http://www.bhnetwork.com/sept-newsletter/images/img_002.jpg

PROJECT NAME: Hydropolis Hotel (Underwater)
LOCATION: Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE
LANDSIDE APPROX: 30.000 ms (Gross Floor Area)
HOTEL APPROX: 75.000 ms (Gross Floor Area)
DEPTH: 20 meters belowsurface
COST: US$ 550 M
NUMBER OF SUITES: 220
OTHER DETAILS
START OF DESIGN: 2003 April
START OF CONSTRUCTION: 2004 September
END OF CONSTRUCTION: 2006 July
OPERATING FROM: 2006 December
KEY FACT: World's first under water hotel!

The design includes three linked elements: a wave-shaped 333,333-sq.-ft. (30,000-sq.-m) above-ground "land station" and the jellyfish-shaped 833,333-sq.-ft. (75,000-sq.-m.) underwater hotel, linked by a submerged transparent train tunnel that's 1,700 feet (515 meters) long.

Among the project's other unusual architectural details are the hotel's two translucent domes, which will house a concert auditorium and a ballroom that break the water's surface, with the ballroom featuring a retractable roof. And that's not to mention the hotel's


http://www.greatestcities.com/9819pic/936/CP12936.jpg/3.jpg

http://www.greatestcities.com/0171pic/939/CP12939.jpg/7.jpg


More info and photos, go to www.hydropolis.com

http://www.hydropolis.com/media/images/atnight.jpg

The Hydropolis Hotel, as this artist's rendering illustrates, will include two domes that break the water's surface, with the ballroom dome featuring a retractable roof. Rendering: Hydropolis Holding
http://www.conway.com/ssinsider/images/sf030915a.jpg

sweet looks great

Source: hydropolis.com


http://www.hydropolis.com/media/images/construction_sign.jpg

Landstation for the hotel:

http://www.hydropolis.com/media/images/landstation.jpg


Cross Section:


http://www.hydropolis.com/media/images/cross_section.jpg


Top View:

http://www.hydropolis.com/media/images/topview.jpg

Sorry for the huge photos ! :(

The bigger the better :)

I didn't know they have already put a board :cheers:

on some dubai discussions in the german forum i found out that there was an article in a german newspaper which said that the construction of hydropolis will evoke environmental problems. anybody heard something about this?

on some dubai discussions in the german forum i found out that there was an article in a german newspaper which said that the construction of hydropolis will evoke environmental problems. anybody heard something about this?

Everything build where it normally shouldn't will evoke enviremental problems, same is being argued for the Palm also. It only means that it would effect the enviroment but not neccesarly that it will damagge it.

It will not wipe out entire species of marine life, neither it will change the regional climate so i don't see a big deal about it.

i also couldn't consider this as true!!! i was just wondering as a known magazine reported about this. i mean there was a lot of time to check if there will be any stream problems caused by palm jumeirah that would evoke environmental problems.

maybe they are just envious???

i read somewhere a long time ago that this was not going to go through and now i hear that its going to be built what is its status?

construction is scheduled to start in september.

anybody heard something about this?

Yes. I work for an environmental organization (in Canada) and have heard quite a bit about it. All the crap that Dubai is building in the gulf (Palm / World / etc) is creating one of the biggest ecological disasters on the planet. Of course you'll never hear a word about this subject in the UAE. The sheikh has decided that he wants to see this nonsense through and has enough clout to exert a good deal of political pressure even on overseas critics.

I can get quite heated up on this subject and most of my views probably wouldn't be terribly popular on here :) so I'll try to restrain myself...


However I will be laughing when in 20 years you'll be able to walk from Dubai straight across the brand new salt flats to Iran.


i mean there was a lot of time to check if there will be any stream problems caused by palm jumeirah that would evoke environmental problems.

Sure there was all kinds of time. But when the preliminary reports came back and indicated that the best course of action was not to build any of these projects, Shk. Maktoum figured he didn't like the sound of that and canceled all pending environmental assesments, making damn sure that those first results were never published.

means that it would effect the enviroment but not neccesarly that it will damagge it.

It will completely destroy it.


It will not wipe out entire species of marine life, neither it will change the regional climate so i don't see a big deal about it.

I see. So dropping an atomic bomb on SZR is A-Ok, seeing as how it will neither destroy an entire species nor change the regional climate.

'Cuz that's exactly the equivalent of what's being done to the Arabian Gulf right now.




Anyhow. I should probably take my own advice and shut up about this subject...

It will completely destroy it.




I see. So dropping an atomic bomb on SZR is A-Ok, seeing as how it will neither destroy an entire species nor change the regional climate.

'Cuz that's exactly the equivalent of what's being done to the Arabian Gulf right now.




Anyhow. I should probably take my own advice and shut up about this subject...

You don't have to shut up, not if your concerns are real and not just ranting around. We are all grown up here.

Facts, facts, facts .... please

this things worry me massively as it often seems an issue where thereis rapid growth. Concerns like these are brushed aside. And it does seemodd to me that is no one rants about the down side of any project here. Or who is even sees a down side apart from market flooding and traffic. So please expand on this topic if you feel like it as i dont know much about it my self. !

Facts, facts, facts .... please

Hum. Don't have anything on me at the moment, sorry. However related material has definitely passed my desk. When I go into work tomorrow, I'll see what I can dig up...

would be very intrsted in that !

i'd like to see facts too. i'm worried about this.

this is interesting news about the environmental damage. i had heard something about a ecosystem being created on the palm islands so that any damage would be greatly minimised so this is a bit of a surprise. i too would like to hear about what putter has to say

... All the crap that Dubai is building in the gulf (Palm / World / etc) is creating one of the biggest ecological disasters on the planet.
...

However I will be laughing when in 20 years you'll be able to walk from Dubai straight across the brand new salt flats to Iran.


We are waiting for you to dig on your papers ... Ooops you already told what "will hapens". Now is time for you to say why.

lol..it sounds as if mrputter doesn't really have any evidence!

