Luxury Floating Hotel in the Air

Worldwide Aeros Corporation are co-developing with WATG a flying Hotel and speculate the behemoth cruise liner complete with staterooms, restaurants, shops, etc. will be built by 2010. Testing will begin in 18 months on a smaller test version of the Lighter Than Air Vehicle. The proposed 850-foot-long luxury liner is called Aeroscraft, and although it looks like a blimp and uses some blimp technology, Aeros company spokesman Edward Pevzner is quick to point out, “It’s NOT a blimp.” The Aeroscraft uses lifting gas like an airship, but incorporates dynamic liftoff similar to an airplane and is capable of vertical takeoff and landing like a helicopter.

Long-haul airships got a bad reputation after the Hindenburg disaster, but French designer Jean-Marie Massaud seems to think that the secret to resurrecting the flying gas bags is by turning them into luxurious floating hotels. The so-called Manned Cloud, which isn’t set to take flight until 2020, will cart 40 passengers around the world at a height of 18,000 feet.

When completed, the flying ship will have 20 bedrooms, a spa, a gym, a library, a bar, and a restaurant — all crammed into a two-story hanging glass structure that provides panoramic views of the world around you. With a top speed of 105 miles-per-hour the Manned Cloud can circle the globe in 10 days, and cross the U.S. on a single tank of fuel.

The Aeros Corporation is one of the world’s leading lighter-than-air (LTA) airship manufacturers. WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo) are a design consultant for the hospitality, leisure and entertainment industries. According to the designers, the ship will run on some sort of gas, rather than gasoline or diesel, making it a fully-green cruise-ship of the skies.

No price has been announced, but its sure to be a little steep for most. But look on the bright side, at least you’ll have the next 12 years to save up for a ticket!