The gigantic moon hotel that could be built in Dubai

Whether it's a blast into suborbital space or a hotel stay among the stars, space tourism entrepreneurs believe one day we'll all be opting for out-of-this-world vacations.The team behind Moon World Resorts reckon so too -- sort of.They want to build a series of gigantic dome-like hotels resembling the moon, sitting here on planet Earth. More precisely, in Dubai.Each sphere will be a 360-degree recreation of the moon on a grand scale, complete with realistic-looking craters and texture. Each recreated moon could tower 735 feet high (224 meters) with a 2,042 foot circumference, depending on location and planning permissions.Canada-based entrepreneur Michael R. Henderson, co-founder of Moon World Resorts, tells CNN Travel that the crux of the project is the moon is a "recognizable brand.""Seven and a half billion people know it, everybody loves it," he says.

According to Henderson, each Moon World Resort will be "a very luxurious and contemporary, fully integrated destination resort, with a lot of components inside that one would already know" -- for example, a convention center, restaurants, spa, each with a lunar twist.Artist renderings envisage spaceship-style interiors and themed entertainment -- including what Henderson envisages as the attraction's highlight, an experience that replicates what it's like to walk on the moon."We will give you the ability in your lifetime to walk on what you will believe to be the lunar surface," says Henderson.Moon World Resorts has been in the works for two decades, a time line that Henderson, who previously founded a medical services company, suggests matches the slower pace associated with space tourism more generally.