Bruce Jones is betting there is still a healthy thirst for exploration into underwater worlds on our own planet. Jones, who has spent 17 years designing and selling submarines for private use, has $40 million invested to build a luxury hotel where the most expensive rooms will be submerged 50 feet under.

Unlike the Jules Undersea Lodge - the only undersea hotel now in existence, located off the coast of Key Largo, Fla. - guests at the Poseidon won’t need to put on a wet suit and dive to their accommodations. They also won’t need to worry about changing pressure levels since the accommodations will be maintained at above-surface pressure. Instead, they can glide to their $1,500-a-night underwater abodes by escalator.

“I think there are a tremendous number of people who would be interested,” said Jones, “including anyone who is looking for a different experience.”

Each room will feature fortified, transparent acrylic walls that look out onto coral gardens. There will be controls in each room that guests can use to adjust the lighting of the underwater worlds outside their windows and to release food for fish swimming just outside. The rooms will also feature individual Jacuzzis for those who may be inspired by their surroundings to get wet. Scheduled to open in mid-2008 on a private island in Fiji. More images at the Poseidon site.