I'm a tiny home enthusiast and stay in small spaces around the world. This tube-shaped home in Europe is the coolest yet, with 6 features I've never seen

From a lifeguard stand to trailers, sleeper trains, and even a barrel, I've slept in many types of tiny spaces around the world.

At home in New York, I live in a 500-square-foot apartment.

So when I travel, I love to book the smallest accommodations I can find so I may learn new ways to efficiently maximize small spaces, starting with my own.

A lifeguard tower in Miami, a sleeper train cabin in Italy, an Airstream trailer in Austria — these are just a few of the tiny spaces stayed in over the last two years to find clever storage and design hacks that I might bring home with me. 

But I don't think any of those past stays were as impressive as a tiny home in Germany that surprised me with its design, technology, and space-saving hacks.

I knew I wanted to have another tiny home experience during a recent two-week trip through Europe.

When I was searching for a tiny stay outside of Berlin, Germany, I was intrigued by a 100-square-foot home I found on Airbnb in the suburb of Neustrelitz.

The accommodation was part of a tiny home hotel called Slube, which designs minimal, concrete "Slubes" for up to two people, according to their website.

Slube has three locations around Germany, according to the hotel's website. The location in Neustrelitz has 10 accommodations, a representative from Slube told Insider.

There are three types of Slubes: Basic, which is one story; Home, which is two stories; and Tower, which adds a rooftop terrace, according to their website.

I booked a Slube Home. The website states that it's 16 feet tall with two floors totaling 106 square feet with a lounging area, a bathroom, and a loft bedroom.

I never heard of a Slube before, and was immediately intrigued by how the circular shape would work in a tiny home.

I've never stayed in a tiny home remotely resembling this tubular shape before. Even a livable barrel I booked in Switzerland wasn't quite so unique given its one-story layout inside.

I was surprised by the home's shape, and excited by the prospect of sleeping in a tiny space fashioned like a standing cylinder. I booked it for two nights for $140.

Upon arrival, I was surprised that the home had high-tech features I'd never seen before, from checking in with my phone to controlling the room temperature from bed.

When I arrived at the tiny home by train from the airport in Berlin, there didn't seem to be any employees on the property.

An email from Slube informed me I'd be staying in room five and could check in by myself. This immediately surprised me because, in the past, a host has always either met me or provided directions on where to access a key on the property.

Instead, I checked into my Slube with a code sent to my phone. I thought it was a pleasant surprise that I didn't have to keep track of a key during my stay for the first time.

Once inside, I found that the Slube had additional smart features I hadn't seen before. I controlled the lights and temperature of each story of the home from my phone, which I accessed from my web browser. This made my stay feel a little more luxurious than I was expecting since I didn't ever have to get out of bed to adjust either control. 

Inside was another feature I hadn't seen in a tiny home before: a ladder.

Inside, each story was 53 square feet, according to the Slube website. The first level included the bathroom, a sitting area with a fold-out table and coffee nook, and a ladder to the second lofted floor, where I'd be sleeping.

This was my first time climbing a ladder in a tiny home in order to reach my bed. I thought it was easy to climb, but could be challenging for some.

There was a latched gate at the top of the ladder, which I imagine was built to keep people safe from falling. This made me feel a bit like a kid in a play house, which was fun.

Upstairs, I wasn't expecting to have a nightstand in a 53-square-foot bedroom.

Staying in tiny spaces so often, I no longer expect to have a nightstand to store my electronics and water bottle. And this bedroom was smaller than most I've slept in — 53 square feet with a full-sized bed, according to the Slube website.

So I was surprised when I spotted a lower platform surrounding the bed that doubled as a nightstand. It had easily accessible outlets, a pocket for the TV remote, and more space for my belongings, including my water bottle. 

This saved me from having to go down the ladder every time I was thirsty, which I appreciated. 

Back downstairs, the bathroom didn't feel as cramped as I thought it would.

Since the home was tinier than other homes I've stayed in, I knew the bathroom would likely be smaller than most, too.

I was initially concerned that I might feel as cramped as I did in Amtrak's sleeper train bedroom where the shower head was above the same space as the toilet. 

But to my surprise, the bathroom felt spacious with a unique layout. It was designed unlike any I'd seen, with a shower curtain separating the shower head and sink from the toilet and storage space. I thought the shower was positioned far enough away from the toilet to make them feel like two separate rooms. 

It was the smartest small bathroom design I've ever seen, in my opinion.

On the first floor, I was surprised that I didn't have to sacrifice privacy to let natural light in through the windows.

When I'm staying in tiny homes, I always appreciate letting in as much natural light as possible because I think it makes the space feel bigger.

But I'm also often staying in close proximity to busy streets or other homes, and prefer to shut the window curtains for privacy, leaving me in a tight, dark space. 

Since this was a hotel with other tiny homes located very close to mine, I was expecting a similar scenario. But, I was surprised when all the windows on the first floor had a film covering most of the glass, allowing me to let light in without worrying that other guests could see inside. 

I had never seen this in a tiny home before, and I loved not having to sacrifice natural light. I thought it was a great tool that could be applied to any home in close proximity to other people.

I thought these surprising attributes made this tiny home feel comfier than most while leaving no space unused. I fully recommend it to tiny space enthusiasts like me around the world.

I found it fascinating that this tiny home truly left no space unused, from the lofted bed to the smart bathroom design.

As I checked myself out after my last night, I thought that somehow, the tiniest home I'd ever experienced was also among the most comfortable, and that was the most surprising part.