A New Hotel Opens… Underwater?

While the Maldives may be known for its natural environment located near the sea, it has recently been known for something entirely different: an underwater hotel. Specifically, the world’s first underwater hotel. On November 15, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island had opened the world's first-ever underwater hotel residence. The two-story hotel is set more than 16 feet below the Indian Ocean. Its name is "Muraka," meaning "coral" in the Maldives' local language Dhivehi.

The Muraka has all of the standard features of  typical hotel rooms, such as beds and showers. But unlike most hotels, it also “takes luxury travel to another level with a private gym, an infinity pool, butler's quarters, an ocean-facing bathtub and most importantly an underwater bedroom with unparalleled views of the ocean”, as stated by www.cnn.com. Harborfields student Simratleen Rana says that this feature is a beneficial one because “People could observe a lot of wildlife in the ocean. This will make people appreciate marine life more.”

To stay at the hotel is pretty expensive, with a price of $50,000 per night. However, the Muraka cannot be booked for single night stays. It can only be accessed through a four-night, $200,000 package, which includes a personal chef for all meals and the use of a private boat.

Speaking of meals, the hotel isn’t the only underwater structure built in the area. The property also contains Ithaa, an underwater five-star restaurant.

The hotel even has features for guests who are not as eager to stay below the sea. For example, the Muraka is connected to the rest of the resort (including Ithaa) by jetty, so that guests can leave the water whenever they feel the need to.There are even a few floating villas for guests who would rather just stay above the water.

Simarleen Rana