Shining idea... Excellent project...

220 room did not realise it was that limited

220 luxury suites
i've heard these will be on 7-star status (emirates airlines newsletter)
anybody got more info on that?

yes Dubai lover restart the 7 star debate again :)

A 7 star classification does indeed exist in the hotel industry. The Burj Al Arab was the first hotel in the World to receive this distinction. The second hotel was a 7 star hotel brand in Brunei. Next came the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi.

So now its Dubais turn to get another 7 star: The Hydropolis!

Kewl!

-Face81
:jippo:

What is the statues on HYDROPOLIS, did they started building and I wonder how rooms will look like.

construction is scheduled to begin these days
can anybody get some construction pics?? :lol: :hilarious

it is really ?

it was said in apress release, but who knows!
maybe somebody has to go there to have a look if something is happening

"A 7 star classification does indeed exist in the hotel industry. The Burj Al Arab was the first hotel in the World to receive this distinction. The second hotel was a 7 star hotel brand in Brunei. Next came the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi."

I would love to know where you got this information, if its not too much trouble. If its a credible enough source it might resolve the whole 7-star debate.

"A 7 star classification does indeed exist in the hotel industry. The Burj Al Arab was the first hotel in the World to receive this distinction. The second hotel was a 7 star hotel brand in Brunei. Next came the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi."

I would love to know where you got this information, if its not too much trouble. If its a credible enough source it might resolve the whole 7-star debate.

I agree with this quotation, what is wrong with it

yes please would be great !

Shaheen, the 7-star issue has been quareled over endless times all over these forums and no one on the "Burj Al Arab truly is the first 7star hotel in the world" side has put forward evidence more convincing than "why not?".

Whereas, the opposers gave much better-supported evidence. Some wrote down the whole history of the hotel rating system, how, why and by whom it was put in place, and how 5-star rating is the highest possible rating as per the most widely accepted hotel rating system, etc. Others posted pics and facts that showed there are many hotels all over the world that are just as luxurious and expensive as Burj Al Arab, if not more, which still only get a 5-star rating.

If only you can provide a very credible source such as the official rating from the foremost hotel rating establishment out there. That would put an end to this for good.

If there is ratings such as 3,4 and 5 star hotels then why not 7 star, hence that Burj Al Arab is in real a unique of its kind and unique of its facilities offered to the guests which other 5 star hotels cant.

What do you think...

i also can't understand why 7-star is not an official category
same about hotels like emirates towers or madinat. they call these 5-star deluxe, so these could be 6-star hotels.

Lol.. therez nothing more than 5 stars people.. let's accept this fact before people start claiming 6,6 1/2, 6 3/4 and 8 star hotels !

The Hotel Star rating used in North America is different from the rating used in the rest of the world, even that both award up to 5 stars.

yep right, even the europe system is different. there are some strange 4-star hotels and you ask how they deserve the title. if you'd build a 5-star dubai standard hotel in germany it would very soon become the most famous hotel here. there are only a few really exclusive hotels in germany

maybe we should come back to topic ;)

hey Krazy
i don't think that's true because there are a 6 star hotel in Australia called versus hotel so i think the scale differs from a place to another :)

the fact is that above 5 it's not official. it's just called 6 or 7 as it's better than 5, but is still listed as 5

i've reread the article and it is said hydropolis rooms are 7-star level, that means, it's officially listed as a 5, but would a 7 if there was this classification

I think we have reached to a final conclusion here.

Thank you! 7 star is NOT official.

Its already official by being in all international news papers and magazines.

mistake

Is this project going ahead? never hear any news about it and i heard rumours that its construction was cancelled about 3 months ago.

really dont like the sound of that !
last i saw the signage was still up down at the entrance

i confess the whole project is strange and a real mystery because you never hear anything about it

what do you mean there was some info released and buzz around but its Dubai not every thing goes off with in full view of the public
I am not ready to discount this project yet

i wouldn't discount it either, but in compare the amount of news and press releases with other projects
website has not been updated for a year or even more!

maybe i should contact the designers, a german company located 100km from my home :D

Dubai-Lover - Please call them.

Tel: +49 7031 21 76 30
Fax: +49 7031 21 76 31
E-Mail: contact@hydropolis-online.de

If it turns out that the project has been cancelled, all the old forumers from SSP UAE owe me a gift, because I predicted it from the very start.

I'll update my Amazon wishlist..

contacted via email
asked for status

also contacted the architect and designer, a german company

if you don't get response then you might consider to go and check that place yourself when you're in dubai :)
http://www.tp.spt.fi/~jukarkil/uae/hydropolis.jpg
maybe there's some activity at the land station?

yes, it's easy to find
between ritz carlton hotel and le meridien hotel on al sufouh road
will definitely check this plot (everything blocked by beach residence there)
i presume nothing going on there

Hmm.. that thing in the red box in the picture is where there's a construction board for it, and there's another board near the coast. I never thought why there was one inland, but is that where the entrance to a tunnel is?

I presumed people would go by boat and enter from the surface? Never paid much attention to the detail of the design since it looked like a balloon half floating in water.

actually it should look like a jelly fish :lol:

yes, there's a landstation with a tunnel to access the hotel

Looks like a giant foot spa or jacuzzi.

I wouldn't be surprised if during contruction it collapsed and some people drowned, then they cancelled it and hid it from the media. And the architect ran away with the money.

