Moon-themed resort set to launch in Las Vegas

With billionaires blasting into space as a regular occurrence now, what does the average space buff have to look forward to besides space camp or a stay at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel at Walt Disney World? How about a faux lunar experience in the form of an enormous, moon-shaped hotel on the Las Vegas Strip?

The Canadian-based Moon World Resorts Inc. has announced plans for a $5 billion, 5.5-million-square-foot hotel whose signature feature will be a 1/75,000-sized replica of the moon.

The Las Vegas endeavor (with a working name of "Moon") is one of four lunar-themed resorts scheduled to launch across the globe in 2026 or 2027. Others are planned for the Middle East, China and Spain.

At 735 feet tall and 650 feet wide, Moon Resorts Las Vegas will reportedly include a whopping 4,000 hotel rooms. (A five-star operator is said to be in the works.) Plans also call for a 75,000-square-foot spa, 50,000-square-feet of food and beverage offerings, 75,000-square-feet of retail and 150,00-square-feet of clubs and lounges.

According to the Daily Mail, one of the clubs will be poised directly under a "spaceship" and will beam lights down on guests. Additional entertainment venues include a 2,500-seat theater, a planetarium, a 5,000-seat event center and 10,000-seat arena. Of course, there is also a 130,000-square-foot casino in the plans. (No word if it will feature a lunar theme, but it's probably a safe bet.)

Moon's signature offering, however, is its "active lunar colony."

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To access the colony, which would be in the upper half of the sphere, guests would head to a station with waiting "moon shuttles." The shuttles, designed like cars on a roller coaster ride, will snake around the exterior of the hotel suites as they ferry guests upward.

Once there, guests will spend 90 minutes exploring the 10-acre (4-hectare) space, whizzing over craters in a "moon buggy." The colony promises to "precisely mimic those [lunar colonies] now under serious active planning by Nasa, ESA and many others." Tickets would cost £361 ($500) a pop.

Made from concrete, steel, glass, aluminum and carbon fiber composite, it's estimated the resort will take four years to construct.

"People want something unique, something different, something 'Wow,'" Michael Henderson, co-founder of Moon World Resorts, Inc., told The New York Post. "Space flights cost $200,000 to $250,000 — so the masses just can't participate. With Moon [World Resorts], for $500, they can walk on an authentic lunar surface and enjoy exploring a lunar colony in a spectacular way."

At present, developers and investors are going through the licensing process. Room rates will be "competitive" with other five-star hotels, said Henderson.