Stunning underground hotel planned for Shanghai

A new hotel is being built that will extend 328 feet underground, but fear not it will still have a view. 

The Shimao Intercontinental Hotel, is being built in an abandoned quarry near the base of Tianmashan Mountain in the Songjiang district of Shanghai.

The hotel will accommodate 380 rooms over 19 floors, with three of those being above ground, whilst the remainder are built against the face of the 100 meter deep quarry.

The concept is to mimic a waterfall with a glass atrium that will span from the ground-level all the way down into the quarry and was designed by the British engineering firm Atkins Global. It will also blend into the surrounding area via green roofs at the ground level, which will double up as insulation.

To increase the wow factor of the future 5-star resort there are no plans to drain the water from the bottom of the quarry. Instead they will use it as a man-made lake for water sports.

There will also be underwater public areas, including a 10-meter-deep aquarium, alongside the standard amenities you would expect from a luxury hotel; cafes, restaurants, swimming pools, shops and sporting facilities.

Whilst the hotel wont meet the original opening date of May 2009, it is scheduled to be open from late 2014 to early 2015.

Shoreditch Rooms

Created in 2010 by Archer Architects, the concept of the Shoreditch Rooms was to create a 26 room boutique hotel together with day spa facilities. 

The venture set out to complement the existing facilities offered by the famous Shoreditch House Members Club in East London. It was built on the remaining vacant plot of the Tea Building/Biscuit Building, situated adjacent to and above the existing entrance to the club.

The plot used was previously occupied by the White Swan pub, which had sat empty and unused for many years falling into a state of disrepair. The design is a contemporary box structure which rises from behind the facade of the old pub, retaining the existing characteristics whilst embracing the challenging composition of the high level additions, clad in corten steel.

The building was shortlisted for several awards, including the Hackney Design Awards and the Wallpaper Magazine Best Business Hotel.

World's largest underwater hotel

It looks like it could be something from an old James Bond film, but Polish company Deep Ocean Technology (DOT), are planning to make this idea a reality. 

The Water Discus hotel will not be the first underwater hotel, but is set to be the world’s largest. It will be built in Dubai, and consist of two main discs, one above water, the other below, and will have smaller circular modules connected to the above water section to provide additional facilities to the 21 hotel rooms located below the sea level. The main above sea disc will be supported and connected to it's counterpart by five columns and a main central shaft for stairs and lift.

The hotel will also boast a helipad, an underwater diving centre, with an airlock leading directly underwater, and a decompression chamber for training purposes. The nature of the design allows for the hotel to be expanded or even moved, with the surrounding discs having the ability to detach from the main disc and act as a buoyant life raft in the event of an emergency.

Hotel guests will be able to enjoy underwater views from their room, a submerged bar and even take a course in piloting an underwater vehicle.

DOT’s other ventures include designing underwater vehicles and equipment for seabed exploration.

New W Hotel in Koh Samui is a sight for sore eyes

The New W Hotel in Koh Samui is just stunning.  In an amazing retreat round lounge spaces emerge from the water to create a spectacular place to relax.

The hotel overlooks the Gulf of Thailand and this beautiful escape was designed by MAPS Design studio as a collection of imagined spaces shaping a welcoming paradise. 

See more of the New W Hotel on FresHome.

Just the right amount of wrong!

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Hotel is running a great series of ads verging on 'just the right amount of wrong'.

These charismatic ads feature some classic tracks with the most recent being a very unusual cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.

These are both worth a watch and are great fun.

How the Chinese build a 30-story hotel in 15 days

This is how pre-fabrication is done in China or 'How the Chinese build a 30-story, five-star hotel in only 15 days.'

Built by the Broad Group, it used prefab construction techniques for ninety-three percent of the high-rise. The 17,000 square meter hotel is known as T30, is located in the Lin Gang Industrial Zone in Xiangyin County and comprises of over 350 rooms, a restaurant, bar, gym, swimming pool on the top floor, underground parking and a helicopter pad.

Interesting viewing.

Amphibious 1000: Qatar's Luxury Semi-Submerged Hotel

The name is revealing: Amphibious 1000 is Qatar's first semi-submerged hotel designed by the Giancarlo Zema Design Group. Like a big aquatic animal plunging into the sea, the project encompasses a land section and a sea section: the facilities follow a semi-circle around a central tower (a restaurant with dazzling panoramic views).

"Jelly fishes" are the 80 floating suites. They boast incredible underwater views of the surrounding artificial reef, bringing the experience of a luxury resort to a totally new level. Another truly amazing structure!

Read more.

Image © Giancarlo Zema Design Group