I have slept under the stars before…but under water? As written in my article posted this past week, it may soon be possible to sleep in an underwater hotel. Tony Webb, Founder and Managing Director of Planet Ocean Underwater Hotels, LLC, has invested a lot of time developing his Planet Ocean Underwater Hotels. His goal is to have as many as 15 of the 12-room luxury boutique properties open in the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. Location number one would be in the waters off Cuba. One purpose of the business venture is to raise awareness about the precarious state of global coral reef health. Webb says 10 percent of guestroom proceeds will be invested in coral reef restoration.
“Humans are killing our coral reefs,” Webb says. “Many ocean side resorts have improper waste management systems. The land based contamination from golf courses and agriculture cause rainwater to wash the harmful contamination into the ocean and it harms the reefs. Climate change and its stress has now destroyed the Great Barrier Reef and the majority of reefs in Indonesia. Many experts all agree that 75 percent of our coral reefs are dead and dying. Eighty percent of coral reefs are dead and dying in the Caribbean.”
Webb is still gathering investors and the financing for his project. Much of the work so far has been focused on overcoming the technological challenges associated with operating an underwater property. Of course there are many safety issues and Webb says redundant safety systems have been designed into the underwater hotels.
Each Hotel to Include a Restaurant
The hotels will include incredible views of the underwater environment—about 24 to 30 feet down. There will be a lobby, kitchen, restaurant and events and observation areas.
Webb says hotel owners will not own the land on which the hotel sits although his company is selling locations for $3 million each. “Working with the host nation, we will safely anchor the underwater hotel on a sand bottom,” Webb says. “It is like a cruise ship anchoring but we are underwater. Legally we are a vessel and subject to Admiralty Law. We will be recruiting ex-Navy officers and Navy Seals to provide safety for our guests.” If needed—say, a hurricane is on its way—the hotel can be moved.
The Planet Ocean Underwater Hotels will geared toward those travelers in search of a highly unique luxurious experience. What about the cost of staying in an underwater hotel? In a document submitted to the U.S. Treasury, Webb’s company used $2,500.00 for two guests per night to support the return on investment information.
Those with scuba diving experience will actually be able to enter the hotel by swimming underwater. Others will enter using a glass elevator.
This project is certainly one of the most unique green hotel projects I have heard about. Bringing attention to the plight of our planet’s coral is a great idea. I will certainly be watching to see if these projects “get off the ground.”
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