Even with its artificial islands, underwater villas, ski slopes and record-breaking skyscrapers, it would seem that the outrageousness of Dubai’s construction projects still has the capacity to surprise. The five-star Rosemont Hotel & Residences will be coming to the desert city in 2018 and will reportedly cost £230m. Operated by Hilton Worldwide, it will have 450 rooms, a fine dining restaurant, a spa and gym, and a rooftop infinity pool. Oh, and it will also have its own indoor rainforest and aquarium.
Fresh CGIs show how the hotel, first announced in February, might look. And it’s pretty impressive. The project’s public areas will be contained within in a five-storey “podium”, inside of which there’s a wealth of exotic plants, mist sprays, fish-filled streams, an artificial beach, and – above a fleet of luxury cars – what appears to be a giant aquarium in the ceiling (containing what looks like a whale shark). In one rendering you can even see a dinosaur – but we don’t think it’s real…
Ambitious CGIs and reality often don’t match up – the Sky Garden at London’s Walkie-Talkie skyscraper, which looked like some kind of rival to Kew Garden in early renderings, is a good example. And some of Dubai’s grander schemes have a habit of failing to come to fruition. But if the Rosemont ends up looking anything like these images, travellers will be queuing up for the chance to stay.
The 47-storey hotel will also have a bowling alley, adventure play area for children and a trampoline park, according to the firm in charge of the project, ZAS Architects. There’s even been talk of “robotic luggage handlers”.
