On April 15, North Korea will open the tallest and swankiest building in Pyongyang, the Ryugyong Hotel. Ian Guttridge “Luxury” is not the first word that comes to mind when describing North Korea.

Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, is one of the tallest unoccupied buildings in the world. Construction on the "Hotel of Doom" began in 1987 and has stopped and started several times.

Having first opened its doors in 1998, The Yanggakdo is North Korea's first luxury hotel, and authorities now hope to emulate the success of its foreigners-only casino in the Ryugyong. Casinos are ...