The Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland or the Shimao Quarry Hotel, a 290-foot hotel deep into the Earth, has been accepting reservations starting Nov. 20.
The hotel was built into the side wall of an abandoned quarry in Tianma Pit at Sheshan Mountain Range. Only two of its floors are above ground while the 16 other floors are built below the ground. Two additional floors are masterfully built underwater.
The Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland has 336 rooms. Some of its rooms offer views of waterfalls and cliffs. The underwater rooms have two levels comprised of (1) a landing deck at water level with an outdoor terrace and bedroom, and (2) underwater living room with the turquoise aquarium.
The hotel was developed by China's Shimao Group and became the 200th for the Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts Group Worldwide brand. Room prices start at $668 per night while suites were priced at $14,000. Guests at the suite will be given service by their own butler.
The Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland, which is now claiming the title for the world's deepest underground hotel, took 12 years to built and cost $287.9 million to finish according to the company executives who spoke during the hotel's preliminary launch on Nov. 16.
IHG said the hotel was nominated as one of the architectural wonders of the world by the National Geographic Channel's Megastructures series because of its revolutionary architectural design helmed by the renowned British architect, Martin Jochman.
Jochman shared he was inspired by the quarry during his design process. He was particularly drawn to the idea of building a hotel that marries its natural environment. He said this was the first time that an abandoned quarry was transformed into a luxury hotel underground. The project was a unique opportunity for him to design an infrastructure that reshapes the relationship between city and nature.
The transformation of the pit into Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland was also overwhelming for Su Shuangxi, a former worker in the abandoned quarry. He compared the quarry's transformation into a miracle from the "scar pf the city" to being the "star of the city" at present.
During the hotel's initial launch, developers guarantee that the establishment was safe and can, in fact, endure a magnitude 9 earthquake. The building is equipped with two firemen's lift in case of fire and six pumping machines should there be floods during the rainy season.
The developers added that they plan to build an equally luxurious and magnificent shopping center in the area by 2019.
