Every Underwater Hotel in the World, Ranked

You could sleep underwater in the Great Barrier Reef or the Maldives.

Sleeping underwater became a reality with the first operational submarine in 1866. But even though submarines made it possible to submerge into the ocean, they’re not the most comfortable places.

Underwater hotels changed that. Today, nine hotels in the world offer luxury rooms completely underwater. That’s good news for travelers who love new experiences and the ocean.

Spend a night at any one of these places, and you’ll experience the wonder of marine life from your bed. They are every underwater hotel in the world, ranked on reviews from lucky travelers who’ve stayed there.

9. Lover’s Deep

Oliver’s Travels

Location: Varies depending on guest’s request

Rating: N/A

Visit it: Online

*Note: Ratings are based on trusted TripAdvisor reviews.

The Experience: Lover’s Deep

Oliver’s Travels

You will be the sole person staying in this gigantic submarine hotel, which reportedly costs $240,000 a night. That’s chump change if your last name is Bezos or Musk, but it’s a lot of money for the rest of us lowly peasants.

Still, if you can afford it, the experience is beyond luxurious. You’ll get to choose where you want to be, have a personal chef and butler and enjoy being catered to. The company that launched the experience, Oliver’s Travels, claims your stay can be “customized with optional extras including helicopter transfers with a beach landing, free rose petal scattering service or champagne breakfast in bed.”

Because the hotel only caters to the ultra-wealthy, little information and no actual pictures are available. This makes us think you either need to book a stay here through a special concierge only the 1 percent know about, or that this is an April Fool’s prank.

We hope the hotel is real because (tacky rose petal scattering aside) it sounds pretty cool.

What People Say About Lover’s Deep

Oliver’s Travels

Due to the hotel’s secretive nature, no reviews can be found. Instead, we’ll leave you with one writer’s opinion of it:

“This is the perfect destination to go with one’s starry-eyed partner. On the other hand, if it’s a couple’s fight night, it could be a little disadvantageous as it may be difficult getting some air or going out for a cigarette. Being in the doghouse could mean spending the night with the butler.” —Aaron Spray

*Reviews have been edited for clarity, as well as punctuation, spelling and other grammatical errors.

8. Utter Inn

visitvasteras / Instagram

Location: Vasteras, Sweden

Rating: 50

Visit it: Online

The Experience: Utter Inn

unusualhotel / Instagram

Not only is this unique underwater hotel the only one located in cold waters. It also is the only one in a lake.

Floating in the middle of Lake Maelaren, the one-room hotel looks like a tiny, traditional Swedish house, red-and-white paint and all. It is surrounded by a small porch, where guests can sit and take in the tranquility of their surroundings. Once inside, you can go down the stairs into the bedroom, which is completely underwater.

The hotel isn’t a cash-grabbing scheme by some greedy hotel conglomerate, but a project by Swedish artist, Mikael Genberg. Don’t come expecting personal butlers, helicopter rides and Michelin-worthy meals.

Really, don’t expect any amenities except a restroom, a bedroom and the chance to get intimately acquainted with the subaqueous residents of the lake.

What People Say About Utter Inn

unusualhotel / Instagram

“An overnight stay at the Utter Inn was one of the truly defining moments of our recent trip to Sweden. It’s entirely eccentric and altogether charming.

… So many fish paid visits to our windows! They would slide out of the yellow murk and peer through the glass at us, evincing as much wonder at our human shapes as we did at their piscine ones. We even named a few regulars; they varied in size from modest (like you’d find in a home aquarium) to substantial; we saw at least two pike that measured four feet long.

Even our slumber was special; deep and restful, thanks to the gentle current of the water, rocking us like veritable babies.” —Porpex

7. Resorts World Sentosa Ocean Suites

jeffz_xf / Instagram

Location: Singapore

Rating: 57.1

Visit it: Online

The Experience: Resorts World Sentosa Ocean Suites

rwsentosa / Instagram

If Utter Inn sounds cool, but you still want a butler and a luxury experience, we suggest trying Resorts World Ocean Suites.

The resort is made up of 11 two-story townhome-like rooms, each for a couple. The top room is above the water and has a cozy living room and an outdoor area with a jacuzzi. But the real magic happens in the lower room, which is submerged. To make things even better, the underwater room has a large bathtub, where you can soak while you enjoy the view.

Unlike other underwater hotels, Ocean Suites is not located in a lake or in the ocean. Rather, it’s submerged in a gigantic aquarium. If you’re a cup half-full kind of person, this guarantees that you’ll see a variety of aquatic life, particularly the resident manta rays that are attracted by the bubbles the rooms spew out.

The only downside is that you won’t get to see the animals in their actual natural habitat.

