Sleeping with the fishes is generally a fate one would hope to avoid -- unless you're visiting one of these underwater resorts. A handful of hotels around the world now feature underwater rooms, spas and restaurants.
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| Huvafen Fushi, Maldives |
1. Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
Huvafen Fushi is one of the most glamorous resorts in the Maldives, but it's still casual. Wearing shoes is thoroughly discouraged; even the reception area floor is covered in sand.
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| Huvafen Fushi, Maldives |
There are 43 bungalows and the room design is sleek and pared down, but guest rooms have all the latest gadgets (like Bose sound systems, iPod docking stations and in-room espresso machines).
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| Huvafen Fushi, Maldives |
Sea lovers should book one of the over-water bungalows, but if you want to be totally enveloped by the ocean, Huvafen Fushi's Lime Spa has two underwater treatment rooms which were unveiled in 2004. The hotel owners wanted take the spa experience to a whole new level (literally), with rooms that reflect the spa's philosophy, that 'water is the equilibrium and elixir of life.'
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| Huvafen Fushi, Maldives |
The spa complex is housed in a series of bungalows, and the underwater rooms are reached via a staircase and a walk down a corridor. The spa recently underwent a makeover. New features include pebble marble floor tiles, and a new relaxation room, where guests can chill out on an oversized day bed and watch the clown fish, stingrays and nurse sharks swim by.
Treatments offered include lemon myrtle desert salt exfoliations; mud wraps; massages and facials. Book at least one day in advance, but don't worry if you can't get a reservation. Huvafen Fushi's other spa-treatment rooms have glass-bottomed floors so you can still gaze off into the deep blue sea while getting a massage.
Rates start at $800 per night
Huvafen Fushi, North Male' Atoll
PO Box 2017 Republic of Maldives
Phone 960 6644 222
2. Jules' Undersea Lodge, Florida
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| Jules' Undersea Lodge, Florida |
The Jules' Undersea Lodge, named for the science fiction pioneer Jules Verne who authored "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," is located in a tropical mangrove, and used to be the La Chalupa marine biology lab. To enter the lodge, guests must scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea, swimming past tropical angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, and snappers on their way.
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| Jules' Undersea Lodge, Florida |
Given its decidedly utilitarian origins, the lodge is short on both space and luxuries. This destination is designed primarily for avid scuba divers, for whom there is no greater pleasure than to slip seamlessly into and out of the ocean via Jules' wetroom.
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| Jules' Undersea Lodge, Florida |
The décor is far from plush, but no other hotel in the world currently offers the chance to live underwater. There are only two guest rooms (with air conditioning) and a common room which doubles as a galley, dining and entertainment area with a DVD player.
Breakfast and dinner are served in the underwater rooms, but for something a little bit extra, guests can request the services of a "mer-chef" who scuba dives down to the hotel to prepare and serve a gourmet dinner. Feeling low maintenance? Pizzas can be delivered. Most guests spend their days scuba diving, and excursions to the nearby Marine Lab can also be arranged.
Rates start at $375 for an overnight stay
Jules' Undersea Lodge
Key Largo, Florida
Phone: (305) 451-2353
3. The Hilton Maldives Resort Spa, Maldives
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| The Hilton Maldives Resort Spa, Maldives |
This hotel is spread over two islands and is famed for its over-water villas, which are each a whopping 1,600 square feet in size and come with their own private sun decks and outdoor Jacuzzis. Also available are spa villas, which have their own private treatment room with sea views.
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| The Hilton Maldives Resort Spa, Maldives |
But guests can get even closer to the underwater wonders by booking a table at Ithaa, the Hilton Maldives' all glass, underwater restaurant, which opened in 2005 and cost $5 million to build. Ithaa is five meters below sea level -- diners enter via a spiral staircase from an over-water platform so they never even get their feet wet. The room has a domed glass ceiling and 180 degrees views of the sea, and can only accommodate 12 diners.
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| The Hilton Maldives Resort Spa, Maldives |
If you can tear your eyes off the views, browse the wine list (which includes a $20,000 Petrus) and the menu, which features contemporary Maldivian cuisine, like lobster served with local beach grass, lime and red pepper sauce, or scallop and reef fish carpaccio with a passion fruit coulis. Want more aquatic atmosphere? Head to the spa, which is built on stilts 110 yards out to sea.
Rates start at $510 per night
Hilton Maldives
Rangali Island, PO Box 2034
Rangali Island 2034, Maldives
Phone: 960-668 0629
4. Hydropolis, China
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| Hydropolis, China |
The aptly-named Hydropolis Crescent Group is planning to roll out a series of luxury underwater hotels around the world. The first hotel, scheduled to open in 2008, will be the Hydropolis in Qingdao, China, located in a protected cove on the coast of the Yellow Sea. The hotel will consist of the underwater Hydropalace and the adjacent HydroTower on land. Guests will access the underwater hotel via the HydroTower, which will also have apartments for sale.
The Hydropalace will be a luxury resort, with multiple restaurants, a spa and a ballroom, all with an aquatic theme and plenty of glass walls to take in the views. The décor will be stylish and organic, with plenty of soft, rounded edges -- and blockbuster views of the sea. Next up are hotels in Oman, Dubai and Monaco. The average room price will be about $600.
5. The Poseidon Resort, Fiji
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| The Poseidon Resort, Fiji |
Poseidon Resort is the brainchild of L. Bruce Jones, the president of U.S. Submarines, who is best known for building $80 million custom submarines -- so he knows a thing or two about underwater living.
Scheduled to open in 2009, Poseidon will have 24 underwater suites, all decked out with flat screen televisions, marble bathrooms and a sitting room with a library. About 70 percent of each room will be glass. There will also be 48 beach bungalows in case you feel like being closer to sea level.
Apart from relaxing in their suites, guests can spend their days exploring the sea in a personal, 1,000 foot Triton submarine, scuba diving or indulging in spa treatments. There will also be an underwater library, a wedding chapel and multiple restaurants. The cost?$15,000 per person per week, based on double occupancy.
(money.cnn.com)
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