Australia is a country with lots of natural ecosystems that are worthy of a visit, like the world’s oldest rainforest (called the Daintree), a vast desert (called the Outback), or just coastlines from the world’s largest island.
One of the most visited is the Great Barrier Reef, which is the largest coral reef system in the world, with over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. It’s 1,430 miles long (around 2,300 kilometers) and 133,000 square miles (around 344,500 square kilometers), equal in size to Japan, Italy, or Germany.
In the middle of the Great Barrier Reef, there’s a collection of 74 islands called the Whitsundays, which is one of Australia’s most popular tourism destinations. And this is where the underwater hotel is located.
Reefsuites, the underwater hotel
The hotel is located on Reefworld, a large pontoon (a type of boat that relies on floats to remain buoyant) that can host guests for just the day, and you can choose between sleeping on the deck, or below it.
Reefsuites refer to the experience guests can have by sleeping below deck. The time of arrival is around 11 am, and after lunch, the guests can experience snorkeling, diving, swimming, or, with an additional cost, the experience of flying in a helicopter to have an aerial view of the Heart Reef.
Day guests are expected to leave around 3 pm, so only overnight guests have the space to themselves.
There are only 2 suites that are submerged 10 feet (or 3 meters) under the sea, making it a very exclusive and sought-after accommodation in Whitsundays. Each room contains a king-size bed, contemporary furnishings and design, and an ultra-modern bathroom with a shower. The rooms have been compared to a cabin in a luxurious cruise ship.
The rooms also have a wall of windows and some panels on the floors that separate the guests from the sea, where they can see a variety of fish and wildlife passing by.
Reefsleep
Reefworld also has Reefsleep, which gives guests the opportunity to sleep in a pod on the top deck, for those that couldn’t get or didn’t want to sleep underwater.
The pods are a fully covered queen-sized elevated beds that can be used during the day or to sleep during the night. Guests can choose to let the pod remain unzipped, which offers a view of the sea, the stars, and the sound of the ocean.
Both options have an included breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, all prepared by highly skilled gourmet chefs.
Prices
The Reefsuite is priced per person, with a single at $1,400 and a double at $995.
Included in the cruise fare per head to arrive at the Reefworld pontoon, there’s a fee that goes to the government. It is used by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) for the management and protection of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
The best thing about this is that, with the government’s permission, this tourist attraction has all the tools to ensure the project is approached in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner, so no reefs or animals are harmed.
This hotel seems like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you can start thinking about traveling to Australia now that they have opened their borders for tourists.