World’s Ugliest Hotel Opening In North Korea
The 105-story Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, is expected to open in April of 2012 thanks to Egyptian investment. The hideous megastructure began construction in 1987 and ceased in 1993, left to rot away as an empty concrete carcass. Apparently, North Korea ran out of funds (and presumably natural resources) for construction — no surprise as capital resources tend to be scarce in communist societies.
In 2008, the hotel was refurbished by adding superficial glass sheets to simulate the appearance of a completed structure.
The building remained completely empty inside for three years. The intended finished project looks like something from Dubai:
So, who will be staying at the Hotel of Doom? Anyone but South Koreans. Americans are permitted to travel to North Korea during limited windows of time throughout the year. No direct flights from the US to North Korea are available, so one must travel to China and then fly to Pyongyang.
Travelers are greeted by security personnel and escorted on every leg of the journey. Opportunities for photos are limited. Interactions with regular people are tightly controlled.
A company based in Illinois offers North Korean travel packages for $1700-$3500 depending on the size of the group which includes four to seven nights of lodging, food, guided tours, and air/rail fare. You can visit museums, see a musical performance, and go on scenic hikes. American visitors are not permitted to take the train.
All hotels in Pyongyang, for whatever reason, offer karaoke as one of their amenities, but only a few offer hot water 24 hours a day.
Depending on the travel package you choose, you’ll get to see one of these creepy yet impressive homages to Kim Jong Il:
Fast Tube by Casper
For anyone wanting to see a surviving relic of the Cold War, this is it.
BONUS: Here’s a three part documentary from 2008 of a group of Americans that traveled to North Korea.
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