The world’s first Lunar hotel plans to welcome guests by 2032

A California-based start-up says it plans to open the world’s first hotel on the Moon by 2032, marking one of the most ambitious proposals yet in the rapidly expanding space tourism sector. The company, GRU Space, has announced plans to construct a lunar hotel designed to accommodate private guests for multi-day stays on the Moon’s surface.

According to the company’s published timeline, the first operational hotel module would be deployed in 2032 following a series of earlier lunar test missions planned for the end of the decade.  The proposed project forms part of a wider commercial push towards long-term human activity beyond Earth, with private companies increasingly targeting space tourism, lunar infrastructure and off-world habitation.

Deposits already open for future guests

GRU Space has already begun accepting applications and deposits from prospective customers despite the project still being in its conceptual and development phase. Applicants are required to pay a non-refundable application fee of US$1,000 before being considered for reservations. If selected, customers can place refundable deposits ranging from US$250,000 to US$1 million in order to secure a future place at the lunar hotel. 

The total cost of a completed trip is expected to be substantially higher. Multiple reports citing company estimates suggest a full lunar holiday package, including transport, astronaut-style training, accommodation and operational costs, could exceed US$10 million per person for a stay of around five nights. 

While some media reports have described the accommodation as costing “US$1 million per night”, the company’s published information currently refers to reservation deposits rather than confirmed nightly pricing structures. Estimates based on projected overall trip costs place the effective nightly rate at several hundred thousand dollars per guest. 

Hotel designed for four guests

According to GRU Space, the first version of the hotel would consist of an inflatable habitat transported from Earth and deployed on the lunar surface using a heavy cargo lander. The structure is intended to host up to four guests at a time and is expected to operate for approximately 10 years. 

The company says guests would have views of both Earth and the lunar landscape, with proposed activities including Moon walks, driving vehicles on the lunar surface and low-gravity recreational experiences such as golf. 

GRU Space also claims future versions of the hotel could expand capacity to around 10 guests through the use of construction systems incorporating lunar regolith, the layer of dust and rock covering the Moon’s surface. The company says later stages of development would involve robotic construction techniques and local resource utilisation rather than relying entirely on materials transported from Earth. 

Founder outlines wider lunar ambitions

The company was founded by Skyler Chan, a University of California, Berkeley graduate who has described the lunar hotel as part of a broader long-term plan to support permanent human presence beyond Earth. GRU Space has stated that revenues generated from space tourism could eventually help finance larger lunar infrastructure projects, including roads, industrial systems and future settlements. 

The company has also released a public white paper outlining its long-term strategy for off-world habitation and commercial lunar development. 

Significant technical and financial hurdles remain

Despite growing interest in commercial space tourism, the project remains highly speculative and would depend on major advances in transport capability, life-support systems, lunar construction methods and regulatory approvals.

GRU Space has proposed beginning preliminary lunar missions by 2029, including tests involving inflatable habitats and construction materials made from lunar regolith. However, no lunar hotel infrastructure currently exists, and the company has yet to demonstrate operational lunar deployment technology.

The plans nevertheless reflect increasing commercial interest in lunar development, particularly as NASA’s Artemis programme and other international Moon initiatives continue to accelerate investment in lunar exploration during the 2030s.