Going Up & Going Down: Space travel and Underwater hotels

September 29, 2014
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Did you know that by 2024, the race for space will initially take travelers to

Earth’s low orbit allowing them to experience the stunning curvature of the
globe from ultra-high altitude?  Looking beyond 2024, orbital travel may not
simply be a matter of going up and coming back but instead travelers will be
able to stay there long enough to enjoy and savor an exciting, alien
environment.

In the meantime for those with an appetite for space travel there
are sky resorts being built that will contain zero-gravity spas, space gliders
and space observatories where guests can even experience weightlessness.   

 
Taking travel to
space will be a ground-breaking milestone for mankind in general but what is
even more exciting is the transfer of technologies that space exploration can
bring to commercial aviation. A regular traveler might see a London to Sydney
flight in 2.5 hours, which will make travel even easier and faster than ever
before, breaking time boundaries.
By the next ten years space tourism will become more
affordable for the ultra-luxury market but journeys to the bottom of the sea
will be a much more mainstream, fashionable option.Underwater hotel rooms already exist as niche and novelty
destinations such as The Neptune and Poseidon suites at the Atlantis Hotel in
Dubai, but as space on land becomes more expensive, a new wave of innovators
are scaling up the concept aiming to build entire resorts1 under
the waves – including spas, gardens and pools, all with aquarium style-windows
allowing guests to go outside in diving gear.
The Hotel Rooms of 2024 & Hyper-Personalisation
 
Over the next ten years, the advances in technology will
also mean that hotels will empower their guests with incredible levels of
hyper-personalization through their mobile devices to provide a tailored
overnight experience. Travelers will be able to book rooms where everything
from the air temperature to the strength of the power shower is set
specifically for them. Hotel room walls will be fully interactive capable of
playing films,  showing pictures, displaying Skype calls from loved ones
and even frosting up to provide private work spaces within the room.
Hotel rooms of the future will be able to take advantage of
the latest technologies to provide additional comfort for guests. Pillows with
embedded electronics will provide sleep-aiding massages and wake up calls,
while the internal clocks of jet-lagged guests will be aided with light
boxes.  Guests’ skin and hair will be improved by showers
offering water infused with Vitamin C while advances in 3D printing
will mean that guest no longer need worry about bathroom amenities as by 2024
they will simply be able to print everything they need, including toothpaste
and soap.
New destinations to discover for the first time
 
Bragging rights will be a key travel motivator in 2024. As
Chinese tourists flock to classic destinations such as Paris and New York,
unique journey experiences that make travellers the envy of friends and family
will be sought after.  The emergence of ‘forbidden zones’ – areas such as
Afghanistan and Iran currently deemed inaccessible by conflict – will become
attractive new destinations for tourists to discover. Off the beaten track
destinations such as Bhutan are already seeing an increase in interest
(Skyscanner searches are up 40% YOY) but by 2024 it will have become a far more
fashionable choice.
 The Water Discus Hotel in Dubai is the
first of the new breed. Due to open in 2015, it will be built 9 metre below sea
level with aquarium-style windows in 21 suites and facilities that will allow
guests to go outside in diving gear. Containing a spa, garden and pool, the
hotel will be able to rotate under water and rise to the surface in as little
as 15 minutes in emergencies.
About Skyscanner
 
Skyscanner
is a leading global travel search site offering a truly comprehensive, free
flight search service as well as instant online comparisons for hotels and car
hire.
Founded
in 2003, Skyscanner receives over 25 million unique visitors each month.
Skyscanner
is optimised worldwide and is available in 30 languages. 
Skyscanner’s
highly-rated free mobile apps are available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows
Phone, BlackBerry and Windows 8 devices and have been downloaded over 30
million times.
The
privately-owned company employs over 400 staff and has its global headquarters
in Edinburgh with offices in Glasgow, Singapore, Beijing, Barcelona and Miami.
 
For more
information visit www.skyscanner.net.
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