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Odd Inn the Keys
Destinations · May 3, 2002

The expression on my dive buddy's face says it all: The saucer-like eyes, the look of total astonishment as she peers through the plastic bubble.

Who can blame her? On the other side of the pane, at a depth of 21 feet, is a room with four beds, a fully-stocked kitchen, a TV and phone. This is Jules' Undersea Lodge, which is believed to be the only underwater hotel in the world. The corners of her mouth turn upward, but it's difficult to smile when you're breathing through a regulator.

If she were on land, she'd probably be saying, "I can't believe it. There's a hotel down there."

In the Florida Keys, the eclectic island chain that swings westward from Miami, there are properties in all kinds of places you wouldn't expect. In Marathon, you can sleep on a houseboat. Just off Little Torch Key, you can bunk down on your own private luxury island. And in the Dry Tortugas, which are only accessible by boat and plane, you can spend the night in a former prison.

A Hotel That's Really a Dive

Jules' Undersea Lodge is a former marine laboratory that's been turned into a hotel with about 600 square feet of living space for up to six guests. There's only one way in and out of the rooms: you have to dive to the bottom of the Emerald Lagoon, where the steel and acrylic living chambers rest on the sand, and enter the chamber through a special moon pool.

Once inside you can catch an impressive display of creatures through the 42-inch windows, including angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, snapper, and an occasional diver. When you're ready for a little privacy, close the curtains and chow down on a gourmet dinner prepared in-room by the lodge's own "mer-chef." Then, when you're all tired out after a long day of diving, you can sleep with the fish.

The submerged inn has attracted visitors who are as unique as the property itself, including former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Steve Tyler of the rock group Aerosmith. Guests often say that sleeping underwater is a life-changing experience - like spending the night in a space station.

If you'd rather check out the hotel before booking a room, you can get a good look at Jules' by diving in the lagoon, which is a popular place for Scuba divers to train on windy days.

Permanent Floating Property

Prefer to be close to the water without sleeping in the water? At the Faro Blanco Marina and Resort in Marathon, you can check into one of its floating houseboat state rooms. These barges offer all the amenities you'd expect to find in a hotel - except that everything is tethered to a dock. Houseboats are popular places to liv