The AED1.2 billion proposed project will feature hot air balloons housing five-star hotel rooms to soar across NEOM skies. The self-contained hotel rooms could cost up to $7,900 a night, according to the Hotelier Middle East.
The design holds the room in a carbon fibre pod, the pod includes a sleeping area, dressing area, bathroom, foyer and lounge area. The pod will also have a service area for the pilot and potential butler, and an observation deck.
Project Nimbus will run on bio-propane and drone-assisted landing, unfolding itself into a canopy style eco-hotel.
The idea was innovated by Cornell University students, who entered the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge, a green hospitality innovation initiative by Hotelschool The Hauge.
“NEOM is all about remote, luxurious, sustainable experiences. Nimbus allows you to soar across NEOM within a luxury hotel room. Imagine, the beautiful sensation of just moving. In a private hot air balloon, you can admire the beautiful desert landscape below,” they said during the presentation, as reported by Hotelier.
The sample itinerary served as an example of what an ideal stay at the hot air balloon would look like, the itinerary detailed five days which included things like, lunch in Nimbus by the red sea, coral reef snorkelling, picnic in the ancient canyon and more.
As the winning project, the four students will be flown out to NEOM to analyse the site’s geography, meet the hotel development team and see potential development sites in delivering the project.
In an emailed statement however, NEOM clarified “it’s too early” to commit to the proposal.
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