These Underwater Hotels Redefine the Meaning of “Room With a View”
A good hotel room might offer skyline views or a peaceful stretch of ocean, but what if the scene outside your window included stingrays, coral reefs, or even a curious sea turtle gliding by? Around the world, a handful of hotels have taken the concept of “room with a view” several feet underwater—literally. Here are standout stays where the underwater views make the whole trip worth it.
The Muraka – Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This two-level suite drops guests more than 16 feet below the surface. It’s the first of its kind in the Maldives. Guests also get a private infinity pool and 24-hour butler service, but the real show happens when reef sharks and vibrant fish pass by your bed as you fall asleep.
Jules’ Undersea Lodge – Key Largo, Florida
Credit: Instagram
You’ll need scuba gear just to check into this hotel. Once a research lab, the fully submerged lodge now hosts adventurous guests beneath a mangrove lagoon. There’s Wi-Fi and air-conditioning, and even underwater pizza delivery. Fish dart past the portholes while you enjoy one of the most unconventional overnight stays in the U.S.
The Manta Resort – Pemba Island, Tanzania
Credit: Instagram
Set apart from the resort, the Underwater Room features a submerged bedroom with coral views and a rooftop deck perfect for stargazing. By day, tropical fish swirl just outside the windows. By night, lights under the sea attract marine life while you drift off surrounded by silence.
Lovers Deep Submarine – St. Lucia (or anywhere you want)
Credit: Instagram
Lovers Deep is a private luxury submarine you can book for a night beneath the waves. From coral reefs to shipwrecks, you pick the location. The setup includes a chef, butler, and soundproof quarters. It’s marketed to couples, but the novelty alone makes it one of the most outrageous underwater stays out there.
Utter Inn – Lake Mälaren, Sweden
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This floating cabin hides a submerged room about 10 feet below the lake’s surface. Guests climb down a ladder into the underwater quarters, where windows on each wall offer a peek at freshwater life. It’s small and simple, but it’s the only experience of its kind in Sweden.
Reefsuites – Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Credit: Facebook
About 46 miles off Queensland, this hotel gives front-row access to one of the world’s most famous reefs. Floor-to-ceiling windows let you watch fish, turtles, and possibly even reef sharks gliding past. The overnight experience includes snorkeling, dinner under the stars, and access to a marine observatory.
Atlantis, The Palm – Dubai, UAE
Credit: Canva
Unlike other options on this list, the views here come from the resort’s massive aquarium, not the open sea. The Poseidon and Neptune Suites look directly into the Ambassador Lagoon, home to over 65,000 marine animals. Sharks and rays often cruise past as guests soak in deep tubs with a view.
Pullman Maldives Maamutaa – Maldives
Credit: Instagram
Guests at Pullman’s Aqua Villas sleep in a space that balances land and sea. The main bedroom sits below the waterline with curved windows framing coral gardens and tropical fish. Up top, a private pool and deck face the Indian Ocean.
InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland – China
Credit: Facebook
The two lowest floors are underwater, with “Premier Underwater View” suites that look into a stocked aquarium-style pool. The rest of the resort stays above with waterfall views and futuristic architecture. The location—20 miles from downtown Shanghai—makes it an easy escape into something surreal.
Anantara Kihavah – Maldives
Credit: Instagram
The Sea restaurant at Anantara Kihavah doubles as a cellar surrounded by reef life. Guests enjoy lobster or wagyu while fish drift by panoramic windows. Though rooms are above water, staying here means waking up steps from the sea and dining in one of the world’s few underwater restaurants.
Resorts World Sentosa – Singapore
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Each Equarius Ocean Suite at Resorts World Sentosa features two levels: a patio above and an aquarium-view room below. The underwater section faces a giant tank holding over 40,000 marine animals, which means every stay comes with a front-row seat to colorful schools of fish.
Huvafen Fushi – Maldives
Credit: Instagram
This is the only place in the world where you can book a spa treatment beneath the surface. Huvafen Fushi’s underwater spa features treatment rooms with reef views. While you won’t sleep underwater, you’ll get close enough during a massage to feel fully immersed in the ocean world.
Subsix – Niyama Private Islands, Maldives
Credit: Instagram
At Subsix, guests descend a staircase from a speedboat and dine surrounded by live coral and marine life. The seafood menu and Champagne breakfast add to the surreal vibe. After your meal, you can retreat to your overwater villa, but not before watching the reef put on a silent show through the glass walls.
The Underwater Room – Planet Ocean, South Pacific
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This project envisions a futuristic underwater hotel experience, but it hasn’t been built yet. It’s designed by Tony Webb and patented in the U.S.; the Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel is planned as a modular, movable structure set 30 feet below the surface. Guests would descend by glass elevator into a marine capsule with panoramic acrylic walls, a king-sized bed, and a robotic concierge.
The Underwater Suite – The Retreat at Blue Lagoon, Iceland
Credit: Instagram
Some suites at The Retreat open up to the soft blue waters just outside your window, with moss-covered lava fields in the distance. The rooms are quiet and calming, with warm, simple interiors that make the view feel even more surreal. If you’re staying in a Lagoon Suite, you can actually slip straight into the geothermal water from your private spa area.