Hilton, Crown Company begin construction on world's first undersea residence

Hilton is on track to open what is being called the world's first undersea residence at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. The new residential units are scheduled to begin operating in the fourth quarter of 2018.
 
Construction on the Muraka apartments began on April 24, 2018, as a part of a $15-million investment. The undersea residences will share the Conrad property with Ithaa—the first undersea restaurant in the world. 

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Residence. Photo credit: Hilton

The marine environment of the India Ocean will surround each unit, which architect Crown Company and New Zealand-based aquarium technology company MJ Murphy designed. The two-level structure will have space above the sea level along with two bedrooms and an undersea suite.  

The residences will be Crown Company's second undersea project, following the Ithaa restaurant. “Driven by our inspiration to deliver innovative and transformative experiences to our global travelers, the world’s first undersea residence encourages guests to explore the Maldives from an entirely new perspective below the surface of the sea,” Ahmed Saleem, a director at Crown Company and chief architect and designer of the undersea residence, said in a statement. Both the Muraka and Ithaa projects will share the same design. 

“Through our development of the world’s first undersea residence, we continue to shine a light on the Maldives as a luxury destination as well as a cultural and natural wonder for global travelers,” Stefano Ruzza, GM at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, said in a statement. 

The new residential villas will expand the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island's current inventory of suites, beach villas and water villas.