Willing to splurge? This hotel on the Moon is now taking reservations
A startup is giving new meaning to a room with a view. Instead of a hotel room window framing a beautiful beach or a city skyline, GRU Space's accommodations will give guests a lunar experience.
The company in Silicon Valley, founded by Berkeley graduate Skyler Chan, is now taking reservations for its upcoming hotel on the Moon.
But a spot doesn't come cheap, as you'll have to make a deposit of either $250,000 (P14.8 million) or $1 million (P59.3 million), depending on the stay you select.
GRU Space aims to deploy the hotel, which will be built on Earth, in 2032.
"Designed to operate for 10 years, the hotel offers views of the lunar landscape and Earth, along with envisioned experiences such as surface experiences including Moonwalks, driving, golfing, and other activities," its website states.
According to the company's white paper, the first version of the hotel will begin with inflatable habitats that can house four guests for an average of five nights. The structure will last for 10 years before it's replaced with a more permanent one with expanded capacity.
Before deployment, the company will start by reviewing early mission applicants in 2026 and lunar systems tests in 2029, during which it will also convert lunar regolith into Moon bricks for the construction of buildings.
The company believes that the demand for space tourism will grow, as celebrities have started to fly to space. It also stated that there's a hunger for "super-premium" experiences and that such encounters are "running out" on Earth.
According to an Observer report, initial target customers include adventurers, couples looking for luxurious honeymoon plans, and repeat spaceflight participants.
"We live during an inflection point where we can actually become interplanetary before we die," Chan, who founded the company at 22, said in a statement. "If we succeed, billions of human lives will be born on the moon and Mars and be able to experience the beauty of lunar and martian life."
In an interview with Ars Technica, Chan noted that there has to be a destination worthy of staying on the Moon.
"Our conviction is that the fundamental problem we have to solve, to advance humans toward the Moon and Mars, is off-world habitation."
After the Moon, GRU aims to provide similar experiences on Mars.
The company has received early support from Y Combinator as well as investors in SpaceX and Anduril.
Final pricing has yet to be determined, but the company said that it will likely exceed $10 million (P593 million). Interested applicants must also pay a non-refundable $1,000 (P59,000) fee.
You can book a reservation here.
