The hotel has been built in an abandoned quarry
T
he Shimao Wonderland
Situated around a manmade lake
InterContinental (IHG), the
and amid cascading waterfalls, the
world’s first underground hotel,
18-storey, 336-guest room structure
has opened in Songjiang, around
is powered by its own geothermal
22 miles (35 km) from Shanghai in
and solar system and features an
the Sheshan Mountain Range.
underwater restaurant and aquarium.
Built in a 100m (328ft)-deep
The leisure-oriented, ‘waveform’
abandoned quarry, the hotel, which
venue, which won gold at the MIPIM
has been in development for a decade,
Asia Conference in 2011, also has a
was designed by Studio JADE+QA and
swimming pool, as well as facilities for
the British architectural firm Atkins.
bungee jumping and rock-climbing.
IMAGES COURTESY OF JADE+QA
World’s first subterranean resort opens in Shanghai
The resort is expected to host 500,000 guests per year