Have you ever stayed in one of those all-inclusive, five-star resorts, that have absolutely everything on the property? You probably found yourself spending your entire vacation at the hotel, as there was no need to venture elsewhere for anything. That’s how roughly 20,000 people live in China, in a building that contains all of their daily needs.
The Building
The building is called the Regent International and is located in Qianjiang Century City, in Hangzhou’s central business district. The structure is one of the largest in China, standing at 675 feet tall, and covering 260,000 square meters. The building can house up to 30,000 people and is currently believed to have 20,000 tenants. People are allowed to leave the building, of course, but they certainly don’t have to. The Regent International contains barber shops, nail salons, supermarkets, swimming pools, cafes, and a food court, making venturing outside completely unnecessary.
Regent International’s History
Unsurprisingly, Regent International was originally designed to be a hotel. The designer, Alicia Loo, had already contributed to the Singapore Sands Hotel, which is the world’s second seven-star hotel, and wanted Regent International to be a six-star hotel. However, the purpose has now changed and the building currently contains apartments rather than hotel rooms. Monthly rent at Regent International will set you back 1,500 RMB per month, which equates to roughly 211.16 USD. If you opt for a unit with a balcony, that’ll cost you 4,000 RMB per month, which is estimated to be equivalent to 563.10 USD.
Not too bad, not too bad at all!