The priciest room with a view could soon sit on the lunar surface, with a 22‑year‑old taking refundable deposits for a four‑guest Moon hotel he says will open within a decade.
Skyler Chan, CEO of Galactic Resource Utilisation Space recently unveiled plans to open a hotel on the Moon by 2032, with refundable deposits ranging from a cool $359,319 (US$250,000) to a staggering $2,874,554 (US$2m).
“The Moon is just the start; we want to build the first cities on Mars, using the same technology and architecture,” Chan told The Post.
An official booking website launched on January 12 with construction expected to begin in 2029.
However, this celestial escape won’t be for everyone.
Chan candidly admits the initial lunar lodging will be a far cry from a five-star resort with the hotel’s early clientele expected to be participants of previous commercial space flights and rich, adventurous newlyweds looking for an out-of-this-world honeymoon experience.
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For GRU’s more luxurious outpost, Skyler Chan is aiming for a Greco Futurism vibe. Source: GRU Space
Like founders of many top firms, Skyler Chan developed his start-up concept at Y Combinator. Source: GRU Space
The first iteration of GRU’s hotel on the moon will be inflatable to keep shipping costs under control. Source: GRU Space
Designed for just four guests, the structure will be inflatable to minimise transport costs from Earth.
As for food, forget room service or celebrity chefs; guests will dine on utilitarian, freeze-dried astronaut food.
Getting around will involve space suits and special buggies, with Chan envisioning activities like “moonwalking, exploring in ATVs like you would in the desert, hitting golf balls.”
A five-night stay is planned, though that’s less than a full lunar day, which spans about 29 Earth days.
Chan anticipates transport via Blue Origin or SpaceX, banking on drastically falling launch prices.
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A concept image of one of the rooms.
A Lunar Terrain Vehicle. Source: Intuitive Machines
Room with a view.
Despite the initial Spartan offerings, Chan’s long-term vision is grand.
“In our white paper, the artist’s impression (of our deluxe hotel) is inspired by the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco; (it’s) like Greco Futurism,” he said.
“We imagine that thousands of years in the future, people will go to the great hotel on the moon and be, like, ‘This is the first man-made building here.’ It’s very monumental.
“I grew up wanting to be an astronaut, but then I realised that it would be more meaningful to develop something that would allow everyone to go into space,” he said. “My life goal is to make humanity interplanetary before I die.”
Chan isn’t alone in this cosmic property race.
Billionaire Kam Ghaffarian’s Axiom Space is aiming for a commercial space station by 2028, positioned where the International Space Station currently orbits.
A representative noted this would “enable the commercialisation of space and the development of a global space economy.”
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also foresees millions living in orbiting space stations within decades, a prediction he shared at Italian Tech Week 2025, emphasising the accelerating pace of space development.
Swain C. Shine’s hotel on Mars is designed to be swanky and scientific. Source: Swain C. Shine via New York Post
Swain C. Shine’s hotel on Mars will be loaded with glass windows from which to take in the views. Source: Swain C. Shine via New York Post
Christian Davenport, author of “Rocket Dreams,” isn’t surprised by these bold proclamations. “People have been talking about this thing for a long time,” Davenport told The Post.
“Now, I think, for the first time in a long time, it has some level of credibility that it can happen within a two-decade time frame.”
The ambition extends beyond the Moon. In 2023, Alabama-based Above Space announced plans for Voyager Station, a luxurious orbital hotel potentially ready in five years if financed, with an estimated $1 billion price tag.
This station aims to overcome zero-gravity challenges through rotation, allowing for standard hotel amenities like classy furniture and fine dining.
Meanwhile, Indian architect Swain C. Shine has a 40-year horizon for an ultra-modern, glass-clad hotel on Mars, where “dinners will come out of 3-D printers” and guests can leisurely observe the Martian environment.
While some of these plans might sound like science fiction, the increasing interest and remarkable advancements in commercial space travel lend them significant weight.
As Davenport concludes, “The fact that people are even talking about all this shows increased interest in space,” he said.
“The advancements that have been made in the last few years, in terms of commercial space, have been truly remarkable. So, I don’t think it’s that big of a jump to at least begin imagining these new projects.”
English (US) · 