In the SF novel
A Torrent of Faces, about a quarter of the story is taken up with a sub-story about an enormous floating resort called the Barrier Hilton. It's a gigantic semi-submerged sphere surrounded by a huge ring about two thirds of the way up from the bottom; the ring functions as a beach, complete with sand dunes. The size of the sphere is enormous; it is designed to accommodate a million guests.
In the novel, a computer problem causes the sphere to become unmoored from its supporting structure; a huge rescue operation is described. The whole story was quite detailed and imaginative, at least to my 13-year-old self.