Best hotels with underwater rooms: Top 7 places to stay under the ocean's surface with sea creatures outside your window
"Underwater" hotels today are no longer the fiction of some fantasist but a very real opportunity to observe marine life in different parts of the world from an unusual angle. In recent years, tourist services have been supplemented with such an "underwater" offer, which quickly gained fans among travellers from all over the world. It's a very different experience, allowing you to get to know the ocean floor and the inhabitants of its waters more than snorkeling and scuba diving can provide.
You may have already heard of the first underwater rooms appearing in Dubai hotels, but such original accommodations have popped up all over the world. Such experiences naturally can't be cheap, but there are hotels with underwater rooms at a pretty reasonable price as far as first-class resorts go. You can vacation on the ocean and dive into its abyss countless times and admire the constellations of reef fish, but sleeping in the ocean's water column will give you a completely incomparable experience.
Get ready for an exciting adventure at these top hotels with underwater accommodations.
1. Atlantis, The Palm - Dubai
One of Dubai's most luxurious hotels, Atlantis The Palm, provides equally luxurious accommodation in its two underwater suites. You can choose between two three-storey suites, Poseidon and Neptune, which are a haven of peace and tranquility. They feature huge floor-to-ceiling windows, behind which an aquarium with several tens of thousands of marine animals opens up. Guests can relax in the chic marble bathtub overlooking the Ambassador Lagoon and settle into bed to watch fish, rays and sharks swim past the window. A luxurious elevator takes you up to the cosy living room, beyond which the waters of the lagoon splash. Room amenities include breakfast, minibar, 24-hour butler service and in-room check-in. In addition to these, guests of the most luxurious underwater rooms in the hotel receive other extras such as airport transfers, access to the pool, beach and water park, priority restaurant reservations and more.
2. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, The Muraka - Maldives
The Muraka is a luxurious split-level villa with both underwater and overwater accommodation and is part of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, one of Hilton's most luxurious hotels. Submerged in Indian Ocean waters more than 16 feet below sea level, the underwater portion of the residence consists of an exquisite bedroom with a 180-degree curved acrylic dome, a living room with full-wall panoramic windows, a walk-in closet, a bathroom and a tunnel viewing room. A spiral staircase or elevator takes you to the upper level of the villa, which includes two bedrooms and a bathroom with ocean views, as well as an outdoor terrace with a landscaped pool. Private butler service is included in the villa's rates. But Villa Muraka isn't the only place at the resort where you can explore marine life as a discreet observer: the underwater restaurant Ithaa offers dining 16 feet below the ocean's surface and a coral garden.
3. Hotel Utter Inn, Sweden
One of Sweden's most unusual "underwater" hotels, Utter Inn, provides its own little nook below the surface. It is located in the town of Västerås about a kilometre from the mainland. From the outside, it looks like a small red house surrounded on all sides by water. It is actually a small cottage located on a pontoon in Lake Malar. Hotel guests are taken to the underwater rooms by inflatable boat. They have the opportunity to swim, sunbathe and watch the sunset while sitting on a small terrace before heading to the bedroom located about 10 feet underwater. The bedroom has twin beds, surrounded on all sides by panoramic windows through which you can see the swimming fish. This is a small room that would make for a memorable vacation for two and would make a great gift for a special occasion. The upstairs room has a stove, fresh water and utensils. Breakfast can be ordered in advance and dinner should be brought with you. The hotel is open from April through November.
4. Cruise Whitsundays Reefsuites, Australia
The first underwater accommodation on the Great Barrier Reef has been offered by cruise company Cruise Whitsundays, creating the first of Australia's hotels with underwater rooms. A night here will be magical thanks to the opportunity to view the magnificent underwater world of one of the most colourful reefs on the planet. The hotel has two underwater rooms at a depth of approximately 13 feet with one king-size or twin beds with premium linens. Each room has an en-suite bathroom with full-wall glass windows from which you can see the underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef in all its glory. All-inclusive underwater room rates include all meals (from breakfast to dinner), all beverages including wine and beer (but cocktails and other alcohol are charged separately), access to the underwater observatory and some activities on the reef. For example, guests can take a private semi-submarine tour or a guided snorkeling trip. A stay at the hotel is also available during a Whitsunday Islands cruise.
5. The Manta Resort, Tanzania
Part of Tanzania's cherished hideaway on Pemba Island in the Zanzibar archipelago, one of the most unique hotels is a secluded off-island villa in a protected area with rooms underwater. It resembles an inverted aquarium with the most interesting part hidden in the water column. It can be reached by boat in a few minutes. The villa has three levels: one terrace with places to lie under the sun is located on the roof, second is at sea level, and guests from both can enjoy panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. There is also a living room, a bathroom, a dining area with a table and a sofa. The third level is underwater and houses an exquisite bedroom with a large bed and windows on all sides, through which you can watch schools of reef fish and other marine life. The resort is all-inclusive and meals are brought to the villa at agreed times. The underwater room can be rented for a minimum of three days. Other amenities at the island resort include a restaurant, a pool, a beach bar, and an exquisite spa.
6. Resorts World Sentosa Ocean Suites, Singapore
What sets Resorts World Sentosa Ocean Suites in Singapore apart from other top hotels in its chosen category is that it has not just one or two but 11 underwater rooms with five-star comfort and private butler service. Located next to the aquarium and water park, they are designed as a two-storey townhouse with underwater and above-water levels to offer guests the "best of both land and water". The upper level features a living room and an outdoor patio with a hot tub. On the lower level, there is the bedroom with a comfortable bed with an exclusive RWS Serta mattress, luxurious 400 thread count linens and a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the breathtaking underwater world. Without getting out of bed, guests can admire the richness of the area's waters, which are home to more than 40,000 sea creatures. Other room amenities include a 50-inch TV with cable, a safe, a coffee maker and free Wi-Fi access.
7. Jules' Undersea Lodge, Florida
One of the most unusual hotels in the world is located in Florida and is dedicated to the work of writer Jules Verne, whose pen is responsible for the novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, among other things. What sets this underwater hotel apart from other famous hotels with underwater rooms around the world is that snorkeling is the only way to get to your room. So this accommodation option is only suitable for active travellers. This lodge used to be home to a marine research centre. It overlooks a protected mangrove lagoon and a reef fish feeding area. Inside, the lodge has two separate rooms that can accommodate 4 people maximum, a shower room and a living room with 42-inch round windows in each area. A pizza dinner delivery is included in the price, and staff are on duty around the clock to ensure their guests are safe and comfortable. Vern's Underwater Lodge offers not only overnight stays but also three-hour stays for an underwater experience.
