China, the revolving restaurant capital of the world. It's everywhere. It was hip. It never works. They're still building it.
The bamboo gate opened to the world in the early 80's. The first batch of international hotels - Garden, White Swan and China Hotel - were completed in Guangzhou (Canton) in 1982-4. These mega hotels attracted thousands of upcoming hotel investors and architects from all over China to come to learn. The Garden Hotel, managed by Peninsula Hotels, had the first revolving restaurant in China. It was a marvel of modern technology at the time and quickly became a tourist attaraction. The restaurant did not have a kitchen. With the small warm-up kitchen it could only serve buffet. Henceforth many new hotels all over China end up having a revolving restaurant with no kitchen on top. After a while the attraction bacame stale, businees was down, and many were converted to discos. The music and noise vibrate through the whole hotel. Non-guests venture into guest floors.
But they are still building it. In Chongqing one recently completed hotel had a revolving restaurant added on top afterwards.
Have you folks seen any similar fiascos in developing countries?