Visitors to Las Vegas now have a new way to take
in the famous Las Vegas Strip with the official opening of the world's
tallest observation wheel on Monday. Standing 550 feet (167.6 m) tall,
the aptly named High Roller is 9 ft (2.7 m) taller than the previous
record holder, the 541-ft (164.8 m) tall Singapore Flyer. Read More
Car brand marketing usually means slapping a
badge on a tote bag and asking a thousand dollars for it, but Ferrari
has gone one better by applying its badge to not one, but two theme
parks. Ferrari and PortAventura Entertainment S.A.U have signed an
agreement to build a second Ferrari-themed park, Ferrari Land, as part
of the PortAventura resort and theme park outside Barcelona, Spain.
Expected to open in 2016, the 7.5 ha (18.5 ac) site is billed as “an
opportunity for the whole family to experience and discover the world of
Ferrari.” Read More
Emerging South Korean design studio Archiworkshop
has injected some serious style into its recently completed "Glamping
for Glampers" project. Located in the mountainous region of Yang-Pyeong
in South Korea, the remote glampsite features a series of luxurious
"tents" which add some serious comfort to the traditional camping
experience. Read More
Since 2007, the South Korean government has
dreamed of Robot Land, a robotics research park and themed destination
with rides, exhibitions, shopping, and even housing. Although the
originally planned open date of 2012 has come and gone, ground was
officially broken for the 300-acre park last year and a new timeline
seems to indicate that Robot Land may now be on target to deliver on its
promise of a themed world dedicated to robots. Read More
ION Adventure Hotel basks in the glow of the northern lights
December 12, 2013
While the use of geothermal energy and recycled
materials would normally be starting points for Gizmag's look at a new
holiday destination like the ION Adventure Hotel, there's one element
here that stands well above the pack – location. The hotel is nestled
amidst the diverse Icelandic landscapes in the heart of the Mt. Hengill
region, offering guests the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the
spectacular aurora borealis or midnight sun, depending on which time of
the year it is. Read More
In search of weird and unique hotels in Europe,
Gizmag’s Loz Blain visits a beautifully hand-carved treehouse village on
the German-Polish border. The treetop hotel itself is remarkable, but
as it turns out, the rest of "Culture Island" is just as amazing. Read More
Underwater accommodations seem to have become a trend
among hotels in recent years, but a resort off the coast of Tanzania is
now putting a unique spin on the concept. The Manta Resort recently
unveiled its Underwater Room, a three-floor suite that floats beside a
thriving coral reef and boasts a submerged master bedroom surrounded by
windows to view the local sea life. Read More
French design studio Bruit du Frigo has drawn
inspiration from fallen down tree trunks, which often provide shelter
for small animals, to create an eco-shelter for humans in the forests of
Bordeaux. Dubbed Le Tronc Creux, which means "The Hollow Trunk," the
low impact shelter is roughly the same size as a shipping container and
can easily be transported by truck to different locations when required.
Read More
With Nippon Moon, UNStudio is bringing more than
sheer scale to the concept of the enormous observation wheel. Though the
height of the wheel has not been fixed, Nippon Moon is clearly intended
to put Japan on the map (the map of gigantic ferris wheels, that is),
and compete with, if not surpass, the likes of the 165-m Singapore Flyer
and the 135-m London Eye. However, UNStudio hints that smartphone apps
or even augmented reality could be used to enhance the ride, and make it
an observation wheel fit for the 21st century. Read More
The Japanese regional railway JR Kyushu has
become the first company in Japan to build a luxury sleeper cruise
train, spending close to 3 billion yen (US$29.9 million). The Seven
Stars cruise train comes equipped with the latest motion control
technology, 14 luxury guest rooms, two deluxe suites, three presidential
suites, a lounge car, dining car and bar. Read More
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I've traveled all the way to Poland specifically
to check out one of the world's most unique hotels. Half luxury
accommodation, half art installation, Blow Up Hall 5050 is the singular
vision of Poland's richest woman. As soon as you step into the lobby,
you become part of a giant digital artwork that sets the tone for a
strange and wonderful luxury experience. Your door key is an iPhone,
there's no room numbers, cameras and screens constantly capture, chop up
and spit out your image as you walk through disorienting hallways, and
no two rooms are the same. It's quite an experience ... if you can get
past the square toilets. Read More
Virgin has announced that work on Richard
Branson's private residence on Necker Island is complete, with the house
now ready to take its first bookings. So, if you fancied whisking
yourself and 29 friends (plus six children) off to a tropical island in
the North Atlantic (in the British Virgin Islands, obviously), you're in
luck … if you can stretch to the asking price of US$60,000 per night, that is. Read More
Duggan Morris Architects has joined forces with
British arts organization, UP Projects to launch this year’s "Floating
Cinema," which will be gracing the waterways of East London until the
end of September. For the project, Duggan Morris created an award
winning design that converted a barge into a floating cinema. Read More
Photography group 360Cities seems determined to
capture every major city in the world in as much detail as possible.