If al-Ghurair is behind it, anything is possible. Did you know his privately owned school, Dubai National, has had a huge canteen that has pigeons flying everywhere in it and grey concrete on the floor, and the walls are grey and wires are sticking out. Has been like that for more than five or six years since it opened. And in the gym, huge metal planks fall from the roof suddenly. There's no fire protection and the gym burnt down also. The place is a disaster.

well the board was still up when i left in the first week of sept
thats all i can tell you

sign board still up

http://207.44.228.232/photopost/data//507/2hydropolis-december2004-1.jpg

this is the site where the land station will be located
at the moment there are just some containers for workers
nothing has been done here

http://207.44.228.232/photopost/data//507/2hydropolis-december2004-2.jpg

http://207.44.228.232/photopost/data//507/2hydropolis-december2004-3.jpg

http://207.44.228.232/photopost/data//507/2hydropolis-december2004-4.jpg

Is that Jumeriah beach residence in the background?

yes it is
and when you check the 3rd pic overlooking the sea you can see palm jumeirah

as you have asked for construction pics of palm jumeirah, this is the best angle can get

Ohh, ok. I saw a bit of that pic of the palm, i can see som buildings poping out, thats good! :)

project obviously moved to dubai waterfront project

http://www.tp.spt.fi/~jukarkil/uae/waterfront9.jpg

Well if it really is this one, it has been redesigned as the old design looked completely different, and i liked the old one more, as i cannot imagine how the hotel will look like now with this 9...well ballons?

I dont think thats it, I hope thats not it.

I dont think thats it, I hope thats not it.


So do i...
and btw it has no bridge or somethin you can see...
Well if it is not Hydropolis ... what is it then?
:cheers:

at least we know the project is still alive

should be released in a couple of months then

Well if it is not Hydropolis ... what is it then?
I really hope its this super cluster in the picture below (in the background you can see "Al Ras" which is also where the bubble thing is going to be located)
http://www.tp.spt.fi/~jukarkil/uae/waterfront.jpg

Yes that would be cool...but if so, the render is very bad...
Or they are not sure what to locate there...so the just put those bubbles in the picture :hahaha:
And then everybody is speculating, like we do, and they hope they find an idea in one of those crazy forums hehe
Well we will see... :cheers:

MIAMI (AFP) - Anyone willing to dish out 1,500 dollars a night might soon get a chance to come face to face with sharks from the comfort of an undersea hotel room a Florida entrepreneur plans to build in the Bahamas.


"People who are interested in experiencing something they can't find anywhere else in the world will find it a real bargain," says Bruce Jones who heads the 40-million-dollar project.


To date, there is only one such underwater hotel, a small refitted marine lab located in somewhat murky waters just off the coast of Key Largo, Florida.


But Jones says his Poseidon resort will be one of a kind, as guests will not need to don scuba gear to reach their luxury suites.

The hotel, located off the Bahamian island of Eleuthera at a depth of 15 meters (50 feet), will be connected to the mainland through two tunnels and an escalator, and pressure will be the same as at the surface.

I hope it stays in the Bahamas and is never built here.

so they're trying to copy it and sell it as a project never seen before
that's embarassing

It's a cheap ripoff, but hey, dubai doesn't need to worry about that, if this one goes through, and people know it's the first planned, it'll beat that one off easily.

How can such project in Bahamas costs just 40 million USD?

^ The only slight advantage that bahamas thing might have is sharks around, but that could also be a source of concern. $40 million is very cheap, am sure it'll be very small.

20I LOVE DUBAI!

why? ;)

I think we need one of those in Bahrain :dizzy:

i'm worried about this project :S

I think we need one of those in Bahrain :dizzy:

Yeah we need a couple of these, we have shallow sea, which will ease work and lower cost ! and no concerns, since we have a sleepy sea, no major waves hitting Bahrain.

i'm worried about this project :S
Why man, it wonderful project and Dubai is gool oO fe3el !!

i think this project was postponed/canceled cuz it might get in the way of the arabian canal..
i mean doesn't the canal run from the waterfront into dubai then back into the sea close to the dubai marina?? (not really sure)
and the hotel is right behind the dubai marina... they're probably concerned that a yatch or boat might run over the hotel while trying to get into the canal..
that would be a pretty serious crash don't u think??

that actually is a possibility
i never thought of it

good point!

i think it will be in the waterfront development...!

^ ur right, would make more sense

Is the Hydropolis exclusive enough to be part of the Waterfront?

a 7-star hotel for sure is exclusive enough

if they just announced this damned project

this project still seems to be alive

i have the new german dubai magazine which once again reports about hydropolis and the architect

the whole project is german, only german companies are working on it

now we know why it takes so long :lol:


from what i read here, omg, this is top notch and will become one of the top 5 hotels in the world

it looks like there are some major changes:
the terminal building on the beach turns out to be a 70 storey residential tower including a hydrotherapy clinic

INSANE! :eek:
but it takes time

Did this get moved to the waterfront? If it did then it'll be quite a while before it starts construction. :)

i don't think it was moved
there was a german magazine on tv reporting about that, it was new , just 3 weeks old stuff. but it still seemed like this is in planning stage.

70 storey residential tower !!

this project IMO will take the longest time to construct and may even be postponed a long time / cancelled.... now of COURSE "bubble city" will take the longest to build! lol.

Glad to hear that

hey please post pics if u have .....

rofl

the sign board has now been removed! :wtf: :eek:

obviously it is not there anymore

it is located at the waterfront

it is located at the waterfront

this was just a thought of a few ssc forumers
it's nothing official

at the tip of the waterfront there is a small structure in the waterfront, which could be hydropolis
can also be anything else!!!

they removed the signboard?!? could be a bad or a good sign though...

this project has NOT been cancelled <-- confirmed.
at least not as of yet, they are still actively working with the architects; however yes, it will take a long time. I will ask tomorrow why they have removed the boards by seaside.

-Rishi

maybe they will just put a new one or the real one
who knows
this is one of the projects i WANT to go through, because it's extremely unique

hoep for good news

thanks for cheering me up rishi.
hope for good stuff as well...

I demand satisfaction!

why would anybody on earth want to stay at an underwater hotel?
even in ships you want a porthole window above sea level.
its a gimic that I dont understand, maybe just to escape the weather
there but you know they invented air condition for that
Maybe it will end up an underwater restaurant and above ground
club, like we have here in eilat, that makes much more sense
and it will cost like 20 percent of it.

