The Aquiva: Dubai’s Floating Hotel On the Thames
By Natsha Dorsainvil
Just in time for the 2012 Olympics in Britain, Dubai developers plan to unveil the world’s largest floating hotel. The Aquiva will be the kingdom’s answer to Britain’s decommissioned Queen Elizabeth 2, which now meanders above the waters of Dubai’s touristy palm-shaped islands.
Though the constant sun, clear blue waters, and tropical delights of Dubai won’t be available outside The Aquiva’s Thames location, interior designer Rupert Mann has high hopes for the inside. “It’s going to be the height of luxury,” he says. The hotel will sit 75-feet above the waterline, boast seven decks, will accommodate 300 guests, and will offer views of Canary Wharf’s skyscrapers. Also, each room will feature a Jacuzzi. The Aquiva will not have an engine, but will get all the help it needs to situate itself permanently with the help of a tugboat.
Meanwhile, Dubai-based developer Khalid Al-Ghurair plans on taking Britain’s idea of a floating hotel and turning it into a chain back at home. In addition to those projects, architect Lord Rogers has been selected to design Wood Wharf, a Dubai-style island chain in Britain complete with moorings, cafes, beaches, and lots more.
Via Times Online UK
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June 29th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
[...] frozen economic climate has stilled building plans for the world’s largest floating hotel. Dubai-based developers had hoped to open the Aquiva in time for the 2012 Olympics in London, but [...]