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World's best floating hotels: From the Queen Mary in LA to a superyacht in Gibraltar
From a chic Seine-side retreat to a retro paradise in Yangon, these boat hotels will make you never want to set foot on dry land again
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Your support makes all the difference.The lure of a good floating hotel never fades. With Edinburgh planning a boat hotel, set to open next year, here are some of the best watery beds to be found in big cities.
The Queen Mary: Los Angeles
This transatlantic vintage vessel has been in service since 1930, and, now moored in Long Beach harbour, has barely changed since its glory days. Original taps and tinted pink mirrors serve as relics of its heyday, and walking around the deck is a trip back in time. The grandiose liner is also an exhibition space, with a long-running exhibition of Princess Diana’s clothes. Doubles from $127 (£104)
OFF Paris Seine: Paris
Huge, luxury boats may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think Paris, but this catamaran-style hotel has been making waves since its June opening. There’s a bar overlooking the Seine, and a lavish patio with a plunge pool opens in the summer. Doubles from €116
CPH Living: Copenhagen
Copenhagen’s converted freight boat has become a firm favourite in the Danish capital. Its minimalist suites pack in floor-to-ceiling windows and rainforest showers. Its proximity to the city centre (minutes from Copenhagen central station) means that guests can combine the quiet of a floating stay with the hubbub of boho Christianshavn. Doubles from £194
Sunborn: London
London’s four-star Sunborn, inhabiting a superyacht in the heart of the Docklands area, features therapy rooms, two luxury restaurants, yacht suites and a typically British Afternoon Tea option for its guests. Rooms are retro-lux. Doubles from £140
Salt & Sill: Sweden
A floating hotel built on two pontoons, Salt & Sill’s granite-floored and wood-furnished rooms are in the main building but the Salt & Sill’s pièce de résistance is its bath and sauna boat, a lightweight fibreglass catamaran moored alongside the hotel. Guests can lounge on the sundeck,in the hot tub, or take a quick dip in the North Sea. Doubles from 2,290 SEK (£209)
Zambezi Queen: Botswana
A cross between a hotel and a river cruise, the Zambezi Queen takes guests on a two-night ride down the Chobe River in Botswana, drifting along just 16 miles on its journey, with meals made from locally sourced ingredients. Guests can enjoy excursions and activities including fishing, birding and game viewing. Doubles from $495 (£407)
Amstel Botel: Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s known for its quirky hotels and this 175-room three-star vessel is no exception. It’s moored in the hipster NDSM area, an easy (and free) ferry ride from Centraal station and the city’s traditional delights. Doubles from €115
Sunborn: Gibraltar
Marble shower rooms, Juliet balconies and panoramic views are just three of the many decadent features of this Sunborn vessel. It also houses four different bars, a spa stocked with Elemis products, a casino and a gym. Doubles from £185
Vintage Luxury Yacht Hotel: Yangon
An astonishingly different take on the Burmese capital, this superyacht turns back time with meticulously designed vintage-style furnishings, well-sized rooms and a lavish bar and public areas. Doubles from £43
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