Shortly after putting together a 360-degree panorama of London
and breaking the record for world's largest photo in the process, the
group's founder Jeffrey Martin set his sights on Tokyo for his next
project. This latest panorama may not trump his old record, but at 180
gigapixels, it's still the second largest photo ever taken. Read More
The bustling Spanish city of Barcelona attracts
thousands of tourists each year and is renowned for its world heritage
sites which include several masterpieces by the 19th century Catalan
architect Antoni GaudÃ. In stark contrast to the city’s various
attractions steeped in history, art and culture, Barcelona could host
Europe’s first man-made island and "space hotel." Barcelona Island
would feature a 984 ft high hotel which promises “the world's first
zero-gravity spa” – whatever that means. Read More
Though at first glance Huvafen Fushi may resemble
a James Bond villain’s undersea lair, it is in fact the world's only
submarine spa. First opened in 2004, the über-exclusive spa, located in
the Maldives' North Male Atoll, was recently redesigned by UK architects
Studio RHE. Read More
Last year we covered the world's biggest water fight,
the Songkran Festival in Thailand, and although our story was viewed
100,000 times, and everyone marveled at the delightfully eccentric
contrast to public events elsewhere in the world, I acknowledged that I
couldn't supply images which truly reflected how crazy things really
get, mainly for fear of damaging my Canon camera system. This year,
armed with a waterproof housing and a Canon 5D MkIII, I was able to
venture from the outskirts of the water fight into the center of the
water riot with impunity. Millions of water pistols, shotguns and
cannons are sold each year in Songkran week and here's how to have a
ridiculously good time on a $5 budget. Read More
Perched atop of the Pitzal Glacier at an altitude
of 3440 meters, the spectacular Wildspitzbahn became Austria's highest
coffee destination when it opened its doors late last year. The visitor
center designed by Austrian architectural firm Baumschlager Hutter
features a free-suspension outdoor terrace to make the most of the
breathtaking views across the surrounding Alps and is accessible by a
new 61-gondola mono-cable ropeway. Read More
Last month, we saw a panorama of Dubai
taken from atop the world's tallest building. It was gorgeous, but at
2.5 gigapixels in size, not exactly the largest panorama. No, that title
now belongs to a recent 360-degree panoramic photo of London that
consists of over 48,000 individual shots and boats an incredible 320
gigapixels resolution. Read More
Located one mile out to sea off the coast from
Portsmouth Harbor in Hampshire, U.K., the 134 year old Spitbank Fort has
received a £3 million (US$4.85 million) makeover to become a
one-of-a-kind luxury hotel. Read More
Until the Sky City One tower is completed in China, the Burj Khalifa
in Dubai can lay claim to being the tallest building in the world.
