The Queen Elizabeth 2 returns to service as a hotel
Built in the United Kingdom and launched on September 20, 1967 by HM Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) set sail on her maiden voyage to New York before been retired, after 30 years of service, in 2008.
Across its lifetime, QE2, with a top recorded speed of 34 knots (39 mph) and her nine diesel engines, each the size of a double decker bus, circumnavigated the world over 25 times; sailed six million nautical miles; completed 1,400 voyages; crossed the Atlantic 812 times and hosted nearly 2.5 million passengers. She also encountered bomb threats; played a role in the Falklands conflict; rescued 500 passengers from a burning naval ship; and survived a 95ft rogue wave.
A decade later, after she was purchased for US$100 million by the UAE government, QE2 was given a new lease in life as a floating hotel in Dubai, where she had been sitting since 2008 going nowhere. Since then, the engineering and fit-outs have taken 2.7 million man hours todate in the plans to convert her into a floating hotel.
QE2 opened as a floating hotel in April 2018 under PCFC Hotels, owned by the Dubai government and part of Dubai’s Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC). In its first phase of opening not everything was available. The restaurants and 244 staterooms were ready, whilst the gym, spa, theatre and shopping options were on hold.
Now, Accor, a world-leading hospitality group has stepped in to take over operations from May 2022, and QE2 will undergo further upgrades and renovations prior to joining Accor’s 110 other MGallery Hotel Collection properties worldwide. Once the renovation is completed, the new MGallery Queen Elizabeth 2 will feature 447 hotel rooms, nine food & beverage outlets, ten meeting rooms, 5,620sqm area for outdoor events, six retail outlets, a swimming pool and a gym.
Although everything…well almost everything in QE2 has been kept as it was in 1969, some of the current most advanced technology has been installed as well. For example guests can control everything from their phone, including check-in, room entry and lights and TV control.
Overnight room rates start from US$ 200 per night going up to over US $ 15,000 for the top-of-the range suites.
Hospitality Sri Lanka
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