Jules Underwater Hotel

Have you slept underwater lately?

When guests visit Jules� Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida, they discover that the name is no marketing gimmick. Just to enter the Lodge, one must actually scuba dive 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea. Jules� really is underwater. Diving through the tropical mangrove habitat of the Emerald Lagoon and approaching the world�s only underwater hotel is quite an experience. Even from the outside, Jules� big 42 inch round windows cast a warm invitation to come in and stay a while, relax and get to know the underwater world that so few of us have even visited.

Entering through an opening in the bottom of the habitat, the feeling is much like discovering a secret underwater clubhouse. The cottage sized building isn�t short on creature comforts: hot showers, a well stocked kitchen (complete with refrigerator and microwave), books, music, and video movies. And of course there are cozy beds, where guests snuggle up and watch the fish visit the windows of their favorite underwater �terrarium�. Jules� Undersea Lodge manages to reach a perfect balance of relaxation and adventure.

Guests sometimes describe their visit to inner space as the most incredible experience of their lives. One couple decided on a career change after visiting Jules� Undersea Lodge, and they now operate Aquanauts� Dive Shop. Another couple named their baby after Jules�, when they later discovered their recently conceived child had accompanied them in their wonderful adventure in undersea living.

Although the underwater hotel may sound like the latest tourist fun spot, Jules' Undersea Lodge, actually began its existence as La Chalupa research laboratory, an underwater habitat used to explore the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico. The authenticity of the underwater habitat is what really sets it apart from amusement parks and other similar attractions. The mangrove lagoon in which Jules' is located is a natural nursery area for many reef fish. Tropical angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, and snappers peek in the windows of the habitat, while anemones, sponges, oysters and feather duster worms seem to cover every inch of this underwater world. Guests of the Lodge explore their marine environment with scuba gear provided by Jules' Undersea Lodge and are given an unlimited supply of tanks. Jules' Undersea Lodge may have a comfortable futuristic decor, but its sense of history is inescapable. It is the first and only underwater hotel, but is also the first underwater research lab to have ever been made accessible to the average person.

�Marine life is actually enhanced by the presence of an underwater structure�, explains Ian Koblick, owner and co-developer of the Lodge. �Jules� Undersea Lodge serves as an artificial reef, providing shelter and substrate for marine animals. And the flow of air to the Lodge constantly adds oxygen to the entire surrounding body of water, creating a symbiotic relationship between the technology of man and the beauty of nature.�

The entire structure of Jules� Undersea Lodge is underwater, sitting up on legs approximately five feet off the bottom of the protected lagoon. The Lodge is filled with compressed air, which prevents the water from rising and flooding the rooms. A five by seven foot �moon pool� entrance in the floor of the building makes entering the hotel much like surfacing through a small swimming pool. Divers find themselves in the wet room, the center of three compartments that make up the underwater living quarters. The wet room, as the name implies, is where divers leave their gear, enjoy a quick hot shower and towel-off before entering the rest of the living area. Designed for comfort, the air conditioned living space has two private bed rooms and a common room. The eight by twenty foot common room is a multi-purpose room providing the galley, dining and entertainment areas. Each of the bedrooms and the common room is equipped with telephone, intercom, VCR/DVD and our latest addition of the, "i home", so you can enjoy your own choice of music from home. But the main focus of attention is the big 42 inch round window that graces each room. �Waking up to view a pair of angelfish looking in your bedroom window is a moment you'll never forget�, states Koblick.

Habitat operations are monitored by the Mission Director from the land-based �Command Center�, located at the edge of the Emerald Lagoon. The control center is connected to Jules� Undersea Lodge by an umbilical cable which delivers fresh air, water, power, and communications. �The entire facility is monitored 24 hours a day by our staff�, says Koblick, �the Lodge has independent support systems as well as redundant backup systems. We�ve taken every step to ensure a safe yet exciting adventure for our guests�.

