MUMBAI will get its first floating five-star hotel this September in the form of a converted 12-deck Greek liner anchored two nautical miles off the city’s coast in the Arabian sea.
The as yet unnamed ‘floatel’ will boast a helipad, shopping mall, a mini theme park, al fresco dining options, restaurants, theatres and a health club. Access will be via helicopter or speedboat.
Rashmi Enterprises, the company behind the Rs6 billion (US$102 million) project, is currently in negotiations with a luxury hotel brand for management services.
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation has already green-lighted the construction of a floating jetty for the hotel. Sumit Mullick, additional chief secretary (tourism), Government of Maharashtra, expressed confidence that the project would be a major attraction.
Lauding the floating property “a unique addition” to the city, Sandhya Kartha, director of Mumbai-based Redchilli Holidays, said: “For the guest it will offer an outstanding view of the city and a water-land combination experience. For visitors and purveyors of the F&B offering, it will be an attractive offshore experience. It’s a win-win product.”
Rakesh Lamba, managing director of Omega Hospitality Consultants New Delhi, added: “Land costs are sky-high in Mumbai, so the water option could become a workable proposition for more hotels in future. With a large coastline in India, this could set a trend for a successful model in hotel development.”
