Just when you thought hotels in Dubai couldn't get any more luxurious, the opening of a floating hotel proves you wrong.
The historic Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) cruise ship has been transformed into a 13-deck floating hotel, after being docked at Mina Rashid since 2008. The hotel will be opening its doors to the public on April 18.
The QE2 - which first set sail in 1969 and operated for almost four decades - was renovated by PCFC Hotels, part of Dubai's government's Ports, Customs, and Free Zones Corporation.
In the first stage of operations, the hotel will be offering passengers rooms and suites. Also, five of the planned 13 restaurants and bars will open to the public during the initial phase.
According to The Independent, the "small but beautifully designed" cabins will be available for under 700 dirhams ($200) after the initial launch.
The grand launch will take place in October, whereby 224 refurbished rooms and suites will be available for booking.
More than 2.7 million man-hours were put into the transformation of the legendary ocean-liner.
"To finally open the QE2 is a dream come true for my team and I. It is one of Dubai's most highly anticipated projects," said Hamza Mustafa, the chief executive of PCFC Hotels, in a statement.
"We know that a lot of people are going to be very excited to see her for the first time, or to step back on board the vessel that created so many wonderful memories during her 40 years at sea," he added.
QE2 Exhibition: An interactive museum inside the hotel
According to the QE2 website, the hotel lobby will be home to an interactive museum "portraying the amazing origins of the QE2."
The museum "reproduces three iconic spaces from the ship: the bridge, a first-class cabin, and the Queens Room."
The QE2 in Clydebank, Scotland (1965-1967) before her first journey as a flagship ocean-liner
The ship, which was built for the Cunard Line (a British-American cruise line), served as a transatlantic liner between Southampton, U.K., and New York, U.S., for over 39 years.
At the same time, it was a cruise ship up until its retirement in 2008. Some patrons of the QE2 included Nelson Mandela, Elizabeth Taylor, Buzz Aldrin, and David Bowie.
The ship remained the flagship of the British merchant navy until it made its way to Dubai in 2008.