After securing patent and trademark approval this past September, the Florida-based Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel announced it’s moving forward with its incredibly ambitious (and amphibious) boutique hotel. Set to operate completely underwater, the company plans on constructing twelve separate pods, which customers can rent for roughly $3k to $6k per night. With patent and trademark support in pocket, Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel now plans on commencing construction and moving forward with testing.
Once up and running, the 12-room hotel figures to be situated some 28 feet under water with a sealed elevator lift attached to transport visitors to the body of the hotel. This body, an air-conditioned lounge which serves as a central corridor, is available for all guests to use though it’s the rooms themselves which truly stand out. Measuring sixteen by twelve feet and featuring your run-of-the-mill hotel items like a mini-fridge, shower, king size bed, etc., each room also boasts a clear acrylic wall and ceiling panel which give guests a surreal front-row view to their marine surroundings.
Aside from its stunning interior design, the hotel also harbors one incredibly unique feature — the fact that it won’t be entirely stationary. Technically a vessel, Webb’s hotel has the ability to use electromagnetic propulsion technology to change locations in the event of inclement weather (i.e. hurricanes).
“I refer to it as inner space tourism and the new industry is now ready to launch into the ocean frontier,” says managing director Tony Webb. “We will provide the protection, management, and expansion of the most fascinating hotels on the planet.”
In development for the better part of two and a half years, Webb hopes this new venture will also allow the company to give back to the community. To do this, Webb intends to devote time to researching ways in which the company can preserve and restore the world’s coral reefs. According to Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel, if left unchecked, 90 percent of the globe’s reefs could be threatened by 2030 with nearly all of them threatened by 2050.
“The philanthropic goal is to give back to the planetary community through Biorock coral reef restoration of the world’s endangered coral reefs,” adds Webb.
Though no exact date was given for when Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel plans to open its revolutionary digs, the company did say it’s deciding between locations in Aruba, Cuba, Hawaii, and Antigua, among others. With upwards of 200 inquiries into reserving a room already submitted to the company, it seems travelers are more than ready to see what this underwater hotel business is all about.
