The sad story of the first floating hotel, which was haunted by failures

The abandoned floating hotel Haegumgang is anchored off the coast of North Korea, just a 20-minute drive from the border of the DPRK and South Korea. The windows of this unusual resort are dark, and its future remains uncertain. Meanwhile, this unique floating complex once delighted tourists all over the world. Why is the hotel, which has no analogues, forgotten by everyone today?

The floating hotel received its first guests in 1988. It was called the Four Seasons Barrier Reef Resort and was anchored at John Brewer Reef, off the coast of the Australian state of Queensland. The owner of the hotel, Doug Tark, a professional diver and entrepreneur, was born and raised in Queensland. He adored the Great Barrier Reef and was well aware of its tourism potential.

In 1983, Tark founded the Reef Link company, which organized dives at the reef. Soon the businessman realized that it was much more profitable and more comfortable for customers not to get to the dive site by boat or seaplane, but to live near it. So Reef Link customers could enjoy the beauty of the coral reef for longer, as well as dive at night.

At first, Doug Tark was going to buy decommissioned cruise ships and anchor them at John Brewer Reef. But then I decided that it would not be solid. The idea of the world's first floating hotel was born in his head, offering guests maximum amenities and a wide range of entertainment. Investors were found very quickly and in 1986, the Bethlehem Steel shipyard in Singapore began to build a hotel ship.

It was not a cheap pleasure. The estimated cost of the project was $45 million ($100 million today). But the game was worth the candle — interest in an unusual tourist object began to appear even during its construction. In early 1988, a dock vessel towed the hotel to the shores of Queensland and it began to be prepared for opening.

It was an incredible structure that was ahead of its time. The hotel was held in place by seven anchors installed so as not to disturb the ecosystem of the reef. The sewer system was closed — the sewage was not discharged into the ocean, but collected in tanks. Together with solid household waste, they were transported to the mainland and destroyed there.

The 5-star hotel with 176 rooms could accommodate 350 guests. There were two restaurants, a nightclub, a library, a scientific laboratory, shops, a diving equipment rental point and a tennis court at their service. The hotel also had its own submarine "The Yellow Submarine" for underwater excursions.

The grand opening of the Four Seasons Barrier Reef Resort took place on March 9, 1988. Needless to say, by this time all the rooms were booked. Those wishing to relax on the Brewer Reef even created a queue for weeks ahead. It seemed that the idea was a success and the business would be profitable. But it soon became clear that the guests were not too happy with their vacation.

Soon after the discovery, problems began to surface that Tark and his companions had not foreseen. The first of them was the location of the Four Seasons Barrier Reef Resort. The floating hotel was located in a corner of paradise, but it was not easy to get there. The guests had to ride the waves for two hours on a high-speed catamaran or fly by helicopter, paying $ 350 each.

During bad weather, the hotel was cut off from the whole world, as neither a helicopter nor a catamaran cruised. At the same time, even a small storm created serious discomfort for the guests of the complex. The floating hotel swayed violently on the waves, and many tourists suffered from seasickness. The heaviness was felt most strongly on the upper floor. That's why the staff was placed there, who was also not thrilled.

Soon, a rumor appeared from somewhere that there was a World War II ammunition depot just two miles from the hotel. Allegedly, the shells and mines in it are so damaged by time and sea water that everything can blow up at any moment. All this seriously affected the popularity of the establishment and the hotel began to be empty.

Perhaps thoughtful marketing and a change in the approach to the service would have changed something, but no one did it. Compared to other hotels located on the shore, Tarka's floating brainchild also offered a modest choice of entertainment. It turned out that it was not possible to go on one diving trip — tourists want variety.

Therefore, it turned out that a year later, the Four Seasons Barrier Reef Resort stopped paying off even the maintenance costs. The hotel was a heavy burden on the shoulders of investors and they did not put up with it for a long time. The floating complex was sold to a company from Vietnam, and soon it left the reef forever.

The hotel has covered more than 5,500 kilometers and was docked on the Saigon River. The new Vietnamese owners were not original and named it Saigon Hotel. The floating hotel served its new owners for almost 10 years and was in demand among tourists. Perhaps a big role was played by the fact that the hotel stood by the river bank and the guests did not suffer from pitching.

Despite the years of popularity, Saigon Hotel still filled everyone's teeth, and the demand for it fell. But a buyer was immediately found for him — the DPRK authorities wanted to purchase the floating hotel. At that time, North Korea was actively developing the resort area of Geumgansan and the purchase was towed there. Having overcome another 4,500 kilometers, the hotel settled in a picturesque bay surrounded by mountains.

The hotel was transferred under the management of the South Korean company Hyundai Asan, which received the right to develop tourism in the territory of its harsh northern neighbor. The hotel was renamed again and this time it was called Hotel Haegumgang. He made a significant contribution to the warming of relations between the DPRK and South Korea. The tourist region of Geumgansan became a place where Korean families who found themselves on different sides of the border were reunited for a while.

The Haegumgang Hotel has hosted more than 2 million guests and would surely have flourished further. The end of his success was put by a tragic incident that occurred in 2008. Then a North Korean soldier shot a guest from South Korea. A 53-year-old woman accidentally left the area reserved for tourists and got into the border area. After an international scandal broke out, Hyundai Asan stopped selling tours to Haegumgang and the hotel was emptied for the third time.

There were rumors that party and military figures of the DPRK rested at the hotel until 2018. Then Kim Jong-un met with the President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in and allegedly agreed on the revival of the resort. It is not known exactly what is happening on board the Haegumgang. It is possible that the hotel will be reconstructed and we will hear about it again, or maybe not.