InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland (also known as the Deep Pit Hotel) is the world’s first underground hotel, has taken ten years to complete, and is located in Songjiang, around 35 km from Shanghai.
The hotel is built into the side of an 88-metre deep, water-filled quarry. Of its 18 floors, 16 are technically below ground, including two floors underwater where guests can enjoy views into a huge aquarium.
The top floor is at ground level and features a rooftop covered in flora and fauna, blending seamlessly into the surrounding area. It was built with eco-friendly design principles and generates its own power, heating and lighting through the use of geothermal and solar energy.
A glass-enclosed artificial waterfall plunges the length of the hotel, which visitors can admire from their balconies, or as they bungee jump from the top of the building.
The hotel has 337 rooms and suites with curved balconies where guests can enjoy views of the waterfalls cascading from the surrounding cliffs and the transparent glass waterfall built into the centre of the hotel.