The destination already features the world’s first underwater spa, as well as another underwater restaurant and a nightclub beneath the ocean.

The new arrival will be at Hurawalhi, where the roof on 5.8 gets its name from the depth; the roof of the restaurant will be submerged 5.8 metres below the surface of the Indian Ocean.

5.8 will be 18m long and has an acrylic glass-domed roof designed by New Zealand architects MJ Murphy who shipped the structure from Auckland.

MJ Murphy previously created Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at the Conrad Maldives Conrad Rangali, which is owned by the same company as Hurawalhi, Crown & Champa Resorts.  

5.8 can also be used for weddings, giving couples the chance to have an underwater wedding for up to 20 guests seated in the venue.

Hurawalhi is in the Lhaviyani Atoll, where Crown owns several resorts, including Kuredu, a popular option from the UK; guests from other resorts will be able to catch a boat to try 5.8 for themselves.

The resort plans to stand out in the crowded high-end Maldives market by opening as an adults-only property.

“The Maldives has been increasingly focused on families, but we believe there is a market for a resort just for adults,” said Nina Fleischmann-Torosyan, Hurawalhi’s director of sales and marketing.

There will be an all-inclusive plan available at Hurawalhi, tapping into another trend in the luxury space.