First Underwater Hotel in Maldives

The Muraka at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has been open to guests since December 1.

If you want to stay in the first underwater hotel in the Maldives, now’s your chance.

The Muraka at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has been open to guests since December 1. The two-level suite is located 16 feet below sea level and offers jaw-dropping views of marine life swimming around the structure.

“Imagine waking up to a reef shark swimming past your bedroom,” project architect Ahmed Saleem told CNN Travel last year. “This will be an incredible new way to experience these waters.”

The Muraka — which means coral in Divehi, the local language — features a private gym, bar and butler’s quarters on its upper level, with a king-sized bedroom, living room and bathroom below sea level.

The hotel is only accessible by boat, so guests can truly enjoy some peace and quiet as they marvel at fish through glass panels that cover most of one side of the suite. But don’t expect any privacy: there are also cameras for livestreaming all around the living space, so everyone with an internet connection can take a peek from above water!

It’s located 16 feet below sea level, and one side of the bedroom is completely made of glass.

The unique resort was created by British designer and ocean conservationist, Jason deCaires Taylor. Subsix is located 16 feet below sea level and connects to the main hotel by a long underwater tunnel. One side of the bedroom is completely made of glass, so you can watch sea creatures and plants swim by while you sleep! Guests can also see coral reefs, tropical fish and other marine life.

Visitors will stay in one of several luxury pods that hold two people each. The pods come with a double bed, an air conditioning system and an adjoining bathroom with a rain shower. They are designed to blend into the surrounding area to “minimize the impact on nature.”

The hotel is only accessible by boat, and there are several amenities on the surface, including a pool and spa.

To get to the resort, you’ll have to take a speedboat from the Maldives capital of Malé to Hurawalhi Island, where you’ll be checked in and taken to the villa. If you’re flying in, there’s a helipad for your helicopter ride. When it’s time for your trip underwater, you’ll head back out on a private boat with your personal butler. The room is “fully air conditioned,” so don’t worry about trying to keep cool while underwater. To maximize guests’ comfort (and also likely prevent leaks), windows are made of “acrylic glass.”

On top of what appears to be an amazing stay experience, the hotel offers plenty of activities to ensure guests are having a good time above water as well. There’s diving, snorkeling and sunset cruises, as well as spa treatments and meals served both above and underwater (if you want).

There are two bedrooms and bathrooms, so guests can bring three friends along for their stay.

As for how much it’ll cost you to stay at the world’s first underwater hotel, plan on bringing about $50,000 for your trip. Though it may seem steep, the price includes roundtrip flight transportation from anywhere in the world. You can bring three guests along with you and there are two bedrooms and bathrooms, so you don’t have to worry about sharing a bed with strangers during your trip.

The hotel is located 16 feet below sea level and is only accessible by boat, but it also has an infinity pool above water that overlooks the ocean and airport runway. The bedroom is built as a submerged glass pod that connects visitors directly to the ocean floor and its inhabitants.

Staying at the hotel is expensive, with the lowest room rate starting at $50,000 per night and going up to $100,000 for a special occasion.

So, before you exit your bedroom to go exploring (or do whatever it is you do on vacation), take a moment to mentally picture what your underwater suite looks like from the outside. If that’s not enough of a break from reality for you, try this visualization exercise:

Imagine that instead of going on vacation, you spent the same amount of money ($50,000+) on something else. For example:

• $50,000 could buy about 10 new cars—we’re talking brand new Toyotas with all the bells and whistles here.
• $50,000 could also cover just over 5 months in college—a pretty sweet jumpstart toward a bright future.
• $100,000 might be closer to what some choose to spend on their wedding day (and honeymoon!)—but would still leave enough cash leftover for almost another full wedding and reception!

There’s a new luxury underwater hotel in the Maldives that’s available for reservation.

The good news: A new underwater hotel in the Maldives just announced that it’s accepting bookings. The bad news: A one-hour massage starts at $430 dollars, and a night in the swanky suite will cost you close to $30,000. We’ll let you decide if it’s worth the price tag—but we can tell you this much: The place looks unreal and is guaranteed to make your friends jealous.

Located in the Maldives, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island offers guests two different underwater experiences within its huge complex of 150 villas on three separate islands. One experience is called “Muraka,” which is built beneath 16 feet of water and has views of swimming fish. The suite has a bedroom with a king-size bed and soaking tub that overlooks an aquarium wall; there’s also a private gym and butler service for all your needs (which we hope includes feeding those fish).

The other underwater experience is called “Ithaa Undersea Restaurant.” Located five meters below sea level on Rangali Island, Ithaa serves contemporary European cuisine such as lobster tail with vanilla butter sauce—all while surrounded by marine life on all sides through acrylic walls. If you want to take photos of your meal without any horrible reflections from your glass (sorry, we know how frustrating that can be), head there between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the restaurant receives sunlight from above.