Free Republic

The Ryugyong Hotel has become a symbol of North Korea's economic problems The 105-storey hotel which dominates the skyline of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, may open next year, 26 years after construction began. The pyramid-shaped building has become known as the "Hotel of Doom". The chief executive of the Kempinski group, which will manage the Ryugyong hotel, said only 150 rooms on the top floors would be used as a hotel. Reto Wittwer said shops, restaurants and offices would eventually open on the lower levels. Construction on the building began in 1987. It is the 47th tallest building in...

The truth about North Korea's glittering 'Hotel Of Doom' built to symbolize country's supremacy: There's nothing but a derelict shell inside From the outside, its shiny windows and soaring towers make it look decidedly futuristic and luxurious. But after visitors walk through the doors of North Korea's Ryugyong Hotel - which has taken twenty years to build - they see it is just a concrete shell. The interior of the 105-story, pyramid-shaped resembles a multi-storey car park, with its concrete floors and bare columns. Beijing-based Koryo Tours got a peek at the vast interior of the hotel in Pyongyang, the...

North Korea's 'Hotel of Doom' to open 24 years after construction For more than two decades, an unfinished pyramid-shaped tower dubbed the "Hotel of Doom" has marked Pyongyang's skyline. By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo 12:04PM BST 10 Oct 2011 Now, 24 years after it was first started, the hotel which once aimed to be the world's tallest tower will finally open its doors in the North Korean capital. Ryugyong Hotel, a glass tower spanning 105 storeys and rising 1,080ft high, will partially open in April next year following decades of delays, according to reports. The long-delayed opening will coincide with...