In The News - 5 Over-the-top Luxury Hotels Coming Soon

Get ready, because the future of the luxury hotel industry is changing in some pretty fantastic ways. Though there are dozens of amazing hotel concept designs floating around the Internet, few will ever actually be constructed, mostly do to feasibility. Which makes it all the more exciting that almost all of these incredible luxury projects are already under construction and due to open in the coming years.

Shimao Wonderland InterContinental (Shanghai, China)
Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental was one of the most talked about hotel designs of the past decade. The lavish resort, carved into the edge of an abandoned quarry outside Shanghai, is now on track for completion in early 2017, according to project director Martin Jochman.

The "ground-scraper" will feature 328 rooms cascading down a rugged cliff face toward a 270-foot-deep lagoon with the lowest levels of the property (including the restaurant and many public areas) located below the water. Activities capitalizing on the striking setting will include a water-based leisure area and extreme sports center offering everything from bungee jumping to rock climbing.

Poseidon Underwater Resort (Fiji)

Imagine watching marine life from a hotel situated entirely underwater. That's exactly what's happening off the coast of Fiji. U.S. Submarine Structures is engineering the world's first underwater resort. In addition to 24 suites, the property will contain a library, spa, bar, restaurant and event space -- all with views out over a coral-filled lagoon teeming with fish. Guests might also have access to four Triton submersibles and "will be able to learn how to pilot them" to the ocean's depths. First slated to grace the ocean floor in 2008, Poseidon remains very much a work in progress. However, Poseidon could open in about two years.

Keemala Resort (Phuket, Thailand)
The Ewok Village of "Star Wars" will have its real-life match in Thailand's forthcoming Keemala Resort, a tropical space of thatched huts, treehouse pools and terraced herb gardens tucked into a rainforest along the Andaman Sea. Set to open its doors on the island of Phuket before the end of this year, the adults-only wellness property invites guests to celebrate the culture of four fictional tribes as they wander from the holistic spa to the yoga pavilion or meditation rooms. Cooking and martial arts classes, scuba diving and private yacht charters round out the long list of luxe offerings.

Lofoten Opera Hotel (Norway)
The 110,400-square-foot Lofoten Opera Hotel, designed by architecture firm Snohetta, will contain a mix of hotel and apartment units, an amphitheater and a spa, while offering access to hiking trails and sea basins nearby. This sleek, snake-shaped architectural marvel will soon slither along a hillside in northern Norway offering spectacular views over the Lofoten Islands.

Though the hotel was due to open in this remote corner of Scandinavia in 2015, just how soon you can book your ticket remains to be seen.

Dawang Mountain Resort (Changsha, China)
Believe it or not, Shimao Wonderland isn't China's only resort in development to incorporate a disused quarry into its concept. The Deep Pit Ice and Water World, part of the forthcoming Dawang Mountain Resort near Changsha, will be partially suspended over a quarry pit.

The property will have two contrasting environments: a lake with sunken gardens below and an indoor snow center above. A separate 300-foot-high tower will house a five-star hotel with 330 suites looking over Tongxi Lake, Dawang Mountain and a sports and leisure complex. 

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