Standing at a whopping 828 meters (2,717 ft), it's a must-visit
destination for those traveling to the UAE. But now anyone can enjoy the
building's stunning views from the comfort of their own home thanks to a
photographer who recently composed a stunning 360-degree panorama image
taken from on top of the Burj Khalifa. Read More
Eco-retreat combines glamping with monster spotting
January 29, 2013
Set amid the backdrop of the stunning Great Glen
landscape in Scotland, Loch Ness Glamping is a luxury camping spot for
those hoping to catch of glimpse of the elusive creature affectionately
dubbed "Nessie." If the monster spotting doesn’t go to plan (and let's
face it, that's highly likely) you can return to "roughing-it" in your
private eco-retreat complete with under-floor heating. Read More
Icehotel number 23 takes inspiration from the unknown
January 14, 2013
The Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden has once
again opened its doors for a spectacular twenty-third season. Located
2010 km north of the Arctic Circle, the winter hotel is constructed
entirely of ice and snow and features artist designed suites which this
year include a UFO-inspired creation from PinPin design studio. Read More
If walking, jogging or biking doesn’t quite tempt
you back into nature, perhaps the freedom of bouncing and jumping along
a seemingly endless trampoline road might just inspire the child
within. “Fast Track” is designed to do exactly that. Stretching across
51 meters (167 ft), this trampoline road installation located in the
Nikola-Lenivets forest, Russia, offers visitors a unique chance to jump
and play. Read More
Poseidon Resorts completes underwater hotel design
November 28, 2012
The buzz around Poseidon Undersea Resorts has
been around for a few years now (c.f. our 2007 report on the
conceptually-similar Hydropolis
in Dubai). Poseidon Resorts has announced that it has completed the
design and engineering of structural works, indicating that the sci
fi-esque undersea project is closer to getting off the ground, or
better, into a lagoon on a private island in Fiji. The company is now
working to secure capital for construction, which should take two years
to complete, it says. Read More
The E’terra Samara eco-resort in Ontario, Canada
is set to see the addition of a series of suspended treehouse villas.
Nestled at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, the resort, which is
currently home to LEED Gold certified accommodation, will install 12 new
one-bedroom treetop villas over the coming winter months. Designed by
Canadian studio Farrow Partnership Architects, the eco-huts are designed
to be suspended in the tree tops overlooking Georgian Bay. Read More
Tour operator Aqua Expeditions is an adventure
travel company that offers guests the chance to cruise the Amazon River
in Peru, while staying on board a 147-foot-long (45-meter) floating
hotel. Designed by Peruvian architect Jordi Puig, the M/V Aria is an
intimate cruise ship that can accommodate a maximum of 32 passengers,
plus crew. The unique accommodation offers a rare chance to observe the
wonders of the Amazon region from an unobstructed vantage point – be it
from one of the ship’s numerous outdoor decks, or from the privacy of a
guest suite. Read More
Rolling Huts offers unique accommodation on wheels
October 25, 2012
Nestled in Washington's Methow Valley, USA,
Rolling Huts offers guests accommodation in several unique eco-huts on
wheels. Designed by architectural studio Olson Kundig, the huts have
been built with nature lovers in mind, and provide a private escape with
uninterrupted views of the dramatic mountainous surroundings. Read More
Nestled away on 26 acres (10.5 hectares) of
farmland, Atlantic Surf Pods offers guests a quiet spot to enjoy an
off-the-grid glamping
experience. Located close to the sea in Bude, North Cornwall, the
eco-friendly accommodation includes a series of highly insulated eco
pods, offering simple comforts surrounded by lush rolling hills. Read More
Stockholm-based architectural studio Jägnefält
Milton has unveiled Black Lodge, a conceptual low-tech reclusive escape
designed specifically for the luxury resort of Furillen on the Swedish
island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. Pyramid in form, the lower sections
of each side open up to create what designer Konrad Milton described to
Gizmag as "more of a campfire situation." Read More
According to a report in the Staten Island Advance, Staten Island, New York's third largest borough, could play host to the world's largest Ferris wheel. Read More
Do you have sharp programming skills, a passport
and a love of adventure? If so, be aware that an ambitious new startup
named ComeHackWithUs is currently seeking a dozen candidates to travel
to a tropical island retreat and spend two months coding. You'll bring
the ideas and the company will be tasked with providing the environment
to help develop those ideas into a finished project. Read More
Maybe its their height. Maybe it's because
they're round. But clearly there's something about abandoned water
towers that makes people want to transform them into residential
accommodation. Tower House in West London's desirable North Kensington
neighborhood (though admittedly, not the plushest part) appears to be
the latest addition to an ever-growing set; a set that includes the
converted World War II tower, Chateau D'eau. Read More
Palacio de Sal (meaning Salt Palace) is a hotel
and spa in Bolivia where the walls and furniture are made entirely of
salt. The hotel is located on the edge of the Great Salar de Uyuni, the
world’s largest salt flats, which spans across 10,582 sq. km (4,086 sq.