Some of it's above the water.

Anyway I think it's pretty cool. Of course you won't be staying if you're claustrophobic but I'd say loads of people would like it. What about that famous ice hotel somewhere (I forget where it is though). Some would say " why the hell would anyone stay there and freeze their asses off for a week?"

If it's built I'd love to stay there for a week but I don't think I ever will because I'll never have enough $$$

be sure this hotel will be almost fully occupied all the time...

what were the prices again? i seem to remember $20000 a night being quoted somewhere

no it was cheaper if i remember right.

Nope, I remember it was either 5000 or 5500 dollers. They are probably aiming for the title of World's Most Expensive Hotel (http://www.forbes.com/travel/2005/04/21/cx_sb_0421feat.html)

Hint: Click on "Click here for the slide show" below the title.

I thought it was going to be $500 a night. I remember seeing that somewhere.

$500 for that sort of experience would be a bargain but im sure its going to be a lot more than that

BAA is 700. would think Hydropolis will be much more.

you certainly can't swim to your room at the baa so i imagine the hydropolis will charge a bit more for that little 'luxury' :D

$500 per min
well not that much
but more than i could ever afford

^^ This is not a phone call you are talking about, right?

http://www.greedy3d.com/Gallery/Enlarged/IM01.jpg

is it the same...? looks totally different imo.

Where do you get all these renders? :)

BTW are they floating islands or something?

the project obviously is NOT dead

yesterday an austrian tv channel (ORF) asked us to consult it with a docu about dubai, part of it should have been hydropolis

we tried to contact mr. hauser, however, he's on a business trip in asia right now
so, the docu won't have any details about HP
at least they provided us some info, but no details on the status

as far as i can see, i'd put it on hold. it takes time, because it's a massive project never done before

i've seen the plans and a tower proposal for the landstation of 25 storeys
FUCKING AWESOME

several drawings were jaw-dropping. if this goes through, good night world!!!! :eek:

the residential tower, although relatively small has a fluid design like a sail or wing, also looking a little like a condome being built at an angle 80, like the sun tower proposal

insane design! :eek:
seems like they stick to their motto: NO EDGES AT ALL!!!

but recently a mag,the german dubai mag reported about a 60 or 70 storey tower
wonder how this one looks!!!???

Sounds great! Is is still getting built in the same place or not?

By the sound of it we probably will be paying $5000 a night

the plans were drawn for the plot next to le royal meridien
i don't think the project is feasible there

hopefully they move it somewhere else, like the waterfront

it gets lost in the marina area

it should stand free just like burj al arab

If it gets moved to the tip of the waterfront like it shows in the renderings it won't be complete before 2020 then

nevertheless it might be too far away from the coast out there, too many waves etc. and we don't know if those ballons are really supposed to be an underwater hotel or sth.

I really can't see this one happening now. Not at that cost. And anyway the site by the palm won't now suit - too much boat traffic.

i still think the will go ahead.
the question is when and where.
price does not matter.

i've seen the plans and a tower proposal for the landstation of 25 storeys
FUCKING AWESOME

several drawings were jaw-dropping. if this goes through, good night world!!!! :eek:

the residential tower, although relatively small has a fluid design like a sail or wing, also looking a little like a condome being built at an angle 80, like the sun tower proposal

insane design! :eek:
seems like they stick to their motto: NO EDGES AT ALL!!!

but recently a mag,the german dubai mag reported about a 60 or 70 storey tower
wonder how this one looks!!!???
So Dubai is building towers and skyscrapers in the middle of the sea now! :runaway:

I wonder how much it would cost to buy a land at sea :tongue2: !

So Dubai is building towers and skyscrapers in the middle of the sea now! :runaway:

I wonder how much it would cost to buy a land at sea :tongue2: !

Worlds tallest seascraper we now need seascrapercity

no, you guys got it wrong
there is a proposed tower as a land station, it's on jumeirah beach
from there a tunnel leads to the underwater hotel

How far is construction?

it hasn't started, and I'm not sure if even the location is confirmed?...

well the location was confirmed but we don't know if it was changed.

well the location was confirmed but we don't know if it was changed.


i think it has changed, to that star-fish-shaped island cluster at the Waterfront. What do u reckon?

even that star fish cluster is not (edit :D ) part of every waterfront render, there is that crossed skyscraper cluster in some of them.

consider this project on hold and as a vision
there is no way it will start construction until the middle of next year

even that star fish cluster is not (edit :D ) part of every waterfront render, there is that crossed skyscraper cluster in some of them.


hmmmmmmmm.......... i think the star fish will evolve into the hydropolis. I am allowed to dream, arent I? :D

cant wait to se this project :( unfortunatly they didnt start the construction yet i wonder why ? might be hard to build or costy but its Unique and matchs perfectly what Dubai's aiming for

any info about the project

why do you ask that , if there is anything new, this would be the first address to read it...

now, now Flo... u dont need to get angry with him. LOL

Look at this.... The Hydropolois is making headlines around the World before it has even been built.... and do they have more details than we do - opens in 2007, apparently - or am i imagining things?

http://msnbc.com/modules/take3/nov/default.htm?s=3&p=4

once again the totally misinformed media

they still claim it will be built :ohno:
without being sure when the project will start and what its status is :bash:

if it really starts next year, it would take until 2009!!!

they always claim 2006, still.no way but i think it will be definately be built sooner or later.

strange. Someone should e-mail the guys that wrote that article and ask them where they got their info from.

I always say "There is no smoke without a fire", so time will tell....

------- Dubai’s US$500 million underwater hotel resurfaces ----------------
Sunday, 18 December, 2005

The group behind Dubai’s US$500 million underwater hotel says work on the venture could start in the first quarter of next year, and is considering the opening of another undersea development off the coast of Oman.

