World's Most Notoriously Unfinished Hotel Finally Opening (Supposedly)
A big, tentative congrats to North Korea, whose infamous Ryugyong Hotel (aka the "Hotel of Doom") is slated to open its doors in April 2012—only 24 years after its groundbreaking, and just in time for the 100th birthday celebration of O.G. Most Glorious Leader on High Kim Il-sung. Sadly, he won't be doing the ribbon-cutting because he died in 1994. But his ghost is expected to haunt and place bugs in some of the rooms.
At 105 stories, Ryugyong was once supposed to be the world's tallest tower. However, "[t]he collapse of the Soviet Union, economic mismanagement and natural disasters," plus food shortages ("national diets"), all delayed its completion, the Telegraph reminds us. At times the Ryugyong has been more a symbol of shame than one of pride. But an Egyptian outfit got involved three years ago and finally made its completion possible. Soon Pyongyang will become the world's top tourist destination, because everyone will want to enjoy the Ryugyong's amenities (spectacular views, ultimate privacy). Everyone except South Korean activists, because of the poison needle attacks.
