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In this modern world of luxury travel and money-no-object holidays, the more fortunate among us are able to demand all manner of high end accoutrements from the places where we stay: infinity pools, splendid spas, rooms with glorious views, butler service.

It's certainly solid: The hotel, in Henan province, is made from a recycled section of concrete pipe

But for a few tourists in rural China, travel can be about more simple pleasures.

Specifically, travel can involve accommodation crammed into an old concrete pipe.

And the walls are pretty sturdy: Guests can be assured that their rooms are sound-proofed

An enterprising hotelier in Henan – a province in east-central China – has created an unusual retreat where guests go to sleep in a reused slice of industrial tubing.

 

A hotel made from concrete piping has been built in China

This sturdy piece of circular masonry has been chopped up into some 15 separate mini-structures – each designed to host two people, and equipped with a double bed.

Some might say that such accommodation could be considered a little on the rudimentary side.

Room, although not much of a view: The hotel is proving popular with Chinese tourists

Not many creature comforts: Although a little on the spartan side, rooms do come with air-conditioning

But anyone opting to stay can also expect such little 'extra' touches as air-conditioning, as well as bright bursts of street art painted onto the outside walls.

For all its no-frills approach, this unusual outpost is proving popular with holidaymakers keen to sample the countryside in what is one of China's largest and heavily populated provinces.

A break from the city: The hotel hopes to attract guests from the likes of Zhengzhou, Henan's capital

Were Henan an independent country, it would be the 12th most populous on the planet, ranking just behind Mexico in terms of sheer weight of numbers.

The owner hopes that his idiosyncratic idyll will attract urbanites from the province's busy cities.

Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, is one of China's fastest growing cities – a metropolis of almost nine million people with a burgeoning technology sector.

Plenty to see here: Attractions in Henan including the ruins of the ancient citadel of Yin

But tourists wanting to see more of the region will be relieved to hear that Henan does not confine itself to concrete bunkers and smog.

It also contains some of China's most historic sites, including Yin, the ruined capital of the country's ancient Shang Dynasty.