By Parag Deulgaonkar

The Middle East will be home to a new concept hotel taking the tourism industry by storm – a ‘Space Hotel’.



Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are the three cities that could be home to the region’s first Space Hotel, Mobilona Space Hotels, a US-based company, told Emirates 24|7.



The concept of the hotel is simple: an out-of-this-world experience to guests allowing them to travel to distant galaxies while staying firmly grounded here on Planet Earth.



Mobilona's Global CEO Jerome Bottari told Emirates 24|7: “We have received proposals for the construction of a Space Hotel in Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai."



The company, last week, announced plans to build a 300-metre ‘Mobilona Space Hotel’ with a zero-gravity spa and vertical wind tunnel on an artificial island off the coast of Barcelona.



Bottari said his company’s plans for a €1.5 billion initial investment for the development of Barcelona Island and the construction of over 2,000 hotel suites and luxury residences.



Space Hotels will also come up in Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

A public announcement regarding its development plans for the Middle East will be made as soon as construction on the Barcelona Island begins, the company said.



Mobilona claims it creates the perfect blend of design and technology to simulate any place on earth, or in the universe.

Jerome Bottari, Global CEO, Mobilona, the company behind the concept. (Supplied)



Where no hotel guest has gone before…



The windows of the Space Hotels will be transparent glass displays that can be turned on during “flights” and turned off when guests want to return from their ‘Space Trip’.



In addition to “immersive” windows, Mobilona hotels and suites will be equipped with superbly designed surface displays to provide guests with the best views from any location or angle.



Mobilona says it combines visual experiences with the “Internet of Things” to appeal to all five senses allowing guests to see the world around them, hear sounds from everywhere, smell their favourite scents, touch objects they enjoy and taste what they desire.



The company will be selling income-producing hotel suites and residences from €495,000 to €2.6 million with penthouses priced between €3.9 million and €20 million (Dh94 million).



Nightly rates for hotel suites will range from €300 to over €1,500 and timeshares will start at €20,000 for an annual one-week occupancy right.



UAE – new frontiers



Abu Dhabi has already taken a step towards the final frontier with a spaceport to be built by Virgin Galactic in the next three years.



Dubai is more likely to get an underwater hotel before any space moves.



Dubai already hogs the global limelight with it being home to the iconic Burj Khalifa (828 metres), the world’s tallest tower.



In the past few months, the emirate has announced a number of mega developments such as Mohammed Bin Rashid City, which will include the world's largest shopping mall, a family centre for leisure and entertainment set up in collaboration with Universal Studios, a public park larger than Hyde Park, with over 100 hotel facilities.



Qatar, on the other hand, is spending nearly $243 billion on infrastructure projects, ahead of the Fifa World Cup 2022.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.