The Five-Star Apocalypse Bunker Experience: This Lounge Is Deep Underground
Through an unassuming door in the side of a hillock just a short walk from Debert airfield in Nova Scotia are four storeys of doomsday opulence. Preppers come in all shapes and sizes, with all sorts of price ranges. The super rich aren’t trying to do it DIY like the people in South Dakota turning old military storage units into liveable habitats. No, they want the country club lifestyle long after the countries and clubs have been evaporated by the heat flash of a million nukes going off.
The latest of these is the Diefenbunker in Nova Scotia. Built in 1964, it was a Cold War-era stronghold where the Canadian elite could hide from unvaccinated truckers and other apocalyptic scenarios while still running the country. Online you can still find tourist pictures of its original interior, rather grim, like a prison for the Jetsons. In today’s money it cost approximately US$50 million to build. These days its four levels have been converted into a set of 50 luxury suites. It has 24/7 surveillance and biometric access for residents. It promises “gourmet dining prepared by top chefs, and state-of-the-art facilities”, but personally I don’t think you can count your gourmet chefs till after the fallout.
The Diefenbunker is fully equipped with self-sustaining systems for energy, water, and food, allowing residents to live autonomously. That means water purification and an autonomous food supply, and a private solar energy grid. It prioritises both physical and mental health with comprehensive wellness programmes, onsite medical services, and counselling. Not to mention a fully kitted gym.
The individual rooms aren’t expansive, but are gorgeous. Two suite types are available: the Martello Suite for four, which has lofted storage and a tailored atmosphere for families, including a lounge. For singles and couples there’s the Palisade Suite, which looks to be about half the size, I mean double the intimacy. For those who really want to flex there is of course the option to make your rooms as big as you want, with services available to alter layouts to your heart’s delight.
So how much does it cost? If you have to ask, well, best be looking somewhere else to spend the nuclear winter.