Mansoor Ijaz, chief executive of Crescent Hydropolis Resorts (CHR), told Arabian Business the firm was close to receiving the green light from the Dubai government to start work on the project, and hoped to commercially launch the hotel in 2008. When it was originally announced two years ago, the hotel was expected to open in late 2006. “We are certainly keen as management to see Hydropolis Dubai beginning construction sometime during the later part of the first quarter of 2006, but this will depend on finalising the parameters with the Dubai Development and Investment Authority,” said Ijaz. “If we get things up and running by that time, we hope that Dubai still has a realistic chance of finishing before 2008.”

Ijaz said the hotel, the brainchild of German architect Joachim Hauser, would be built in a different site than originally planned, as the firm would be unable to construct the onshore section of the project at its first location off the Jumeirah coast. Its land station will cover some 60,000 square metres and include several retail apartments, as well as the entrance to a 500 metre underwater tunnel which will lead to the hotel.

To be constructed from a combination of concrete, steel and Plexiglas, the hotel itself will have 200 rooms and 24 suites — each expected to cost several thousand dollars per night. “The architecture of the land station requires the building to be something like 25 to 30 stories tall,” said Ijaz. “The old site we had been allocated had a height restriction of seven or eight stories, so we have chosen a different site. But it’s a secret.”

CHR, which is based in the Isle of Man and now controls the Hydropolis franchise, was restructured earlier this year and floated on London’s secondary stock exchange, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), in June. The group has developed two concepts — shallow water hotels like Dubai’s which will be built inside an outer wall and look in on a huge artificial aquarium, and developments which are constructed onshore and then towed out to deeper waters.

Ijaz said that besides Dubai, locations being considered include Monaco, Las Vegas, Rio de Janeiro, and Oman — where the group is planning to create a facility for marine research. CHR also hopes to finalise a deal with the Chinese government in January to develop a deepwater hotel in the Laoshan district of Qingdao, in time for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

“It’s more than likely that we will consider [a development] off the coast of Oman where there is a unique set of currents in the ocean that bring some of the most unique fish life together,” Ijaz said. “We are thinking of constructing a Hydropolis that would serve like a research institute and would give people a chance to come and study sea-life in a unique environment.”

Ijaz said the Dubai development, which will be constructed by German engineering group, Siemens, would become the company’s signature hotel. He said more detailed plans for the hotel would be formally revealed “shortly”. When the original announcement was made, officials said the development would include a concert auditorium and a ballroom that would break the water’s surface, and would cost US$500 million to construct.

Although CHR intends to include casinos in some of its developments elsewhere in the world, Ijaz said there was no plan to do the same with its resort in Dubai.

The move follows the opening of an undersea restaurant in the Maldives by leisure group Hilton earlier this year, and the recent announcement of plans by entrepreneur Bruce Jones to build a US$53 million underwater hotel off the coast of the Bahamas

mhm good to know it is still alive. :)

i only believe it when i see construction in the sea :D

and whuuuuuz up, they moved the location!!!!!

dubai waterfront anyone?

well dubai waterfront and late 2008 opening? doubt that, especially if it will be in one of later phases like the weird bubble thing suggest in the dubai waterfront renders...

the weird bubble thing suggest in the dubai waterfront renders...
ur insulting my house :rant:

what the heck :D :weird:

Hehe. I wonder how smussuw looks like in real life doing that grumpy rant bit :D

found this on the KT website:

Underwater hotel construction to begin next month
BY ALEXANDRADUBSKY

10 January 2006



DUBAI — The construction of the $500 million under water hotel will start in the first quarter of this year, a spokesperson of the project managers revealed to Khaleej Times yesterday.


The financing of the development is almost finalised, according to Uwe Hohmann of the Crescent Hydropolis Group, which is managing the project. "It will be a combination of self- and external financing. Banks have so far been very reluctant, though." He did not want to comment further on the issue.

The shallow water hotel will be shaped as a bowl and will be positioned on the sea ground, according to Hohmann. The deep water version is floating in the sea with anchors on the ground.

The bowl will be constructed externally and then positioned on the location. It will then be emptied of the water and equipped with huge aquariums as an attraction for the guests. "At the shallow water hotel, guests are exposed to big fish tanks that contain controlled water and fish, since shallow water is muddy and not transparent. At the deep water hotel, visitors are looking directly into the sea," he said.

The construction of such hotels would not have any damaging effects to the environment, he added.

Hotel prices per night, rumoured to reach some $3,000 per night, have not yet been announced by the group. "We cannot give such details at this stage," Hohmann said.

The company is also undertaking projects in Oman, Monaco, Las Vegas, Rio and China.

"The negotiations of our projects in Dubai and Qingdao are in their final phases, so they are most likely to start simultaneously. It is left for us to see which one will finish first," he said. Completion date for the Dubai hotel is scheduled for late 2008. Developer and architectural consultant of the underwater hotel project is Joachim Hauser, a former German Aerospace administrator.

R

construction begin next month, finally! (if this will really happen :| )

if this is true then this is really great news

too bad they didn't mention the location
looks like they will build a few more in other mega cities


looking forward to it!

let's see what other news sources say within the next few days

Would be great if this is true :D

geat news!

thanks for sharing, R. :D

thanks. would really great if it starts this year.
but then it can't be dubai waterfront actually. it must be jum beach.

BTW, did anyone notice the name of the journalist?

ALEXANDRADUBSKY. a very interesting name. Must be a new pop star or something. :D

awesome news. if it's true and goes according to plans.... imagine dubai with burj dubai and hydropolis being completed around the same time!

loving this news-update~~!!


:D

Now im just waiting for the "Dubai Space hotell" or "spaceopolis Dubai". And by that i really mean it should be located in space in orbit around the earth, or maybe the moon... :rolleyes:

With direct connection to Dubai with the new Dubai spacecrafts using fusion to generate energy which can create massive antigravitational waves and thereby slowly rise into space... again... :rolleyes:

Once in the moonorbiting "Spaceopolis Dubai 2" (the first one orbits earth), you can buy moonsafari trips to the moons surface... :rolleyes:

However, with the modern knowledge about protecting and preserving ecology and nature in general there would not be any exploatation of the moon... no rolleyes...

