Sleeping with the fish: Dubai unveils hotel with rooms 10m under surface of the sea

 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.

 '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.

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.