Renderings of the underwater hotel Deep Ocean Technology plans to build in Dubai.

The Water Discus hotel in Dubai is intended to provide a luxury accommodation option for anyone who wants to settle down on the sea bed.

First it was water villas in the Maldives, allowing guests a glimpse of reef life from above the surface. Now, hoteliers seem hellbent on luring us beneath the waves. Star Trek meets The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau in these computer-generated images of the Water Discus hotel, above, scheduled to open in Dubai with backing from a Swiss company.

Designed by Deep Ocean Technology, its 21 suites will be housed in two main discs – one above water, one below – and facilities include a bar and a dive center.

Deep Ocean Technology says the hotel will be equipped with earthquake and weather warning systems. The hotel will sit on five legs fixed to the sea bed, and the upper disc is suspended above the water. This will ensure that Water Discus remains safe even in the event of a tsunami, the company says.

While the scale is new, the concept isn’t. The one-room Utter Inn already exists on Lake Mälaren, Sweden, as does the three-room Jules’ Undersea Lodge off Key Largo, Fla.

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