Interesting new atricle:

In an age when tourist trips into space can be bought for just over £100,000, it should come as no surprise that the latest innovation in travel is a state-of-the-art underwater hotel.

Crescent Hydropolis Resorts will start building the world's first underwater hotel resort off the coast of Dubai within the next few months. The company then plans to develop other underwater sites around the world.

The first underwater luxury hotel will be built 10-11 metres below the surface of the Persian Gulf. The 500-bedroom development will cost 500m (£344m) to build and will include a spa and restaurants.

Average room rates will range from 750 (£516) to 950 (£634) with the most expensive suite costing 5,000 (£3,441) a night. The hotel is due to open at the end of 2008.

Other sites being considered for future development are Las Vegas, Monaco, Dubai, Oman and China. Two of these properties will have 1,000 to 2,000 bedrooms and will cost 1.5b (£1b) each.

Funding will come from a mix of private investment and bank financing.

The future developments will be a mix of "shallow water" concepts similar to the first underwater property and "deep water" installations located 70-90 metres below sea level.

Joachim Hauser is the architect behind the project to "blend man and nature together", while Wall Street veteran Mansoor Ijaz will oversee construction.

Ijaz said: "Although the concept has been around in principle since 2000, it's only been a project in real terms since 2004. The key about Dubai is turning the vision into reality."

The project's technology partner is Siemens. The hotel will have the most advanced technology for its systems, from kitchens to fire extinguishers and oxygen supply.

Ijaz said the hotel's security system would be good enough for heads of state to stay there safely.


Now im just waiting for the "Dubai Space hotell" or "spaceopolis Dubai". And by that i really mean it should be located in space in orbit around the earth, or maybe the moon... :rolleyes:

With direct connection to Dubai with the new Dubai spacecrafts using fusion to generate energy which can create massive antigravitational waves and thereby slowly rise into space... again... :rolleyes:

Once in the moonorbiting "Spaceopolis Dubai 2" (the first one orbits earth), you can buy moonsafari trips to the moons surface... :rolleyes:

However, with the modern knowledge about protecting and preserving ecology and nature in general there would not be any exploatation of the moon... no rolleyes...
:weirdo:

so know another article with some more or less interesting :blahblah: but without any location.

but it seems like their could be two underwater hotels in Dubai, they say other sites for future development... Monaco, Dubai...

they better focus on this one for now :bash:

would be great for dubai if this concept is being realized here first and then will be spread all over the world

the idea of a 1000 bedroom hotel under water is insane, it should be something special with maybe 100 rooms

i don't want a hotel like this, with horrendous prices, to be overcrowded!

Its back in the news:

Undersea project confusion
Thursday, 16 February 2006
7DAYS

There has been confusion over the Hydropolis project in Jebel Ali. The Hydropolis underwater hotel, which was to cost $550 million, was launched in August 2003 however ground is yet to break on the project.

It was launched by the Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA) in 2003 and described as “the authority’s leading project and the first step in establishing Dubai as the premier destination for leisure and extraordinary experiences”.

However when 7DAYS spoke to the authority they first referred inquiries to Dubailand. Finally Abdul Al Gurg, special projects manager, DDIA said that it would not discuss the project under any circumstances.

Al Gurg, said he would not discuss any of their projects. The DDIA was entrusted with raising most of the capital for the project back in 2003. DDIA Deputy General Salem bin Dasmal at the time said that only 20 per cent of the total funding had been raised.

At the launch the hotel was due to be completed in October 2006. The developer of the project Joachim Hauser was uncontactable at his German office and local representatives have been unavailable for comment.

first there was hope and now one month later there is frustration

can't they just get this straight and say:

project is delayed because of financing problems and we HOPE to start construction by...

read the articles, it never is something serious, nothing straight :ohno:

bla bla bla

there are crazier more wild things get the nod but this one cant get the money ... funny

first there was hope and now one month later there is frustration

can't they just get this straight and say:

project is delayed because of financing problems and we HOPE to start construction by...

read the articles, it never is something serious, nothing straight :ohno:

bla bla bla


It is a german company afterall, what do you expect.

however ground is yet to break on the project:
How can you break ground on Hydropolis? You can part water but ground...

How can you break ground on Hydropolis? You can part water but ground...

the project also involves a land station. :)

assuming it will still be built off the jumeirah (:rant:) coast with its current design...

What's the status on hydropolis? Has construction started yet? If so, what have they accomplished..

and when's it expected to open?

I have a question : guess I am in my room in Hydropolis hotel, and suddenly I get hot.
May I open the window ? :)

u may not

WTF ?
I paid my room and I can't even open the window !
:jk: :cheers:

:naughty:

he he

http://www.hydropolis.com

great site :sleepy:

it says munich in the locations ... :lol:

i can only see pics no text..where do u click???

R

oh ok i get it...lol...see malec we all have those thick days... :)

R

It seems Mr. Joachim Hauser has entered into a partnership with a guy that in my opinion carries too much political baggage:

http://www.crescent-hydropolis.com/MansoorIjaz.html

has the name been changed to crescent hydropolis??

i would rather think this is the new name for the company developing such resorts and obviously dubai is only one piece of the puzzle

however, it is the first one!

Is this project happening or not? What's the latest word. Wikipedia says it is cancelled, however, one will be built in China by the Olympics.

The IOC is into hotel development? :lol:

bacicly it isnt being built at either of the sites which were proposed for it.

so in that sense its cancelled. butanytime a dumbass journalist with a big ego writes about dubai he/she has to mention it [its a cliched rule].

bacicly i think the designers are looking for a developer, be it dubai or elsewhere.

