Hello Kitty's Palatial Resort

Hello Kitty has come a long way since her humble beginnings as a sketch on notepads and diaries. In May of 2008 she was named the Japanese Ambassador to China - Now the cute cat has a resort built in her honor in the Guansi Township in Taiwan.

The resort, which opened last year, features two buildings side-by-side, one pink and the other, green. The interior, decorated with the same color scheme, reflects how the feline would have lived, had she been real, complete with bow-shaped cushions. The resort even has a restaurant, which has a play area and serves gourmet pastries, all depicting the Hello Ketty theme of course!

As visitors walk into the resort, they are presented with a little introduction to their hostes - 'Kitty is a cheerful, warm-hearted third-grader, who loves to bake cookies, but her favorite desert is her mum's apple pie. Her favorite things are candy, stars and goldfish, as well as, anything small and cute'.

When the creators of Hello Kitty first sketched this part-Japanese and part-English girl, whose official residence is still England, they had no idea how big a sensation she would become. Today, the cat adorns over 50,000 products, which are sold in over 60 countries globally. They earn over $500 million U.S. Dollars annually for Hello Kitty's parent Company, Sanrio.

Needless to say, this cute cat is a star within her own company. The Sanrio Website is largely dedicated to her. She has a blog, 3D Japanese Television Show and a Japanese theme park starring her friends and her. She also has a website featuring Hello Kitty Games.

Are you a Hello Kitty fan? Were you ever? - Be sure to let us know by adding your comments below.