Cruise Talk: Sunborn Yacht Hotel London

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Topic: Sunborn Yacht Hotel London

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 02-12-2009 03:03 PM

Did you ever go and stay Gloabliser? [See old thread]. As I may be in the area soon I looked her up only to find she has gone. See Sunborn Hotels.

Further searches reveal that she hasn't been 'relocated outside the UK' as they suggest, but was in fact sold last July to Nigeria, left London early August for Brazil, where she was refitted, and is now the Lagos Yacht Hotel, all for a cool 25m Euro [or thereabouts depending on which report is read].
I have been to ExCel but never bothered to go and see her, now too late.

An interesting report with some curious claims to 'firsts' is this one "Lagos State Acquires World's First Boat Hotel". [Note references to Doha & Dubai, then QE2].

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Thad
First Class Passenger
Member # 1224

posted 02-12-2009 04:02 PM

Interesting that it was not towed to Lagos, but rather lifted out and sailed on a ship.

From this article

Posts: 1967 | From: Boston, MA | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

Globaliser
First Class Passenger
Member # 4153

posted 02-12-2009 04:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by PamM:
Did you ever go and stay Gloabliser?

I did indeed! It was an interesting weekend, and I'm now very glad that I did. Really sorry that you've missed out on the experience.

Posts: 1869 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 02-12-2009 04:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Thad:
Interesting that it was not towed to Lagos, but rather lifted out and sailed on a ship.
From this article

Thad,

Thanks for the image and link to the article. From the article it looks like getting the hotel was a major accomplishment and part of a bigger plan to increase tourism in Lagos.

An excerpt:

...Speaking while receiving the floating hotel facility, the Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism and Inter-governmental Relations, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, described the transfer of the hotel to Lagos as a landmark achievement of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.

According to him, the hotel was brought to reposition Lagos as a tourism destination.“For Lagos, Africa and indeed the Middle East , this has now become a flagship, a project heralding the dawn of a new era in the Nigerian tourism sector.”

Senator Afikuyomi described the yacht hotel as a delightful addition to the Lagos skyline, which is going to add value by being one of the very few floating hotels in the world and thereby putting Lagos in the league of cities like New York, Barcelona, Paris and Finland...

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 02-12-2009 05:06 PM

quote:
Originally posted by joe at travelpage:
[...] the league of cities like New York, Barcelona, Paris and Finland...
[/i]

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 02-12-2009 07:13 PM

Thanks for the additional links and picture. I hope she lives up to expectations in Lagos and proves a worthwhile purchase, but seems more like a case of attempting to keep up with the Jones' to me.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 02-13-2009 01:11 AM

Shame she moved, I used to stay there when in London - awkward to get to but I liked the rooms which were a really good size and well designed and restaurant and it was great for meetings. Also always liked the look of them. It was also a nice size overall, wouldn't mind one in Durban.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

jetwet1
First Class Passenger
Member # 6361

posted 02-13-2009 02:28 AM

What an amazingly stupid idea, a total waste of money, money that could off been spent on improving o many things about Nigeria, instead wasted on yet another half brain idea of theirs.

Posts: 608 | From: Las VEgas | Registered: Mar 2006 | IP: Logged

greybeard
First Class Passenger
Member # 5284

posted 02-13-2009 09:41 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Thad:
Interesting that it was not towed to Lagos, but rather lifted out and sailed on a ship.

I doubt if the vessel is particularly seaworthy. It was built without engines, and it is likely that its centre of gravity would therefore be higher than a "proper" ship.

Posts: 587 | From: London | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 03-06-2014 06:48 AM

With the opening of a new Sunborn Yacht Hotel in London in April, I wondered what had happened to this one.

She arrived in Lagos in Nov 2008. It seems there was a bit of controversy ending up with her being abandoned and rusting away. After 4 years sometime in the first few months of 2013, she was towed away - to where is a mystery. In Jan this year she seems to be still missing along with 2 helicopters.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Mark1955
Just Boarded
Member # 64307

posted 03-07-2014 10:12 AM

She is presently in Botahtaung harbour near Yangon, Myanmar.
More details on: http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2013/10/floating-hotels-surface-in-myanmar/

Posts: 5 | From: Gdynia, Poland | Registered: Aug 2011 | IP: Logged

Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES
First Class Passenger
Member # 5641

posted 03-08-2014 06:12 AM

Email Neil - Ex P & O & PRINCESS CRUISES

A five star Sunborn floating hotel is due to open in Gibraltar.

This will be the first five star hotel here.
.

Posts: 2355 | From: Dunstable, Bedfordshire. 30 miles north of London | Registered: May 2005 | IP: Logged

Thad
First Class Passenger
Member # 1224

posted 03-10-2014 12:34 AM

I actually think the London one is the original one, just renovated. The one in Myanmar looks to be the original Sunborn Princess from Finland..

Posts: 1967 | From: Boston, MA | Registered: Apr 2000 | IP: Logged

Mark1955
Just Boarded
Member # 64307

posted 03-15-2014 06:50 AM

Thad, I think that two below links are clarified that Sunborn Princess from Finland is going to London:
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1958543
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1985830#

Posts: 5 | From: Gdynia, Poland | Registered: Aug 2011 | IP: Logged

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