China's luxury hotel in a former quarry

This may be only an artist's impression, but it's easy to see how adventure will meet luxury at the Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental, a five-star hotel currently being built into the side of an abandoned quarry in the Songjiang District of Shanghai.

The hotel, designed by the British firm Atkins, is set to have 19 stories and 380 rooms. Its facade will line one portion of a 100-meter-deep cave-like quarry at the base of the Tianmenshan Mountain. This quarry is partly flooded, meaning the lowest levels are set to be submerged under water, a rising trend in futuristic hotel design. The two underwater levels will feature an aquarium, an underwater restaurant and guest rooms. To make sure it blends in with the landscape, it will be fitted with an eco-friendly roof and will use natural, nearby resources to power the hotel.

Adrenaline junkies will be in close proximity to activities such as rock climbing, bungee jumping and watersports, while those looking for a more relaxing retreat can admire eco-friendly roof gardens, a swimming pool, a sports center and unparalleled scenery - including a waterfall.

According to the Daily Mail, the hotel is set to open in 2015, with rooms starting around $300 a night. Li Xuyang, a senior manager for Shimao Group said 'The roof of the hotel will only be 15m above the cave. The idea was to take advantage of this unique land form and to create a garden growing in the air. People could view the hundred-meter high waterfall from their room window. The hotel is part of the larger project to build Shimao Shanghai Wonderland, a large-scale theme park.'

How the current abandoned quarry in Shanghai looks.

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