The Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise liner is soon to
be converted into a 300-room luxury hotel. The 70,327-ton, 1,791-passenger vessel was bought from Cunard for US$100 million five years ago by Istithmar, an investment company owned by the government of Dubai.
The new plan calls for the liner to be converted into a 300-room hotel and docked permanently at Dubai’s Port Rashid as part of a plan to transform the port into a tourist attraction. The company believes visitors will want to see the QE2 as it originally looked, so does not expect to carry out major renovations or remove fixtures still onboard. The refurbishment work is expected to take 18 months to complete.
Bloomberg has reported that Istithmar is currently in talks with three hoteliers, including Jumeirah Group, to manage the property.
“The vessel is truly iconic and has a huge following around the world. Our vision is to enhance the facilities on board but retain the very strong sense of history that is a fundamental part of her attraction,” said HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of Istithmar World.
