'Hotel of Doom': North Korean Hotel Nearing Completion After 25 Years?
North Korea has had some lofty goals, but they actually may be nearing the end of completing one of them.
The infamous Ryugyong Hotel is known also by its more aptly named title the "Hotel of Doom." The building shaped like a giant pyramid stands tall and shiny around the capital of Pyongyang. But while the outside might look impressive, the inside shows its true nature.
At 105 stories tall and sporting 3,000 rooms, the building has taken over 25 years in the making. Recent images from within show vast emptiness that looks like it's nowhere near completion.
The pictures taken by Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel company, show a barren interior with a lack of everything required not just for a working hotel but for an inhabitable building.
Production on the North Korean hotel began back in 1987 in order to show the world how prosperous the poverty stricken country had become, but instead reinforced the image of the struggling dictatorship. Much of the delays to the project were due to massive famine that struck the country in the 1990's and work didn't continue until 2008. The exterior of the hotel was dated to be finished in 2010 and the interior wasn't expected to be done until this year at the earliest.
It looks like it's going to be a little while longer before people can start booking their vacations at North Korea's "Hotel of Doom," but Google+ users are already giving out satirical reviews.
Michael O'Grady said of the hotel: "The Kimchi was just so-so and the restaurants are hit or miss (depending on when the last shipment [sic] of UN food aid came. The rooms are a bit barren (luxury and comfort are opiates of the bourgeoise [sic]) but with all the excitement on campus, you hardly notice. Remember to tip your government handlers though, trust me on this."
Jonathan Lynch had an alternate review: "Appreciated the blindfolded escort to my room on the 81st floor. My state-appointed translator was careful not to stab me in the calf with the bayonet [sic] on his rifle. Breakfast was fine, but the all-gruel buffet was bleh. Would stay again."
It's sure to be the best shiny pyramid hotel in all of North Korea when it's finally open in the years to come.
