Oil Rig Escape Pods Become a Floating Hotel

Garbage Architect Denis Oudendijk has gone and done the impossible by making off-shore oil rig waste actually cool. He's turned discarded escape pods into rustic, floating hotel rooms.

The UFO-esque pods are about 14 feet in diameter and can house up to three people. Keep in mind, they have had very few alterations apart form an outside lock and a chemical toilet. Original instructions, both in English and in Dutch, for tying knots or using a flare gun can still be found. Each pod goes for around $100 dollars a night, so they aren't easy on the wallet.

Denis purchased the first pod back in 2003 as part of a research project he says, "I was looking for a research vessel to study wasteflows next to rivers and canals. Living on board and mainly scouting for leftovers...I needed a boat with a roof."

Since then, Denis has purchased quite a few of them. The pods have ranged between $1,400 and $6,000 each but the real cost is in transportation. The first two pods were originally housed in the Ekofisk oil field located in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Others have come from the French oil company, Elf Aquitaine.

With all of the eschatological fears surrounding 2012, I suggest you book your stay at the Capsule Hotel today.