The world’s first underwater hotel residence has officially opened in the Maldives. Named The Muraka – which means ‘coral’ in the local language Dhivehi – promises to offer its wealthy customers an “intimate and immersive experience of one of the Earth’s most breathtaking marine environments.” There are already a bunch of underwater restaurants around the globe. But The Muraka is the first ever underwater hotel residence of its kind. And this Maldives underwater hotel is not cheap.
The Muraka offers once-in-a-lifetime experience
Hilton’s Conrad Hotels & Resorts group announced that The Muraka was ready to open at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. The two-story Maldives underwater hotel has one part above the Indian Ocean surface and another part 16.4 feet below the surface. The two levels are connected by a spiral staircase.
The top level is spread over 550 square meters and has a sunrise-facing relaxation deck. The underwater sections occupy 102 square meters. According to the Architectural Digest, the top level has “glass walls that offer views of the waves, a private jetty, infinity pool and secluded decks.”
The undersea level has a “curved ceiling, wide windows and fish peep show bathroom.” It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, if you can afford it. You will be sleeping with sea creatures such as the fish, sharks, stingrays, turtles, and more. Separating you with them will be a transparent glass wall. For a lot of people, falling asleep with all those creatures staring at you from just a few meters away could be a bit of a challenge.
The Muraka general manager Stefano Ruzza said in a statement that the Maldives underwater hotel is an “extraordinary vehicle for a truly immersive journey into nature which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.” Ruzza said it would bring “unique travel experiences” to their rich guests. To reach The Muraka, you can choose to get picked up from the main Conrad resort in a speedboat or jet to the Maldives underwater hotel in a private seaplane.
The ultra-luxury hotel will have a dedicated speedboat for you. It will also have a dedicated 24/7 staff including a personal chef for all meals and a butler. There will also be massage therapists, personal trainers, and other specialists available via appointment.
The Muraka is connected to the rest of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island by jetty if you want to hang around with other travelers. The Maldives underwater hotel can accommodate only nine guests.
The Maldives underwater hotel is crazy expensive
A stay at the hotel is going to cost you $50,000 per night. But you can’t book a room there for a single night. The Muraka offers a four-night package that costs $200,000, which includes the cost of a personal chef, a butler, and the use of a private speedboat. People buying the package will automatically get the Hilton Diamond status.
The underwater hotel was designed by New Zealand-based design firm MJ Murphy Ltd. It’s the same firm that had designed Conrad Hotels & Resorts’ five-star underwater restaurant Ithaa in the Maldives. Its design is similar to that of Ithaa, with a curved acrylic dome.
The designers were mindful of the aquatic environment when building The Muraka. They built the entire structure in Singapore and then transported it to the Maldives. After putting it into the water, they used concrete pylons to keep it in its place during high tide or rough waves. If you think the Maldives underwater hotel is just too much for you, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island also offers floating villas to its clients.
Though The Muraka claims to be the world’s first underwater hotel residence, there are already a bunch of undersea hotels that you can spend a night in. Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai and the Manta Resort on the Pemba Island offer similar experiences. And then there is Singapore’s Resort World Sentosa that offers guests two-story ocean suites.