A Australian property developer built the world’s first floating hotel on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1980s. The 200-room vessel survived cyclones, moved to Vietnam, and ended its days in North Korea before being scrapped in 2019.
The Four Seasons Barrier Reef opened in 1988 as the first hotel built on water. The 10,000-ton structure floated permanently on the Coral Sea, offering guests direct access to the reef for diving and snorkelling.
Italian-born Australian developer Doug Tarca built the hotel after running successful boat tours to the reef. He invested $45 million Australian dollars (£33 million) into the project, which included 176 rooms, a tennis court and a nightclub.
Tarca wanted divers to spend more time exploring the reef without travelling back and forth from the coast. His original plan involved mooring retired cruise ships, but he chose a purpose-built floating hotel instead to reduce environmental impact.
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The hotel was a self-contained vessel moored permanently near the reef. Guests reached it by two-hour catamaran trips or helicopter flights from Queensland. The structure remained stable in the water while providing standard hotel services.
The hotel attracted thousands of guests initially, with many choosing the unique experience of sleeping above a World Heritage site. The design allowed panoramic views of the coral and direct access for diving activities throughout the day.
Rough weather in the Coral Sea caused frequent transport cancellations. Guests often got stranded, and seasickness affected both visitors and staff. Business dropped sharply within a year, forcing Tarca to sell the property.
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The hotel proved floating structures could work in remote locations. It later operated successfully in Vietnam for nearly a decade and became a symbol of inter-Korean cooperation when North Korea bought it for a tourism zone. Kim Jong-un ordered it scrapped in 2019 after it fell into disrepair.
