A travel TikToker has shared a video of their trip to a hotel in India made from a material few would associate with the word "luxury."
The Mudhouse Marayoor is made from — you guessed it — mud, and Alana Miller (@ajmilli) described it as "probably one of the coolest hotel travel experiences" that she has ever had.
@ajmilli Who wants to see my treehouse?! #munnar #treehouse #sustainable #travel #airbnbfinds #traveltiktok #jungle #hotelroom #mudhouse ♬ original sound - Alana Miller
Alana takes us on a tour of the property, which has around six rooms with walls entirely made from mud. The doorways are sculpted smoothly from the material, and fittings like the mirror are embedded into the walls. It also features things naturally found on the land, such as bamboo shoots. There's also a treehouse, which Alana stayed in during her visit.
The hotel aims to be as sustainable as possible, so no plastic will be found at the Mudhouse, and the outside areas are filled with native plants that make it feel like an "untouched natural paradise."
Mud has been used in construction for centuries but has made way for other materials such as steel, brick, aluminum, and cement in some countries.
The latter four are far worse for the planet than mud, as they are energy-intensive to create, leading to the production of harmful emissions that trap heat in the atmosphere and encourage global heating. According to The Conversation, they account for 16% of the planet's dirty energy pollution.
But mud is abundant, cheap, can be shaped easily in construction, and is much more effective at cooling than concrete — which is becoming increasingly important for residents as temperatures rise. Alana also noted the mud walls were effective at blocking out sound.
With architects looking at more planet-friendly ways to deliver dwellings, mud, stone, and wood are being turned to for modern construction. SuperAdobe, for example, is a method of construction using sandbags filled with earth and sand that are piled in coils and held together by barbed wire.
A rising population and a housing crisis are leading to more innovative solutions to deliver comfortable, affordable, and sustainable buildings, but Alana observed that using mud can still be luxurious.
Other TikTokers were stunned by the Mudhouse, with one user saying, "This is amazing."
"Looks incredible," said another, with one commenter saying the hotel is "so so sickkkk."
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