Float in space, dangle from a mountainside, chill in the Antarctic: extreme holidays for the adventurous
To satisfy the growing demand for one-of-a-kind experiences, hotel groups, restaurateurs and tour operators have become increasingly creative with their travel options
There’s holidaying and then there’s holidaying. As technology makes the world smaller and nearly every corner of the globe is accessible to those with the time, money or sheer nerve, hotel groups, restaurateurs and tour operators have become increasingly creative with travel options, largely because “there’s tremendous interest in one-of-a-kind experiences”, according to Orion Span founder and CEO Frank Bunger.
Tesla founder Elon Musk’s and his aerospace company SpaceX envision sending wealthy passengers into orbit within the next decade aboard a 55-metre-tall spaceship that can accommodate 100 people.
Not too long ago, space travel was the purview of Nasa and Hollywood, for astronauts and movie directors. Come 2021-2022, the world’s first commercial space stations will open to paying guests.
The Axiom Space Station is the private successor to the International Space Station (ISS), and is a working science lab that will soon be welcoming private visitors.
Orion Span’s Aurora Station is the world’s first modular station and will be home to a luxury hotel in low Earth orbit. Bunger calls Aurora a “turnkey destination in space” that can have travellers ready for zero-G in three months. Aurora is taking reservations, and Bunger says, adding: “Our current customers hail from every corner of the globe, looking for that unique experience. That’s the value we’re providing.”
Over at Axiom, the selling point could be interiors by French design icon Philippe Starck, who will carry on the legacy of the ISS with materials and layouts that have worked for nearly two decades – with a glamorous tweak for guests – as well as a trip into orbit. Axiom president, co-founder and CEO Michael Suffredini thinks there’s more to space travel than bragging rights.