Hotel of Doom (Ryugyong Hotel - North Korea)

scorza · 29 Jan 2009 at 08:51

Read a snippet on the Times website this morning as this place in North Korea being the worlds worst property investment - which it might well be, with the cost of construction accounting for 2% of NK's GDP :eek:

, but wow what a cool looking building - and it's not even finished yet:

Apparently the idea was this was a place for westerners to come and invest in North Korea lol. I sure do hope that North Korea ceases its shenanigans and joins the rest of the world soon. If they put as much effort into the interior as they did for outside then I'd probably go just to stay there, although I just read the bit about there being concerns about its structural integrity so perhaps not

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_of_Doom

nelsby · 29 Jan 2009 at 08:54

DominicStar · 29 Jan 2009 at 08:57

Cool looking. Looks kinda like a crude missile for one of their crude nuclear warheads though

Werewolf · 29 Jan 2009 at 08:58

I'm sure it's been built to the best 1950's standards, using only the best quality concrete with paper filling.

It looks quite good in idea, but given the build standards that are/were common in Communist countries, and the fact it was left open to the elements for 15 years or so (potentially exposing internals that were never intended for long term exposure to wind/rain) I wouldn't like to stay there.

I get around · 29 Jan 2009 at 09:20

When i read the title I envisaged a hotel where the owner would chloroform the customers, tie them to a chair, torture them to death, then eat them/ disolve their bodies in acid. Is that bad?

Werewolf · 29 Jan 2009 at 09:24

I think it's a sign you may have been watching too many rubbish films on the Horror Channel

blix · 29 Jan 2009 at 09:30

Did you know that North Korea also has the largest capacity stadium in the world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rungrado_May_Day_Stadium

where they hold their annual games celebrating their Dear Leader. Also where they burned a few of their generals alive.

(I read about this on Wiki yesterday

)

Pav89 · 29 Jan 2009 at 09:43

Uh oh, doesn't look to be in a good state tbh!

Heliospherez · 29 Jan 2009 at 09:49

That truely is a monstrousity.

They would have to pay me to stay in one of those rooms.

Strife212 · 29 Jan 2009 at 10:01

Hasn't the project been abandoned? I thought they got sick of pouring money into it and its just been left there to rot.

The Dread Pirate · 29 Jan 2009 at 10:08

**** making it into a hotel get enough people together some guns and it would make a very well defended fortress!

philjohn · 29 Jan 2009 at 10:13

It was abandoned IIRC, because they discovered that really poor quality concrete had been used and if they started installing windows and other furnishings it would basically topple like a house of cards.

The Dread Pirate · 29 Jan 2009 at 10:15

philjohn said:
if they started installing windows and other furnishings it would basically topple like a house of cards.

Of course it would Windows sucks

platypus · 29 Jan 2009 at 10:17

I bet its a secret nuke launcher.

scorza · 29 Jan 2009 at 10:21

Strife212 said:
Hasn't the project been abandoned? I thought they got sick of pouring money into it and its just been left there to rot.

According to wiki they restarted construction last year and aim to have it ready for 2012 when it's the Great Leader's 80th birthday or something.. It does look truly awful in that close-up pic though. I change my mind

platypus · 29 Jan 2009 at 10:22

Aye its been left to rot for so long to make it anywhere decent they'd need to restart. Which obviously they can't afford.