Historic ocean liner QE2 to open as a floating hotel in Dubai this month

The historic ocean liner QE2 will open to guests as a floating hotel in Dubai next Wednesday.

It is believed that April 18 represents a soft launch, which will be followed by a more formal opening later in the year.

Rooms will start at about Dh600 with deals expected in Ramadan.

An updated QE2 website has also been launched by the hotel's operators over the past few days .

According to the new website, Queen Elizabeth 2 has 224 refurbished rooms and suites, 13 restaurant and nightlife venues, a shopping arcade and 25 meeting rooms and conferencing facilities.

The 13-deck hotel is now docked permanently at Port Rashid in Dubai. Guests will enter the ship from the terminal, which has been turned into a maritime museum featuring artworks from the ship, and it is believed the two propellers will also be displayed here.

Wednesday's launch follow a series of developments over the past few years pointing to the relaunch of the former flagship of the Cunard Line as a floating hotel.

Dubai bought the ship in 2007 but the recession scuppered plans to turn her into a floating hotel. After ten years of uncertainty, a new era awaits.

The National