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BEIJING, Nov. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The first commercial space hotel is expected to open in 2012, according to a plan of the Galactic Suite Space Resort company as quoted by media reports Thursday.

If the hotel opens, the Barcelona, Spain-based architects of Galactic Suite say it will cost about 4.4 million U.S. dollars for a three-night stay at the hotel.

Galactic Suite plans to transport its travelers to space via Russian rockets from a spaceport to be built on a Caribbean island. The trip to the hotel will take one day and a half and guests will undergo an eight-week training course in the Caribbean prior to launch.

The hotel is expected to be constructed of connecting pods around a central hub. Each pod will be able to hold four guests and two astronaut-pilots.

During guests' stay, they would see the sun rise 15 times a day and travel around the world about every 80 minutes. They would wear velcro suits so they can crawl around their pod rooms by sticking themselves to the walls like Spiderman.

Galactic Suite Ltd's CEO Xavier Claramunt, a former aerospace engineer, said the project will put his company at the forefront of an infant industry with a huge future ahead of it, and forecast space travel will become common in the future.

"It's very normal to think that your children, possibly within 15 years, could spend a weekend in space," he told media.

So far 43 paying guests have already reserved a spot, while more than 200 have expressed interest, Claramunt said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/05/content_12390374.htm