world's first undersea residence set to open beneath the indian ocean

conrad maldives rangali island — the luxury five-star hotel — has announced that it has begun the construction of the world’s first undersea residence. aptly named the muraka, meaning ‘coral’, the project will allow travelers to sleep beneath the sea, fully immersed within the natural beauty of the indian ocean. thanks to a $15 million USD investment, the residence is set to be completed in late 2018.

the undersea residence comprises two distinct levels
image © 2018 conrad hotels & resorts (also main image)

envisioned by crown company director ahmed saleem, and realized by mike murphy, leading engineer at M J murphy ltd., a new zealand-based company that specializes in aquarium technology, the residence comprises two levels. the undersea suite (5m/16.4ft below sea level) features a king size bedroom, a living area, a bathroom, and a spiral staircase that leads to the upper level living room. a curved acrylic dome boasts 180-degree panoramic views of the ocean’s marine life.

guests are immersed in the indian ocean
image © 2018 conrad hotels & resorts

meanwhile, the upper level features a twin-size bedroom, bathroom, powder room, gym, butler’s quarters, private security quarters, integrated living room, kitchen, bar and dining, which features a deck that purposely faces the direction of the sunset. on the opposite side of the villa sits the relaxation deck that faces the direction of sunrise and is complete with an infinity swimming pool. the upper level also contains an additional king size bedroom and bathroom. in total, muraka can accommodate up to nine guests.

the upper level features a relaxation deck
image © 2018 conrad hotels & resorts

‘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,’ says ahmed saleem, a director at crown company and chief architect and designer of the undersea residence. ‘the muraka marks our second venture in underwater architecture and technology, next to ithaa undersea restaurant, which is celebrating its 13th anniversary this month.’

‘through our development of the world’s first undersea residence, we continue to shine a light on the maldives as a luxury destination as well as a cultural and natural wonder for global travelers,’ adds stefano ruzza, general manager at conrad maldives rangali island. ‘we are excited to present muraka’s unique sleeping under the sea experience to our future guests, providing them with an extraordinary seascape of the maldives from an entirely new perspective.’