China Opens the World’s First Underground 5-Star Hotel to the Public

The world’s first underground luxury hotel in Songjiang, Shanghai is now accepting reservations beginning Nov. 20 with prices starting at 3,380 yuan ($490) a night.

The hotel, officially the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, is an 18-story structure nestled within an abandoned quarry 48 kilometers (30 miles) from the city center.

Designed by SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins group, the attraction covers an area of 61,000 square meters (6.1 hectares), including a recreational complex for bungee jumping, rock climbing and water sports.

Of its 18 floors, 16 extend below ground level, with two submerged in an aquarium 10 meters (33 feet) deep.

InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland features 336 rooms, each allowing an unparalleled view of waterfalls from the surrounding cliffs. A glass “waterfall,” which houses an indoor atrium, was also constructed in its center.

The hotel also offers a spacious grand ballroom and four meeting rooms “equipped with state-of-the-art technology and lighting” for special events. A restaurant and more guest rooms compose the underwater levels.

With respect to its natural landscape, the hotel features a green roof that allows it to “fit seamlessly into the surrounding environment and become a ‘natural’ part of the local topography,” according to Atkins.

To make full use of its green potential, the hotel also utilizes solar and geothermal energy in its operations.

“Great architecture is more than form, light and materials. It is about the positive impact buildings have on those who experience them,” said Jason Hutchings, senior design director at SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins. “This hotel exemplifies everything we strive for: sustainable, innovative, specific, unique and uplifting. It is a credit to our client and the design teams involved.”

Conceived more than a decade ago, the project has been the recipient of numerous awards, including “Best Chinese Futura Project” (MIPIM Asia, 2011) as well as “Best Hotel Architecture China,” “Best Hotel Architecture Asia Pacific” and “Best International Hotel Architecture” (International Hotel Awards, 2013).

Images via InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland.

Share this Article