.

Rotarius, Italy

This is the creation of Elisabetta Tovo and Filippo Cornero, two eccentric architects who designed this one-room hotel inside a 13th-century tower in Asti, gateway to the wine region of Piedmont. The former lookout-turned-suite forms part of the Roero di Monteu palace. Ascend its 72 steps to find evocative period furniture, high ceilings, stone doorways and arched windows that open on to the streets below. Up one level, a spiral staircase leads to a private terrace.

Rotarius, Asti, Italy (00 39 335 237 496; rotarius.it). Prices from €310, including breakfast.

The One Hotel, Cambodia

American hotelier Martin Dishman once complained that his one-room hotel project in Siem Reap was his "dumbest business plan". But what the hotel lacks in business sense, it makes up for in charm. You'll find a room bedecked with a king-size bed, dressed in Frette linens, and fitted with a personal iPad and iPod. Better still is the Jacuzzi, on a private rooftop terrace. The temples of Angkor Wat are within reach.

The One Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia (00 855 12 755 311; theonehotelangkor.com). Prices from US$160 (£100), including breakfast.

Eh'häusl, Germany

Possibly the world's smallest hotel elbows space between two larger houses in the historic Bavarian town of Amberg. Eh'häusl – "marriage house" – was built in 1728 by a merchant at a time when only property owners could wed in Amberg. Couples would buy Eh'häusl for a modest sum and be granted the right to marry. Husband and wife would then sell it on to the next couple. The hotel features a fireside lounge, smart bathroom and separate bedroom.

Eh'häusl, Amberg, Germany (00 49 9621 37854; ehehaeusl.de). Prices from €240, including breakfast.