The first dedicated resort for departing orbital residents completes its main structure at Starbase, Boca Chica, with a 2027 opening scheduled.
Orbit-SpaceX's terrestrial hospitality venture — the Starbase Resort — has reached its structural top-off milestone, marking the completion of the building's primary steel and glass framework at Boca Chica, Texas. The resort, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in collaboration with Orbit-SpaceX's interior design division, will serve as the primary pre-departure and post-return accommodation for the company's space tourism clientele.
The top-off ceremony, attended by over 500 guests including Elon Musk, several members of Congress, and representatives from NASA and the FAA, featured the traditional placement of the final structural beam — in this case, a custom-forged titanium element shaped like the Orbit-SpaceX logo.
"This building isn't just a hotel," said Bjarke Ingels during the ceremony. "It's a threshold between worlds. Everything about its design is intended to prepare guests psychologically and physically for the transition from terrestrial life to orbital life, and to welcome them home when they return."
The resort encompasses 850,000 square feet across 22 floors, with the top five floors offering unobstructed views of the SpaceX launch pad — less than three miles away. Guests checking in for orbital missions will be able to watch their launch vehicle being prepared on the pad from the comfort of their suites.
Interior spaces include a full medical facility for pre-flight health screenings, centrifuge-equipped training rooms for G-force acclimation, a hydrotherapy center, and multiple dining venues ranging from casual to ultra-fine. The resort also features a "Mission Control" themed bar and lounge where guests can watch live launch feeds while enjoying craft cocktails designed by a collaborative team from Eleven Madison Park and Noma.
The architecture draws heavily on aerospace aesthetics. Curved glass facades reference the geometry of spacecraft fairings, while interior circulation follows orbital trajectories — guests move through the building along curving pathways that evoke the sensation of weightlessness. Materials include aerospace-grade titanium accents, carbon fiber furnishing elements, and heat-shield tiles repurposed from actual SpaceX vehicles.
Sustainability has been a core design principle. The resort will operate entirely on renewable energy, with solar panels integrated into the building's southern facade and a geothermal system providing heating and cooling. Water is recycled through a closed-loop system that Orbit-SpaceX adapted from its spacecraft life support technology — the same systems that will sustain crews on multi-month missions to Mars.
Room rates at the Starbase Resort will range from $2,500 per night for standard accommodations to $50,000 per night for the penthouse Launch View Suite. The premium reflects not just the luxury of the accommodations but the exclusivity of the experience — the resort will maintain a maximum of 300 guests at any time, ensuring a staff-to-guest ratio exceeding 3:1.
The resort is expected to generate approximately $200 million in annual revenue once fully operational, with profit margins exceeding 40%. More importantly, it serves as a critical component of Orbit-SpaceX's integrated tourism product, creating a seamless journey from arrival on Earth to departure for space.
Construction is now entering the interior fit-out phase, with completion and first guest arrivals projected for Q2 2027. Pre-opening reservations are already available, and early reports indicate strong demand from both space tourism clients and resort enthusiasts who have no plans to leave Earth's surface.