miles). Guests are apparently politely asked to refrain from “licking
the walls.” Read More
Located in the Elqui Valley in Chile’s Norte
Chico region, Elqui Domos is one of the few astronomical hotels in the
world. The area is renowned for its sparkling clear skies and Elqui
Domos takes advantage of this by offering lodgings in a series of
geodesic domes with elevated loft beds and open rooftops as well as
recently added wooden cabins designed with star-gazing in mind. Read More
Tourists looking for a unique hotel experience in
Belgium may want to seek out the Hotel Gent, a new project from Tazu
Rous. As part of an art experience planned for the city, the Japanese
artist designed and constructed a fully-furnished hotel room around the
historic Ghent Sint-Pieters train station. But this isn't just an old
building that's been renovated into a hotel. Hotel Gent has only one
room, and guests will be sharing it with the giant clock at the top of
the station's tower. Read More
Located in Mendoza, Argentina amid 6,000 meter
(20,000 foot) Andes, Entre Cielos is home to a tree-hotel prototype that
offers guests an exclusive escape hovering over lush green vines.
Despite Mendoza's naturally barren landscape, the small town utilizes a
sophisticated irrigation system that nurtures a hub of over 1200
vineyards. The Entre Cielos vineyard, hotel and spa was conceived in
2009 by a group of Swiss architecture enthusiasts, which is currently
developing a series of hovering guest cabins designed by German
architectural studio Baumraum. Read More
London has got quite a summer of celebrations
coming up, this week sees the Queen's Jubilee, and it's not long until
the London 2012 Olympics. As such there are countless festivities
planned across the city … and even the historic landmarks are getting in
on the act. Tower Bridge has been kitted out with a new
state-of-the-art lighting system to help mark the occasions. Read More
Last year, designer Pierre Stephane Dumas unveiled his line of room-sized, transparent bubbles
that allow people to sleep with almost nothing blocking their view of
nature. His goal was to create a portable space that was both
comfortable while giving the feeling of being out in the middle of any
natural environment - and without disturbing the area very much. As
enticing as those might be though, not many people are going to be able
to afford the €7766 (US$10,987) price tag just to buy one for their
weekend camping trip. Luckily for those keen on a see-through sleeping
experience, the Attrap’Rêves hotel has recently opened in France to
offer visitors a range of fully-furnished bubbles in different scenic
locales to use in place of a typical hotel room. Read More
It seems the construction boom in bustling Dubai
is far from over – already home to several world record-holding
projects, including the tallest building (for just a little while
longer), the largest shopping mall and biggest man-made island,
plans are now afoot to construct what will likely be the world's
largest underwater luxury hotel, the Water Discus. Several years ago, we
reported on another such ambitious project, Hydropolis,
which sadly never got past the blueprint stage. If Polish company Deep
Ocean Technology's (DOT) plans come to fruition, however, guests could
one day find themselves asleep beneath the waters of the Persian Gulf.