Frankly it would be quite a surprise if Dubai didn't do it. Perhaps they should float it as freehold and that way get more investors on board. "...by the Olympics" I meant "by the time of the Olympics."

hey ppl the project is not cancilled.... i am sure..when iwent to gitex 2005 i took one of the brusures(city&showgiude) and it says that it wll finish by 2009 i am sureeeeeeeeeeeeeeee:bash:

aloha.

several sources say that the Hydropolis Dubai has been cancelled because the cost would be very high and because of fear that the construction f the hotel might damage the marine environment. they're going to build the Hydropolis in Qingdao, China; that place is scheduled to open in 2009.

check Wikipedia for more information.

kuwaiti_patriot

^^ :no:

Once, again, I have inside info that this project, as of now is NOT CANCELLED...unsurprisingly, the dickheads over at Nakheel HQ are involved in certain matters which are delaying any public announcement.

well so it IS dubai waterfront.

i for my part also think this is going to happen, some time at least.

From what i have been told by a very nice source, Hydropolis has been put on hold so as to be incorporated as a part of DWF. I'm going to assume that this means that the project won't see the light of day till the end of the decade...

If this ends up in the Waterfront, I would see it being here:

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3641/img5030ew1bd9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Just a guess, though (that means YOU, Megatower). What do you guys think?

^^ this is where we have seen the two different "things" in the previous renders, one being some bubbles the other hone being a cluster of x shaped skyscrapers.

wow hydropolis looks pretty modern and really cool

If this ends up in the Waterfront, I would see it being here:

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3641/img5030ew1bd9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Just a guess, though (that means YOU, Megatower). What do you guys think?

(that means YOU, Megatower) ?

^^ Yeah, I meant that I didn't want you to get caught up in pure speculation. That is to say, I have no knowledge or sources to believe that it is there, just a guess, and it shouldn't be construed otherwise :)

^^ oh i see :lol:

This is not a guess, its just repeating other peoples 2 year old speculation and some questionable sources and press releases.:ohno: :bash:

^^ Thanks for being here to tell me what I am and am not doing.:mad2:

^^ were you taling to me Hollie Maea

^^ No, I was talking to DUBAI.

^^oh

I really wanna see it built. 2007 now..

hey ppl ....so am confused now is this project u\c or approved or cancelled ..........what is the status?!?!?!?!?!?!?:bash:

If they are building the Hydropolis, than where are they building it? Because it can't be Dubai Waterfront.

why cant it be dubai waterfront?

BECAUSE,ON THE RENDERINGS OF DUBAI WATERFRONT IT IS NOT THERE. I THINK IT'S CANCELLED.

News Article in Buisness Week: Hydropolis is still alive!!!


http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/12/1204_wow_hotels/index_01.htm?campaign_id=aol_travel

Wondrous Hotels
Hydropolis
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Hydropolis brings new meaning to the "ocean—view room." When it opens — as soon as the end of next year — it will sit 66 feet below the surface of the Persian Gulf and feature 220 guest suites. Its Plexiglas walls will be reinforced by concrete and steel. The hotel's developer is working on other underwater properties around the world.

"as soon as the end of next year" <----- biggest load of shit I have ever read. Simple towers are delayed so much, a project with this much engineering will take YEARS to complete. I hate developers that do this... ie. all developers

Typical eastern attitude...

^^ LOL, is WEST not East, since it is from a BusinessWeak article that has nothing to do with developers.

i have no doubts they got this date from the dev though..

yes, its really wonderfull work.


Director, 3D Labz
Architectural 3D Rendering services
St.Vincent Road, Cochin - INDIA

Email : contact@3dlabz.com
www.3dlabz.com (http://www.3dlabz.com)

I think the project is not dead. This is an april 2007 update of Construction going on. Here it says that the owner of the Hydropolis is now the Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA).

http://www.gulfconstructionworldwide.com/source/xxviii/04/images/DubaiProjects.pdf

Project started in Dec 2006 and goes to 2oo8. Consultant is Siemens GMBH

Underwater Rooms. A completely opposite trend involves hotels that offer unique experiences. Such facilities are now sprouting up in the Middle East and the U.S. Dubai is currently planning a new facility known as the Flyotel, which will stretch 200 m above the sea in the shape of a wing and eclipse the famous Burj al Arab. Hotels with a total of 29,000 beds are now also being built in Dubai's new Bawadi district, and 6,500 beds will be available in the Asia-Asia Hotel, which will be the world's largest. In Las Vegas, Siemens is supplying much of the equipment and systems for an MGM Mirage group complex that will include a 4,000-bed hotel, a casino, shopping malls and luxury apartments (→ Hotels). Siemens will also be involved in another spectacular hotel project—the Hydropolis, which will be located in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Dubai. Work on the hotel, which will have 200 rooms and be located 20 meters below sea level, is scheduled to begin this year. The hotel was planned by Munich architect Joachim Hauser for the Dubai Development and Investment Authority.

Such huge projects in the Middle East and the Unted States would be impossible without the requisite infrastructure. "You need energy and water," says Hartmann. Here, many partners worldwide rely on Siemens to help build power plants, distribution networks, water pumps and recycling facilities.

so the flyotel is also for real.

i also think hydopolis is not dead, just for the simple reason it would be a marketing disaster.

Underwater Rooms. A completely opposite trend involves hotels that offer unique experiences. Such facilities are now sprouting up in the Middle East and the U.S. Dubai is currently planning a new facility known as the Flyotel, which will stretch 200 m above the sea in the shape of a wing and eclipse the famous Burj al Arab. Hotels with a total of 29,000 beds are now also being built in Dubai's new Bawadi district, and 6,500 beds will be available in the Asia-Asia Hotel, which will be the world's largest. In Las Vegas, Siemens is supplying much of the equipment and systems for an MGM Mirage group complex that will include a 4,000-bed hotel, a casino, shopping malls and luxury apartments (→ Hotels). Siemens will also be involved in another spectacular hotel project—the Hydropolis, which will be located in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Dubai. Work on the hotel, which will have 200 rooms and be located 20 meters below sea level, is scheduled to begin this year. The hotel was planned by Munich architect Joachim Hauser for the Dubai Development and Investment Authority.

