Poseidon Undersea Resort is the world’s first underwater hotel, which is expected to be built in a lagoon near a private island named Poseidon Mystery in Fiji. The hotel will be located 40ft underwater and spread across an area of 5,000 acres (2,023ha). It will include 51 suites and villas, restaurants, a fitness centre, a spa and other facilities. The hotel is being developed by Poseidon Undersea Resorts. It was originally scheduled to open in 2008, but has been delayed. Final design and structural engineering of the undersea hotel was completed in December 2012.
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The construction of the hotel is expected to take two years for its completion. The projected cost of accommodation at the resort is $30,000 per week.
Poseidon Undersea Resort design
The resort will include undersea suites and island villas. The undersea suites, comprising of 24 suites and one apartment, will be located 40ft below the water’s surface. The suites will be connected to land through two piers. A specially designed elevator will transport the guests to the suites.
The suites are designed as individual modules measuring 33ft x 17ft with a floor space of 550ft². The suite rooms will be built with four inch-thick transparent acrylic plastic and covered by one inch-thick steel wall structures. Nearly 70% of the suites’ surface areas are transparent, providing spectacular views of the undersea ocean.
The undersea resort will be maintained at one-atmosphere, which means that the interiors are at surface pressure, which will protect guests from the physiological effects of hydrostatic pressure. All the units of the resort will be detachable, except the central corridor of the undersea structure. Automated view-port cleaning systems will remove dirt and plant growth on the transparent surface of the undersea suites.
The resort’s 24 beachfront island villas will be built on the Poseidon Mystery Island. The villas will be spread across 1,500ft².
Construction of the underwater hotel
The steel components of the undersea suites will be fabricated at a facility located on the Fijian west coast. The interior hallway sections and end units will be fabricated at a shipyard, also located on the Fijian west coast. All components will be transported to the shipyard where they will be assembled.
The interior components of the resort will be preassembled, tested and then disassembled. They will be packed in containers and transported to the shipyard for assembling. The completed undersea suites will be immersion tested and transported to the Poseidon Mystery Island.
Upon arrival, the entire undersea structure will be towed in place and installed on pre-driven piles. The structure will then be ballasted to slightly negative buoyancy and placed in position on the seafloor. Umbilicals for fresh water, electricity and ventilation will be connected to the elevator entrances. The resort will be operational within 48 hours of installation.
Facilities at the Fijian undersea resort
The resort will include a full service spa offering a range of treatments. The undersea section of the resort will include two treatment rooms. The resort will include one underwater fine dining restaurant and one bistro on the island. A lounge and bar will also be part of the resort.
The fitness centre at the resort will include treadmills, stairmasters, free weights and other fitness equipment. A library featuring a variety of books will also part of the resort.
The resort includes a conference room, which can serve as a wedding chapel and theatre. A boutique included in the resort will sell handmade items, spa products, custom jewellery and other high-end products.
A range of sporting facilities will be available at the resort, including golf, tennis courts, beach volleyball, windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, cave exploration and bike riding. The resort will also offer submarine piloting, deep reef excursions and scuba diving.
Each component of the undersea structure will be detachable and include a safety dome. Trained divers will assist guests in the event of an emergency. Rescue procedures will also be demonstrated by divers to the guests.
U.S. Submarine Engineering was responsible for designing the hotel. U.S. Submarine Fabrication will build the hotel with the help of subcontractors.
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