I have stayed in a lot of hotels over the years. Some have become “regulars” on trips to certain cities, but none has ever been a destination — until now.

I just came across Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Fla., at the bottom of the Emerald Lagoon. It has been in operation since 1986 and is the only underwater hotel in the United States. Previously, it was the La Chalupa research laboratory and was used to study the continental shelf off the coast of Puerto Rico. The name derived from the Jules Verne novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

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Guests must scuba dive 21 feet to enter the lodge. A scuba diving certificate is required or can be earned during your stay. Once inside, though, it has everything a guest would want, including showers, a television and a well-stocked kitchen. Of course, it also has large windows to watch and enjoy the sea life surrounding the lodge. How cool is that?

The uniqueness of the lodge would seem to present some logistical and safety issues, but all bases have been covered. The lodge is monitored 24 hours a day by the staff and has several back-up systems in place to ensure maximum safety.

As much as I love watching TV on a big flat-screen from a comfortable bed, I don’t think I would even touch a TV if I had views of sea life as guests do at Jules. It is hard to imagine a more relaxing and wondrous show. It’s one I hope to see in the future.

— John Wroblewski, distribution specialist