A proposed US$350 million five-star hotel in the form of a hot air balloon has won a contest backed by NEOM. Nimbus, conceived by a group of students at Cornell University, will fly above the skies of the giga-project as a self-contained hotel room costing $7,900 a night.

Flying above NEOM, the hot air balloon carries a luxury hotel room within a carbon fibre pod. This pod includes a sleeping area, dressing area, bathroom, foyer, lounge area, a service area for a pilot and potential butler, and an observation deck.

"NEOM is all about remote, luxurious, sustainable experiences. Nimbus allows you to soar across NEOM within a luxury hotel room. Imagine, the beautiful sensation of just moving. In a private hot air balloon, you can admire the beautiful desert landscape below," winning students Devashish Sharma, Uddhav Prasad, Eddy Kohlmann C. and Eden Brachot.

Read the full story at Hotelier Middle East