space hotels [WAS space elevator]

--- In spacesettlers, "ANTIcarrot" wrote:

> The people 'looking after' the guests will probably be the pilots
> who take them up and down. Remember this will likely be more like an
> organised camping trip, in that there will be limited runing water,
> no toilet, and sleeping bags are the order of the day.

I absolutely expect that this will be the case for the first
half-dozen years, even the first decade, and the "roughin' it among
the stars" image will be part of the draw. But if it makes money,
somebody's going to decide they can make a bundle on tourists who
aren't so tough. Running water, toilets that don't look like they are
strait out of _2001: A Space Odyssey_, and gourmet meals will also be
part of the draw.

> The tour guide will also, in the nicest possible way of course, have
> absolute power of god over you due to simple health and safety.

I suspect that this will NOT change, though the person with power may
be based on the hotel, like the captain of a cruise ship. Just what
power does a cruise ship captain have over passengers? I suspect he
can kick people off the ship at the next port (have security stuff
your butt into the next shuttle down).

> The finest space hilton will barely merit a half star for the
> foreseeable future.

While I'm not quite so worshipful of "The Market" as some around here,
I do think that it is a powerful thing. Thus, I suspect that, as soon
as there ARE Space Hiltons (Space Princess Cruises?), and mere
millionaires (not just billionaires) can afford to go once every, say,
five years or so, the market will take over and drive prices down
while driving amenities up.

> Which probably won't bother the guests, as there will be lots of
> stars visible out the window.

There sure will be. Can you imagine the honeymoons and anniversaries?
"Well Honey, I did promise you the Earth, the Moon and the stars."