Credit for developing this venture must go to both Neil Monney and Ian Koblick. With over 50 years of combined ocean research and industry experience the two principal developers named their undersea retreat in honor of Jules Verne, author of �Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea�. Jules� Undersea Lodge is a tribute to the human quest for exploration and adventure. In the Early 70�s, lan Koblick, president of Marine Resources Development Foundation, developed and operated La Chalupa research laboratory, which was the largest and most technologically advanced underwater habitat of its time. Koblick , who has continued his work as a pioneer in developing advanced undersea programs for ocean science and education, as the co-author of the book �Living and Working in the Sea�, is considered one of the foremost authorities on undersea habitation. Co-developer Neil Monney formerly served as Professor and Director of Ocean Engineering at the US Naval Academy. Monney has extensive experience as a research scientist, aquanaut, and designer of underwater habitats. Together, the two men have developed and managed undersea habitats that have produced more aquanauts than all of the other undersea habitats in the world combined. Their combined expertise is evident in the careful attention to detail in Jules� Undersea Lodge.

Jules� Undersea Lodge is a dream come true for dive enthusiasts who are looking to log a seemingly limitless dive. Guests who complete one of the luxury packages can log 22 hours in one night, and there is no limit to the number of nights they can stay. Even at 21 feet, dive times like these are not covered by the dive tables. Guests actually complete a �saturation� dive, which permits divers to spend extended time underwater as long as proper surfacing intervals are followed. For the shallow water saturation dives of Jules� Undersea Lodge, guests are required to abstain from flying and must adhere to restrictions on further diving for 24 hours after they surface. Some packages at Jules� offer the opportunity to earn an Aquanaut Certificate, which qualifies certified divers for an optional Underwater Habitat / Aquanaut dive specialty certification.

Although the experience of a habitat saturation dive is definitely high tech diving, even guests who have never scuba dived before can stay in Jules� Undersea Lodge. A pleasant three hour class acquaints non-certified divers with the equipment and simple procedures necessary to comfortably dive in the company of the Lodge�s dive instructors. The Lodge also offers complete dive certification in just three days, as well as a full complement of advanced and specialty dive training. Both certified and non-certified divers enjoy their exploration of the Emerald Lagoon. Since the mangrove habitat is a nursery area for many reef fish, divers see juvenile fish and invertebrate animals that are not normally seen on the reef. It is an excellent opportunity for divers to explore the diversity and inter-relationship of habitats and to gain an understanding of why it is important to protect our natural mangrove shorelines. Divers also see some amazing technology in the lagoon, including Marine Lab, an underwater laboratory devoted exclusively to research and education. A recreation of a Spanish galleon wreck provides a wonderful opportunity to study the techniques of marine archaeology. The wreck site is a replica of the San Pedro, set up by world renowned archaeologist R. Duncan Matthewson, III, who was instrumental in locating the famous wreck of the Atocha.

On an average evening Jules� Undersea Lodge is shared by two different couples, but it can accommodate a group of six friends in the gracious living quarters designed by the award winning firm of Richard F. Geary Interior Designers. Exclusive use of the hotel can also be arranged for couples who want to be the only lovers in the world spending the night alone in inner space - a pretty romantic thought. The Lodge is even available for underwater weddings, with a wedding package that includes flowers and the world�s only underwater wedding cake. The unique setting is perfect for couples who plan to start their married life with a touch of the outrageous, but still enjoy traditional sentiments.

Guests of the Lodge have included many celebrities, including former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau; rock stars Steve Tyler of �Aerosmith� and Jon Fishman of Phish.

The staff of Jules� Undersea Lodge remains on duty 24 hours a day to provide whatever services the quests may need. The Lodge�s luxury packages include the services of a �mer-chef" who scuba dives down to the hotel to prepare and serve a gourmet dinner for the guests. Birthday or anniversary celebrations often include surprise bouquets of flowers and cakes. Late night snacks can even include the underwater delivery of a pizza from a local shop.