A new experience in Amsterdam

If you consider sleeping on an airplane to be uncomfortable, cramped and prone to temperature extremes, take a look at the conditions aboard this Ilyushin 18 airplane. A Cold War-era plane turned into a luxury hotel with the intact cockpit is pictured at the airport… A Cold War-era plane turned into a luxury hotel with the intact cockpit is pictured at the airport in Teuge on July 17, 2009. If you have a hankering to join the mile-high club but you’re frightened of flying, Holland’s brand new Honecker Hotel could be just the ticket. (Vincent Jannink/AFP/Getty Images)This particular aircraft at Amsterdam’s Teuge airport is not cleared for takeoff. It has been turned into a 5-star hotel suite and will stay permanently parked at the end of a runway. Dutch entrepreneur Ben Thijssen spent approximately $640,000 to convert the 131-foot long aircraft into a hotel with wings. He outfitted it with premium amenities including a whirlpool, infrared sauna, three flat-screen televisions, a kitchenette and wireless internet. Staying in this unique suite will only run you approximately $500 per night and includes breakfast for two. Thijssen told ABC News.com that his Hotel Honecker has enjoyed enormous success since he opened it on a trial basis to work out the kinks. The hotel will be officially launched on Aug. 1.