This post is posted by TheHipmunk on Hipmunk’s Tailwind Blog on January 10,2016.
If you’ve ever dreamed of living in a pineapple under the sea, that fantasy may be one step closer to reality (only replace “live” with “stay for a few nights” and “pineapple” with “underwater hotel room”). That’s because a new proposed hotel promises to make underwater luxury stays a bit more affordable.
The proposed Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel isn’t the first underwater hotel in existence. But it does differ from existing designs in that (if successfully completed) the hotel would represent the most economical underwater stay currently on the market, with a single night’s stay clocking in at around $3,000. It would also be the world’s first fully self-contained underwater luxury hotel.
The proposal just got one step closer to being a bona fide vacation option: Managing Director Tony Webb recently received U.S. patent and trademark approval for this underwater boutique hotel room concept.
Inside the Latest Innovation in Underwater Accommodations
Webb estimates that a complete underwater hotel—made up of 12 single-unit rooms—would cost $20 million to build. But the self-contained units—each consisting of one guestroom—can also be erected on their own (so long as they’re connected to a support vessel via elevator).
The rooms themselves are located 28 feet below the water’s surface. Inside each 18’ x 12’ room, guests can enjoy luxury accommodations that include a neptune-sized bed, lounge furniture, a refrigerator, audio/visual entertainment centers, a personal bathroom, and even Wi-Fi. But why log onto an electronic device when you can enjoy panoramic window views of the ocean at all hours of the day and night?
Those anxious to take advantage of the opportunity for a luxury underwater experience will need to cool their jets for a bit, though. Currently, the proposal is in the final phaseof the regulatory process, and the flagship hotel (consisting of a single unit) is deemed ready for testing. The company is experimenting with said prototype near its home base of Key West, FL; once all systems are a go, the prototype will be shipped to Cuba for testing at a resort.
If all goes well, Planet Ocean plans to invite every Caribbean island nation to get in on the action—all countries have to do is provide a mooring location for a single unit of the Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel. The company also hopes to expand into Indonesia, Hawaii, the Bahamas, and Dubai, among other international locations.
In addition to providing guests with a one-of-a-kind underwater hotel experience, Planet Ocean plans to fund and implement restoration programs designed to save the world’s most endangered coral reefs. The company has also pledged to invest in aquaculture technologies in order to help counteract environmental destruction within the world’s oceans.
Once the hotel is officially open for business, everyone will be welcome to get in on the underwater action. At $3,000 a night, a one-night stay is your most budget-friendly option. Or you can go ahead and purchase your very own single-unit Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel and moor it somewhere in the Caribbean for the low, low price of $3 million.
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