与鱼共眠--揭开迪拜海底宾馆神秘面纱___高清图集 - By Sarah Gordon,03-05-2012

When it comes to outlandish new design ideas, Dubai is certainly ahead of the curve.

The glittering emirate has already got the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, and even the Earth itself - in the form of dozens of man-mad islands just off its coastline.

So it is no surprise to hear that architects are set to take on a new challenge - building a half-submerged hotel, complete with underwater rooms offering views of life below the surface of the sea.

A villain's lair: The James Bond-style construction will be built out at sea

The 'Water Discus Hotel' - a spaceship-shaped building perched in the water and looking not unlike a Jame Bond villain's lair - is set to be the first of several planned across the region.

The designers, Deep Ocean Technology (DOT), hope the hotel will fulfill holidaymakers' desire to explore the depths of the oceans.

'Today, the advent of new technology made the heart of the ocean a setting not only for diving, but also for luxurious holidays,' said a spokesperson for BIG InvestConsult, a Swiss company behind the development.

The hotel will be made up of two main discs, one above water and one below, they will be connected by three 'legs' which contain lifts and stairways to plunge guests from the sunshine above down beneath the surface of the sea.

All at sea: Guests will be able to sleep underwater, but still enjoy the sunshine in the disc perched above the surface

Room with a view: Special lighting will allow guests to enjoy the flora and fauna outside their window and macro photography will help them zoom in on even the tiniest creatures

The underwater section is located up to 10 metres deep and is composed of 21 hotel rooms adjacent to the submerged dive centre and a bar.

A special lighting system will illuminate the flora and fauna outside and the highest technology in the rooms will allow guests to zoom in and take a closer look at even the tiniest creatures using macro photography.

But nervous swimmers need not worry, they won't be left all at sea, DOT insists it has kept to the highest safety requirements.

High and dry: The top disc will boast a restaurant, spa and enormous swimming pool

The top disc - which is built high enough to withstand a tsunami and any flooding, while the underwater disc automatically surfaces at once in the event of any danger.

Sadly for the developers, the World Discus Hotel cannot claim to offer the first underwater hotel rooms. That title goes to the Rangali Islands Resort in the Maldives, which boasts a glass domed aquarium under the Indian Ocean for a one-in-a-lifetime overnight stay.

The Maldives has also unveiled a plan to create a floating golf course on islands, with players able to access each island via underground tunnels.

Tropical paradise: The hotel, which will have 21 rooms, is set to be the first of several built across the region