A new hotel will be built on the tropical island of Kuredhivaru in the Maldives Islands, and it is set to look like a space-age hotel, with the design making the hotel appear to hover over the water, with supporting legs built under the water, according to CNN. The National Ministry of Tourism approved the plans for the underwater hotel last week.
The hotel will be called the Water Discus Hotel, and it will be a multi-million dollar resort featuring 21 moveable rooms in the middle of the coral reefs. It will also feature two large disc-shaped lounges seven-meters above the water that will house a luxury restaurant and a spa. They will connect to a glass tunnel that will plunge 30-meters underwater, leading to 21 bedrooms.
A Dubai construction company is also in negotiations to built the structure in the United Arab Emirates as well.
"There are many people who will never have the courage to dive to these beautiful reefs," Pawl Podwojewski, the designer, told CNN. "But here you will have the chance to explore an underwater world from the comfort of your bedroom."
The company describes the hotel, designed by Deep Ocean Technology, and backed by Swiss investors, as "Star Trek meets the undersea world of Jacques Cousteau."
The hotel will have plenty of amenities above water, too. There will be a helicopter landing pad and a rooftop swimming pool.
"A lot of people have said it looks like something from a James Bond film," Podwojewski said. "I'm a big fan of the movies, so perhaps that was an inspiration.
"I wanted to keep it as sleek and simple as possible, so the sphere shape is very efficient," he added.
Guests will be able to enjoy the view of the reefs from their rooms. For those that want to venture into the water, guests will also be able to dive in from the hotel's airlock compartment, which will have its own decompression chamber. A three-passenger deep-sea submarine will even be available to guests.
The hotel moves like a spaceship, able to slide to the surface in an emergency.
"If you need to replace a window for example, it's very difficult underwater," Podwojewski said. "So we wanted to build a building that can surface any time for maintenance or safety.
"It's a bit like a balloon underwater - when we let go of the water from the room's huge tanks, the balloon will surface automatically," he added. "It doesn't need to rely on electricity."
The developers hope that by laying the foundation in as few points as possible, they will be able to limit the environmental impact. They also hope to rebuild coral reefs by growing the eco-systems in a special plantation before relocating them around the hotel.
"To preserve the natural environment we have developed a couple of kinds of foundations depending on the local conditions," Podwojewski said. "The key is to touch the sea ground in just a few points.
"Most probably the hotel will land on a flat sand area to reflect the sun rays inside the rooms and the reef will be additionally planted around the hotel rooms to enrich the view."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