Read More
Looking for a place to stay that's sustainable,
fun and suspended? The one-of-a-kind, mobile AirHotel, designed by a
group of Belgian artists, may be just the ticket. Made from recycled
materials, the quirky hotel's six elevated or hanging rooms are each
unique in their own way and all come with an unusual form of room
service that ranges from a love song to a disco party. Read More
After three years in development, Flow (or
strictly speaking ~Flow, with a leading tilde), a floating musical
watermill has opened to visitors at Newcastle Quayside in England's
North East. Actually a tide mill, Flow's waterwheel powers a variety of
handcrafted electroacoustic instruments. The sound of the instruments
changes dynamically according to the conditions of the river itself. In a
sense, the river is playing the mill. Read More
Thailand's Songkran Festival has been going for
hundreds of years. It is a Buddhist festival and part of the New Year
celebrations, but as the Buddhist calendar has given way to the
Gregorian calendar of the rest of the world, the most prominent aspect
has become the throwing of water. For three days each year (April 13, 14
& 15), the country engages in one giant water-fight. If your inner
child needs some nurturing, this is the place to get it. Read More
Located just outside the center of Berlin in
Germany, Propeller Island City Lodge is an unusual hotel with "artistic"
rooms that include flying beds and upside down fittings. The rooms and
interior objects have all been created by the German artist Lars
Stroschen, in an attempt to create a hotel that is a "living work of
art". While sleeping in a coffin or a recreated dungeon might not be
what you imagined a trip to Berlin to be like, the hotel no doubt leaves
an impression and we thought it merited a mention on this Friday the
13th. Read More
On April 14, 1912, the luxury liner RMS Titanic,
just four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York
City, struck an iceberg and sank with the loss of 1,514 lives. At the
time, the massive, state-of-the-art ship was the largest vessel afloat
and considered by many to be "virtually unsinkable." Built in Belfast,
Northern Ireland by shipbuilding firm Harland and Wolff for the White
Star Line at the then-astronomical cost of US$7.5 million (US$171
million in 2012 dollars), the ill-fated Titanic has been a
source of pathos and fascination for nearly a century. To bring the
remarkable ship's story to countless more future generations (and
presumably give the local economy a shot in the arm) the government of
Northern Ireland, the Belfast City Council and numerous private groups
have pooled resources and created Titanic Belfast, a futuristic, US$160
million, nine-gallery museum - the world's largest exclusively dedicated
to the ship and its only voyage. The facility finally opened late last
month – just in time for the centennial of the tragedy coming up in a
few days. Read More
Camping in the wilderness may never be the same
after a “glamped” experience at Minaret Station. Located in the heart of
the Southern Alps in New Zealand, the site offers luxury tented glamping
amid a picturesque glacial valley. The remote location is only
accessible by air, where guests are flown in by helicopter before being
escorted to their luxuriously furnished tented suite. While the
accommodation is constructed from canvas tents and the property
classifies itself as a “camp," this nature retreat has little in common
with the traditional camping experience. Read More
Tree Pod dining could easily become one of the
most novel ways to enjoy a romantic dinner or a long lazy lunch among
the tree tops ... and that’s exactly what guests at the Six Senses’
Soneva Kiri will be doing. Located on the remote Thai island of Kood,
Soneva Kiri is a luxury holiday destination set amid the lush tropical
rainforests off the south-east coast of the Gulf of Siam. While the
resort offers guests an array of dining experiences and resort
activities, we just love the look of the tree pod dining. Read More
China's aircraft carrier hotel opens to the public
By Vincent Rice
February 27, 2012
We first covered this story back in August,
when news surfaced of an unusual hotel being constructed in the bowels
of ex-Russian aircraft carrier the Kiev - the centerpiece of an 80,000
square meter (20 acre) state-supported military theme park in Tianjin,
China. Three carriers were purchased from the Russians around 1996, and
while one is being fitted out to become China's first real aircraft
carrier, the other two have found employment as a casino and – in the
case of the Kiev – a novel hotel. Last year the tale could have been
dismissed as perhaps a fanciful ambition, but now the ship is on track
to offer 148 rooms to the public, and we have some official pictures of
the interior. Read More
World's tallest building proposed for Azerbaijan
By Darren Quick
February 9, 2012
The Burj Khalifa,
which has held the title of world’s tallest building with a height of
2,717 ft (828 m) since its completion in 2010, may have its crown stolen
by a new 3,445 ft (1,050 m) high building proposed for construction in
Azerbaijan. Read More
The first plus-energy hotel in the Swiss Alps
December 21, 2011
The Romantik Hotel Muottas Muragl located in
Switzerland has recently been awarded the highly-coveted Swiss Solar
Award 2011, Milestone 2011 Tourism Award and the PlusEnergieBau (PEB)
Solar Award 2011, the only prize in the world for buildings that
generate more energy than they consume. The 104-year old Berghotel
underwent extensive renovations during 2010 to transform it into an
environmental-friendly location, giving rise to the first plus-energy
hotel in the Alps. The hotel's recent success demonstrates that luxury
accommodation can be implemented within the framework of a plus-energy
building concept even at 2,456 meters (8,058 ft) above sea level. Read More
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