Spend a night in the Hotel of Doom... opening soon
How would you feel staying at a hotel known as the "Hotel of Doom?" This North Korean hotel is due to open next year and will be the world's tallest hotel, located in Pyongyang. Where does it get the nickname? Well, that has to do with the fact that the hotel has been in the process for 25 years, since 1987.
Construction of the giant grey building started a quarter of a century ago and finally, in 2013 the hotel doors will open for the first time. Could this be a sign that North Korea is opening up to new visitors with open arms? Hardly. While the idea sounds promising, travel experts still seem to think that there is little chance for tourism to really take off in North Korea, a country where the majority of the population live in sub-standard conditions and are starving.
Many hotels and homes have trouble enough supplying guests with regular water and electricity. There is however no shortage of interest among curious travellers wanting to visit a closed state and see what it's really like in a country practically entirely closed off to anyone from the outside. Not to mention all those on the outside that still have family members and friends living in North Korea.
For others, it looks like this mega-hotel is more of a symbol rather than a future source of income. Only time will tell if it will really open its doors to Western travellers or not.
Would you visit North Korea given the chance?