What People Say About Resorts World Sentosa Ocean Suites

Couple staying at the underwater hotel Resorts World Sentosa

debbwie / Instagram

“Gosh, where do I even begin! While admittedly the price for the room per night is very steep, trust me when I say that you cannot put a price tag on the experience you will get. We had such a memorable honeymoon here!

… Our most favorite memories come from just lounging in the in-floor jacuzzi bathtub in front of the big glass facing the aquarium. We literally spent HOURS watching the sea life and we saw so many different types of fishes, sting rays, manta rays and even sharks. We saw them so much closer to us than we ever would even at the SEA Aquarium and we will never be able to forget watching the manta rays doing backflips right in front of us.” —Syu

6. Jules’ Undersea Lodge

Jules’ Undersea Lodge / Facebook

Location: Key Largo, Florida

Rating: 57.9

Visit it: Online

The Experience: Jules’ Undersea Lodge

Jules’ Undersea Lodge / Facebook

Named in honor of Jules Verne, famed author of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” this hotel is Florida whimsical at its very finest.

Even among underwater hotels, Jules’ Undersea Lodge stands out for its uniqueness. For starters, the lodge is actually and completely under the sea, attached to the bed of a lagoon to keep it steady. To get there, you’ll have to dive into the lagoon and come up from under into a “wet room,” where you’ll take your gear and wetsuits off before coming into the cozy kitchen and bedroom.

And the surreal fun doesn’t end there. As you’re sitting in the retro-futuristic lodge, gasping both at the fishes and all the late 1900s gadgets around the room, you’ll have a scuba diving staff member deliver pizza for you.

Let’s face it. Only Florida would’ve made underwater pizza delivery a reality.

What People Say About Jules’ Undersea Lodge

Jules’ Undersea Lodge / Facebook

“I felt like an 8 year old coming up from the moon-pool and emerging into the undersea pressurized habitat complete with WiFi. For 3 people it was very roomy and the bunks, atmosphere and snacks were perfect.

After an hour diving around the habitat and exploring the lagoon we came back to the habitat just in time for the underwater pizza delivery experience which was a very special moment. Our pizza was delicious and filling and my wife loved her salad. After a night dive came movie-night complete with popcorn, candy and sodas. The habitat came very well-stocked. Our pet fish “Fred” stayed circling around the moon pool waiting for us to feed him.

The next morning came way too soon, with one last lagoon dive and a re-emergence to the shore where we said goodbye to the aquatic world. I can’t say enough about how special this place is and am very thankful for the group that maintains and runs it. It is a real national treasure.” — texasflash76

5. Atlantis the Palm

atlantisthepalm / Instagram

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Rating: 70.4

Visit it: Online

The Experience: Atlantis the Palm

Underwater Suites at Atlantis the Palm, Dubai

mzzzmarshall / Instagram

Move the Resorts World Ocean Suites to Dubai, and you get the underwater suites at Atlantis the Palm. That’s not a criticism. On the contrary, it’s a recognition that you actually have some options when it comes to sleeping inside a gigantic aquarium that is home to species like sharks, rays and a variety of fish.

This is Dubai, so, of course, luxury and opulence are the name of the tourism game. You’ll have a private butler on 24-hour call (but don’t be a jerk and abuse that 24-hour offering), a marble bathtub with floor-to-ceiling windows and even a personal elevator to take you up to an exclusive lounge.

The whole experience is meant to mimic the mythical lost city of Atlantis, and it’s certainly easy to believe you’re in another world while staying here.

What People Say About Atlantis the Palm

mzzzmarshall / Instagram

“The underwater suite where we stayed was absolutely fantastic and although extremely pricey, it’s to be expected for something which truly was breathtaking and a real 24-hour show. With the most amazing fish, 65,000 in total apparently, being on display 24-7 . To watch my two young boys gazing in awe for hours on end, it was worth every penny

We also had a butler whose named Alan who was absolutely fantastic and made the holiday really something special. … Overall the scale and quality of the hotel is breathtaking, the restaurants are fantastic the cleanliness is absolutely top-notch” —Grant H

4. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (Conrad Maldives Rangali Island) / Facebook

Location: Rangali, Maldives

Rating: 80.4

Visit it: Online

The Experience: Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (Conrad Maldives Rangali Island) / Facebook

The Conrad Maldives Rangali takes the underwater experience we’ve seen in other resorts and injects it with luxury steroids. If underwater luxury were part of the Olympics, this hotel would get kicked out.

Paupers stay in the main resort with boring, everyday things like overwater bungalows that let you jump straight into the ocean (yawn). But those who can shell out 10 grand (to start) stay at the Muraka.

To get to this secluded suite, you’ll get on a private speedboat. This will be your personal water limo for the remainder of your stay. You’ll be greeted by a personal island host, who will give you a tour of the two-bedroom suite above water. It includes an outdoor infinity pool. Then, you can take your time to enjoy the underwater master bedroom and its 180-degree glass dome that allows you to feel literally surrounded by the Indian Ocean.

