Here’s What It’s Like to Spend a Night in a $19,000 Underwater Hotel.
Sleeping in an underwater paradise
Nestled in the crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean, is a lavish overwater villa that is definitely one of world’s most expensive and unique hotels- The Muraka. For one night, we decided to splurge and pay the $19,000 price tag to experience what a stay in such a luxurious hotel is like.
Just one night here was enough to convince us that The Muraka residence at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort is, hands down, our favorite place we have ever stayed! And we think once you learn a little more about it, you’ll agree with us.
What is the Muraka?
Muraka is the Maldivian word for coral and this name is very fitting for this villa because you can see plenty of coral from the villa’s underwater bedroom. Yep, you heard that right. Underwater bedroom.
The one-of-a-kind Muraka residence features two stories: a luxurious overwater villa and a bedroom submerged 16 feet below the ocean. In fact, there are only a handful of underwater hotel rooms in the whole world (in locations like Tanzania, Australia, and Singapore), but the Muraka is known for being the first of its kind…and also the most expensive.
A stay in this very special villa does not come cheap– prices start at a staggering $9,999 a night, but it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Let’s walk through what is included in this price tag so you can see why this place was 110% the best hotel we’ve ever stayed in.
The Overwater Villa
Even without the underwater bedroom level, the overwater villa level of The Muraka could make it onto the list of our Top 10 favorite accommodations. Seriously, this place is truly magnificent.
The floor-to-ceiling windows in nearly every room provide stunning ocean views everywhere you look. View of the ocean from the treadmill in the villa’s private gym? Check. More ocean views from the claw foot tub of the most beautiful master bathroom in the world? Also check. Even MORE ocean views from the bar stocked with rose and gold-dusted chocolates? You guessed it- check.
As if all these rooms weren’t enough, the villa also features two private decks with lounge chairs, a pool, an outdoor shower and direct ocean access for some amazing snorkeling with all kinds of marine life. The villa faces away from the rest of the resort, so you’ll have complete privacy anywhere you go, making it feel like you are in your own personal tropical haven. If you want to splurge a little bit more, you can even hire a personal chef to cook for you in the villa’s full kitchen.
The Underwater Villa
The luxury of the overwater villa was so over the top that we were almost tempted to sleep up there instead of the underwater bedroom. Though we’re so glad we didn’t because just a quick elevator ride down took us to an entirely different world.
Right as you exit the elevator you’ll be met with a massive window overlooking a coral reef that is home to thousands of tropical fish. Around the corner is the bedroom, which is completely made of glass providing 360 views of vibrant ocean life. The completely glass theme continues into the bathroom where you can observe more ocean life while showering or brushing your teeth…this has to be the world’s best bathroom view!
We thought the view was impressive during the day, but once the sun went down, the ocean really came to life. The room included an iPad where you could control the color and brightness of the sea floor lights and the sea life flocked to those lights for some fish disco action, putting on a show that we’ll never forget.
Our kinda sorta serious recommendation? Book your flight and a stay in one of the resort’s more affordable rooms using points. Then, bring a whole bunch of friends (and maybe a few air mattresses) and split the cost of The Muraka for just one night. You won’t regret it!
Want to see this underwater hotel for yourself? Check out the video below!
Hi! We're Kara and Nate. High school sweethearts from Nashville, TN whose shared love of travel, and "travel hacking", has led us on the adventure of a lifetime. In 2016 we quit our jobs to spend one year traveling around the world. Seven years later, we still haven't stopped! We quickly fell in love with life on the road and capturing our travels on video. We've visited over 100 countries, and have been fortunate enough to build an awesome community of subscribers on our YouTube channel and newsletter Daily Drop. We're so grateful to do what we love everyday and we hope our story and our content might inspire you to travel somewhere new!