So It's Underwater, But The Manta Resort's Submerged Room Is Not What I'd Hoped For.

Everyone is buzzing about Africa's first underwater hotel room. Opened as the Manta Resort's newest attraction on November 1, 2013, the sub-aquatic accommodation floats in a circular blue hole in the coral reef near Pemba Island, off the East Coast of Tanzania.




I was very excited when I heard that an actual underwater hotel room could be booked, but I was expecting one of these:


Instead, the Manta Resort's Underwater Room is really more of a submerged observation cubicle.




The top floor, which sits above sea-level, is basically an open-air deck like a floating raft with a bed upon it. Here guests can relax, take in the idyllic Indian Ocean surroundings and soak up some sun or gaze at the stars.



Beneath the top deck is a level with a lounge, a shower, a bar and a cozy sofa/ built in bench and table.



The bottom floor is a small square, claustrophobic-inducing box submerged to the depth of four meters. A bedroom with inset windows, hardly "walled entirely in glass" as it has been described.





It most certainly does offer surreal views of passing sea-life and at night, the nocturnal sea life illuminated by spotlights is breathtaking. And yes, it's true, most of the occupants will be spending time above on the deck or looking out the windows below.





But given the glut of underwater hotel designs and proposals, this is where we can stay?

Where are the rooms that look like those proposed in The Poseidon Resort, and The Discus Hotel? Even the actual Underwater Spa treatment rooms at the LIME, Hufaven Fushi are prettier.


above: The proposed underwater bedrooms at the Water Discus Hotel


above: the underwater treatment rooms at the LIME spa in the Maldives

The gorgeous photos of the Manta Resort's underwater room from the exterior by Jesper Anhede are lovely. And, to be fair, the Manta Resort in Pemba, Tanzania has lots to offer in terms of activities: scuba diving, sailing, gorgeous white sand beaches, massage, spa treatments and exotic underwater life to observe. But come on, couldn't they have decorated that room a little better?

An overhead view of the Manta Resort on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa:


The vacation innovation was designed by Swedish installation artist and sculptor Mikael Genberg. He's the brains behind the Utter Inn, an underwater room built in a lake near Stockholm, and is currently contemplating putting a Swedish-style cottage on the moon.

Funding was achieved via a newly formed company registered in Zanzibar, Genberg Art UW Limited, which represents a collaboration between several Swedish and Tanzanian investors, including Genberg Underwater Hotels, Christer and Jacky Abrahamsson, Hans Elis Johansson and Michael Wild.

The underwater room can be 'added' to your bookings for a night or two at the Manta Resort for $1500 ($750 per person) as opposed to being booked as your sole room. They do offer special prices for divers.

prices and packages
The Manta Resort
images courtesy of Photographer Jesper Anhede


What about those cool looking underwater bedrooms shown in this post? Check those out at the links below:

• The Poseidon Resort and the H2Ome
• The Water Discus Hotel
• The Underwater Spa, LIME at Huvafen Fushi

Malaysia's Hottest New Hotel Is A Transformed Colonial Filled With Art and Whimsy: The Macalister Mansion.

This new 4,800 square meter hotel in Panang, Malaysia was just completed last year and has already garnered numerous awards from the most prestigious hotel and travel organizations. It is housed in a 100 year old historic mansion that has been adapted into a modern and hip, but luxurious dining room, living room, den, cellar (bar), lawn area, mosaic pool and 8 separate rooms complete with private baths.



The name Macalister Mansion honors Panang's British Governor Colonel Norman Macalister and there are numerous references to him in a host of specially commissioned art pieces found in and on the grounds of the mansion.



Designed and branded as a lifestyle oriented 'residence', the Macalister Mansion and the five F&B (food and beverage) and Hotel entities (rooms) that comprise it have been conceived as a single holistic vision by the Ministry of Design based in Singapore.




Led by its Design Director Colin Seah, the design differentiates itself from the local boutique hotel scene by its intimate scale, contemporary design and attention to details - design ranging from art curation to uniforms, branding to interior design and everything else in between.

Wall sketches in the livingroom, art in the bedrooms and whimsical animal sculptures permeate the hotel:




Set against the backdrop of a conserved mansion, the heritage spaces have been carefully adapted and key features conserved and infused with contemporary design, allowing the project to strike a balance between the nostalgia of the past and a vision of relevance for the future.



When Colin was first approached by the client Dato' Sean to conceive of a lifestyle based offering which would enliven the hotel and dining scene in Penang, it was readily agreed that the new offering in the restored colonial mansion would stem from a holistic vision, with the 8 rooms and the 5 F&Bs (formal diningroom, casual dining, the den, the cellar and the outdoor bar) forming a holistic brand with a distinctive positioning.






The design process spanned an 8 month period from February to September 2011, with Colin and Dato' Sean working collaboratively to produce a design for a stunning set of distinct entities offering sophistication in a singular package.

In the 12 months of construction that followed, there were multiple meetings held to discuss the major infrastructural work required to restore a colonial mansion, e.g. retaining and reinforcing original columns, staircases and archways, removing plaster to reveal the original brick walls and wall cornices, and repairing and soundproofing original windows for contemporary hospitality use. As an extension of the grounds, Colin and his team also masterplanned an event lawn where large-scaled parties can be hosted. Beside the lawn is a mosaic lap pool with a feature sunken 'swim-up' pool bar at one end. Guests of the hotel also enjoy additional gym, computer lounge and library.




The oversized sculptural bust of Macalister encapsulates the spirit of Macalister Mansion - the meeting of heritage and contemporary design. The 2.5m bust is the first art piece to greet you as you approach the mansion from along the hedge lined driveway.



It draws inspiration from traditional portrait busts of important figures but instead of the typical life-like features, Macalister's features are modernised by rendering them as sharp edged fractal lines - as if sculptured by computer aided design. The piece is constructed in fiberglass and spray painted a high gloss white finish.



The dining room of Macalister Mansion is conceived as a whimsical experience where the diner enjoys the formality of fine dining that is imbued with a contrasting fairy tale-like quality - pastel coloured deer graze around a tree while squirrels and birds perch on its branches. The pink, blue and yellow animals complement the all white dining room and are constructed from fiberglass and finished in high gloss paint.



The 8 rooms blend a minimal but comfortable contemporary style with beautiful Bisazza tiled bathrooms, light woods, unusual art and modern fixtures.



In this room the sonnet below is enlarged and embossed as art above the bed:


Another room features a modern chrome and wood post bed with built-ins:


This room has a large tiled bath separated from the sleeping area by the partial glass shower wall and a terrace that overlooks the pool:




One of the rooms has a spiral staircase and wire wall art of Macalister:





And yes, they offer a room with double beds:


A narrower room features an enormous bathroom opposite the bed:



And this room has both a glass wall separating the bathroom from the bedrooom and a partitioned seating area




and the last of the eight rooms:


So, if you've been planning a trip to Malaysia, consider the Macalister Mansion.

Macalister Mansion
228 Jalan Macalister, Penang, 10400 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
Phone:+60 4-228 3888