Such huge projects in the Middle East and the Unted States would be impossible without the requisite infrastructure. "You need energy and water," says Hartmann. Here, many partners worldwide rely on Siemens to help build power plants, distribution networks, water pumps and recycling facilities.

i doubt it ....gambling is illegal in Dubai so i doubt that this article is accurate

They talk about las vegas here...

so the flyotel is also for real.

i also think hydopolis is not dead, just for the simple reason it would be a marketing disaster.

Its not a disaster if you dont make an announcement or ever mention it :)

i doubt it ....gambling is illegal in Dubai so i doubt that this article is accurate
that sucks, you can't gamble in Dubai :no:

that sucks, you can't gamble in Dubai :no:

You can gamble in Burj al Arab, because it's on artifical offshore island (out of Dubai, legaly).

^^ NO YOU CAN'T!!!

that sucks, you can't gamble in Dubai :no:

Yeah, how can we here live such a miserable life.

^^ NO YOU CAN'T!!!

I thought wrong, sorry, but I support anti-gambling laws, no matter I'm not muslim but RC.

I heard that a new legislation on its way to legalize gambling in Al Bawadi.

I heard that a new legislation on its way to legalize gambling in Al Bawadi.

now thats the most interesting thing i have heard this year! but i highly doubt they will pass it...

R

^^ My friend's uncle work in Dubai World and he said so. I hope it isnt true though :)

It is not a matter of if, but when. I personally feel it is to early for that and the region is to unstable, if you know what I mean.

^^ My friend's uncle work in Dubai World and he said so. I hope it isnt true though :)

im with you on that i dont think it wuld fit in...but hey look at malaysia...they have a casino...

R

Oh, nothing *** with hydropolis. Darn

Yeah, how can we here live such a miserable life. i didnt say you do, it's just i never thought Dubai would have such a law. because look at all the tourist that come there and there's gotta be at least 1 person who wants to gamble. they better change there law in the future or they might lose tourist. if they want to gamble, not saying all tourist want to gamble

^^ they better NOT

GAmbling is for suckers. why would anyone want such stupid people in dubai?

open it up online if they must do anything.

Gambling will surely make Al-Bawadi a sure-fire success, without a doubt. I'm all for gambling laws, as long as it bans old ladies from the Mid-West entry.

so people dont bet at the dubai world cup??

betting at horseracing is like law

Gambling is for rich people. Some of my friends are professional poker players and they earn very much. Best days over 200000 dollars.

gambling is for idiots

gambling is for idiots

Thank you smussuw for your considered opinion and intelligent argument. I'm playing poker online at the moment as it happens, in my house, with my money, and involving nobody else. And your problem with that is what, exactly?

I dont see a problem.

I may see an idiot, but not a problem.

I dont see a problem.

I may see an idiot, but not a problem.

Thanks for sharing, and if that's Fallowfield in Manchester, welcome to civilisation.

ahhh thats why fallowfields sounded so familiar.

^^ probably cuz he can't gamble himself :lol:

Could someone move this thread into Sky Majlis and change the title to "Is gambling good or bad" so I don't keep checking it when there is a new post?

^^ probably cuz he can't gamble himself :lol:

You're sixteen years old, you can't gamble either :rofl:

Back from the dead. This one is from page 16, Emirates Today Online:

Crescent Hydropolis Resorts, which announced plans to build a luxury underwater hotel in Dubai in early 2006, is still negotiating for land, a top company executive said.
“Our first project will be in China, not Dubai, although the planned project in Dubai will be the world’s first shallow-water design. We are still in the land negotiation phase to start the project,” Crescent’s Deputy Chairman Mansoor Ijaz told Emirates Today in an e-mail.

In February, the company reached a binding agreement for Sheikh Fawaz Abdullah Al Khalifa, a member of the Royal Family of Bahrain, to assist it in launching Hydropolis projects in one or more of the Gulf countries.

Crescent has announced the world’s first deepwater hotel will be developed in Qingdao, China.

The hotel, HydroTower Landstation, will be built on 33,000 square metres of land, while the Hydropalace underwater hotel will be southwest of Chidao island and southeast of Xiao Maidao. The company is aiming to have the HydroTower Landstation completed in 2008, before the start of the Beijing summer Olympic Games.

Hydropolis Dubai, which was originally scheduled to open in December this year, has been designed to include three elements. These are the land station where guests will be welcomed, the connecting tunnel that will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel, and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex.

“Hydropolis is not a proj ect, it’s a passion,” Joachim Hauser, the designer of the hotel, said when the project was announced.

The £300 million (Dh2.16bn) hotel will incorporate a host of innovations that will make it an underwa ter complex worthy of the legendary author Jules Verne.

The original idea for Hydropolis developed out of Hauser’s passion for water and the sea, and goes much deeper than just building a hotel under the sea.

Hydropolis ballroom, located at the nerve centre, will have asymmetrical pathways connecting the different storeys along ramps.

A large, petal-like retracting roof will enable the staging of open-sky events.

Staircases, lifts and ramps will provide access to the ballroom, while flanking catering areas will supply the banquets and receptions.

To enter this surreal space, visitors will begin at the land station. This 120-metre woven, semicircular cylinder will arch over a multi-storey building.

Crescent, listed on London Stock Exchange (AIM), is working on underwater hotels in Monaco, London, New York and Rio de Janeiro

so Qingdao, China is going to have the worlds 1st underwater hotel right ? not Dubai

its that time again: time to move it to the "On Hold/Never Built" section.

the project located infront of the dubai marina to the left of the palm jumairah i will attach some pix soon...:)