For $50,000, a floating hotel room in Denver's skyline is yours

Keith Coffman in.reuters.com If being a mile above sea level is not high enough for visitors to Denver, guests at one hotel can pay a cool $50,000 to get an additional 22-foot (7-meter) boost in an inflatable room hoisted into the downtown skyline. Perched atop a mechanical scissor lift affixed to the roof of a van parked outside the Curtis Hotel in downtown Denver, "the world's only floating pop-up hotel" is a small but fully functional guest room, according to hotel promotional material. The 5-foot-by-7-foot (1.5-meter-by-2.1-meter) inflatable chamber - about the dimensions of an elevator - is the brainchild of New York-based artist Alex Schweder, who created the work for a local festival to promote the arts. Made of clear vinyl with inflated walls like a bouncy room for kids, the chamber is furnished with a bed, chair, couch, and complete lavatory facilities. The couch and chair retract when the bed is deployed, similar to a pop-up book. An aluminum railing around the room provides a measure of security lest a sleepwalker decide to take a midnight stroll. The floating room concept is part of the Curtis Hotel's pop culture-themed lodging experience, said sales and marketing director Kate Thompson. Other amenities included in the $50,000-per-night charge are limousine service, a Tiffany's diamond pendant and earring set, binoculars for viewing, and "groovy in-room" swag like 1960s-era scarves and bell-bottom pants. Patrons can also host a disco party at the main hotel's '70s-style lounge. And guests who buy the package will be greeted at their hotel room by Sonny and Cher impersonators. Although the quirky concept is creating a buzz in downtown Denver, so far no one has reserved the room, which will be available for another few weeks, Thompson said. "We've had one serious phone call but no one has booked it yet," Thompson said.