Australia's first underwater hotel opens, with views of the Great Barrier Reef

The country's first submerged accommodation is moored offshore at Hardy Reef, in the Whitsunday Islands

Australia's first underwater hotel suites are located on the Great Barrier Reef, with the world's largest coral reef systemhere seen from space. EPA

It may not be a first-time experience for those used to visiting the Maldives or staying in the submerged suites at Dubai’s Atlantis, The Palm, but Australia is now home to its first underwater hotel rooms.

The key difference, however, is that these ones offer views of the Unesco-listed Great Barrier Reef.

Australia’s first underwater accommodation is moored offshore at Hardy Reef, 40 nautical miles from Airlie Beach in the Whitsunday Islands. The two Reefsuites are part of the newly revamped Reefworld pontoon, a destination for daytrippers wanting to explore the area.

With the option to now stay the night, visitors can experience the reef from a whole new perspective.

Visitors begin their all-inclusive stay with a cruise through the Whitsunday Islands, aboard a high-speed boat. After lunch at Reefworld, they can snorkel, dive and swim – or, at an extra cost, take a helicopter ride to the nearby Heart Reef.

Sunset drinks on the pontoon are followed by a starlit dinner, and then guests can retreat to their undersea rooms to watch the reef from their floor-to-ceiling windows. The water directly outside the Reefsuites is lit up at night to enable guests to better enjoy the views.

There are two underwater rooms available – with king double or twin single options, and prices for a night start at AU$799 (Dh1,988). Rooms include basic amenities and guests must be at least 10 years old.

_________________

Read more:

Shelling out: Inside the Malaysian resort mixing tourism with turtle conservation

World-famous Sha Wellness Clinic to open first Middle East spa near Ghantoot

Nuzul Al Salam: the new boutique hotel in Bahrain that pays tribute to Sheikh Zayed

_________________