World's First Underwater Villa to Open in Late 2018

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island announced on Tuesday the construction of the world's first undersea villa, a $15 million submersion project that's already underway. The new villa is set to open in November 2018 and will join the ranks of the hotel's underwater restaurant, Ithaa.

This is the first undersea villa of its kind — it will allow guests to immerse themselves in the Indian Ocean. Other underwater villas exist already but in man-made aquariums, this is believed to be the first villa in the open seas.

The undersea residence will be named THE MURAKA, which means coral in Dhivehi, the local language in the Maldives. The villa is designed to blend in with its surroundings in the Indian Ocean, one of Earth's most breathtaking marine environments. The villa will be situated so that the vibrant colors and vast array of marine life will be able to be seen from every corner of the room.

"Driven by our inspiration to deliver innovative and transformative experiences to our global travelers, the world's first undersea residence encourages guests to explore the Maldives from an entirely new perspective below the surface of the sea," Ahmed Saleem, a director at Crown Company and chief architect and designer of the undersea residence, said in a press release. "Through our rich history of being a trailblazer in innovative luxury hospitality, we are proud to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge design, technology and architecture."

The villa will be a two-level structure with part of it it above sea level; the residential area will be located more than 16 feet below the ocean's surface and will feature a king-size bedroom, living area, bathroom and spiral staircase that leads to the area above sea level. The upper area will feature a twin-size bedroom, bathroom, gym, living room, kitchen and a deck that faces the sunset as well as many other features. The villa will be able to accommodate nine guests.

Typically, the overwater villas at the Conrad Maldives are available for about $1,400 (although prices vary) or 322,000 Hilton Honors points. Architectural Digest is reporting that the undersea villa will be available for $50,000 a night. The Conrad Maldives has not responded to TPG's inquiry on the nightly rate for the villa.

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The Conrad Maldives offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. The resort features 12 (overwater) villas and 12 restaurants and bars as well as two spas that were built to flow with the natural surroundings. The resort hopes that the new underwater villa will continue to bring its guests even closer to the natural world.