Did we mention you also get a butler and a private chef, on-call spa treatments and fitness trainers and jet skis?

What People Say About Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Infinity pool at underwater hotel in the Maldives

fans_of_the_muraka_maldives / Instagram

“One of the best overall experiences we’ve ever had. … This is a paradise! Our spa treatments were best of class and the therapists were amazing. The staff were kind and very helpful.

The beach villa was perfect. We loved cocktail hour for HH members, happy hour along with the breakfast buffet. The scuba diving intro session was super fun and fantastic and our diving guide was amazing! She made us both feel safe and we had a wonderful time. We also enjoyed having the water sports to use at our leisure.” —Alexandria Johnson

3. The Manta Resort

The Manta Resort / Facebook

Location: Zanzibar, Tanzania

Rating: 83

Visit it: Online

The Experience: The Manta Resort

The Manta Resort / Facebook

Reviewer ratings may not agree with us, but our very subjective opinion would have ranked the Manta Resort’s Underwater Room as the best in the world.

The main reason would be the absolute seclusion it affords. Already, the Manta Resort is built on beautiful and secluded Pemba Island. Its philosophy centers on helping people disconnect and experience the island, “not as a tourist, but as a sentient human being.”

And while that would be enough to convince us to give the resort all our money, its true crown jewel is a completely separate floating lodge located 800 feet away from anyone. The lodge has three levels. The top one is a rooftop from where you can sunbathe, the second one is a lounge at sea level, and the third one is the underwater hotel room.

Throughout your whole stay, the only companions you’ll have (except for the times you’re brought food) will be the curious aquatic life peering through your windows.

What People Say About the Manta Resort

The Manta Resort / Facebook

“We snorkeled three mornings and got see the hotel’s ecological plans at work: coral rejuvenating and fish in abundance. We also took the sunset trip in the traditional fishing sailing boat as well as the sand bank trip – both are definitely worth it. But the true highlight is the underwater room, we stayed there for one night. It’s absolutely spectacular!!! Everything from jumping off the roof, to sitting on the deck watching the beautiful sunset. And then there’s the room itself — that room is worth making the trip for.” —Preeth

2. Reefsuites

Reefsuites underwater hotel in Australia

a lovely planet / Instagram

Location: Airlie Beach, Australia

Rating: 96

Visit it: Online

The Experience: Reefsuites

Underwater hotel in the Great Barrier Reef

sxmm___ / Instagram

As we’ve seen, staying underwater anywhere is an incredible experience. But nothing can compare to staying right in the depths of one of the seven wonders of the natural world: the Great Barrier Reef.

The largest coral reef system in the world, this ecosystem is unique, abundant and altogether breathtaking. Seeing it for any amount of time is an experience worth almost anything, but we are now lucky enough to be alive at a time where we can sleep in it.

Staying at a Reefsuite also provides you the opportunity to have the reef almost to yourself once the tourist boats have gone home. This intimate experience is something no day-tripper can ever get. That alone would make this stay worth it.

And if you’re not convinced yet, let us tell you that this is one of the cheapest underwater hotel experiences in the world, starting at about $900 — which is definitely not cheap, but, not impossible for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

What People Say About Reefsuites

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“Absolutely incredible experience. I don’t know how but it actually exceeded my expectations. You really can’t put into words what it’s like to sleep underwater with the fish and turtles.

Compared to other places in the world this was a very affordable experience and if you’re thinking about going I recommend 100 percent that you do it!

… The chef’s food was excellent too. … The snorkeling was absolutely unreal. I feel really sad just thinking about how I’m not there anymore.” —Nicky Beno

1. Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland

Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland underwater rooms

Management / TripAdvisor

Location: Shanghai, China

Rating: 96.6

Visit it: Online

The Experience: Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland

TripAdvisor

Even if you’re not staying at one of Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland’s underwater suites, you’ll get an aquatic experience. The hotel itself is set next to a towering rock cliff with a waterfall and a garden with a large pond. One of the restaurants, Mr. Fisher, has a large tank in its middle, to make you feel like you’re underwater.

But if this isn’t enough to make you feel like the mermaid you are deep inside, you can book an actual underwater room. The best part about the room is, of course, the view, but the hotel doesn’t skimp on amenities, which include (you guessed it) butler service.

Though it doesn’t fully stand out from other underwater hotels in the world, the Shanghai Wonderland must be doing something right. After all, it has 989 five-star reviews and a rating that would’ve made it a straight-A student in high school.

What People Say About Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland

archhilla / Instagram

“Impressive and one of a kind underwater suite, thanks to staff members of the executive lounge for their excellent service. Breakfast, afternoon tea and cocktail at the executive lounge are included if staying at the executive floors, will definitely recommend this magnificently unique hotel to anyone.” —justinwusc