Hotelship
The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with Germany and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (February 2022) |
A hotelship is a
United States
There are two permanently moored hotel ships in the USA. The Queen Mary is in Long Beach, California,[5] and the former Lake Michigan carferry City of Milwaukee is used seasonally as a hotel in Manistee, Michigan.[6]
Japan
The ocean liner Hikawa Maru is a botel in Yokohama.[7]
Netherlands
The former ocean liner Rotterdam is currently serving as a hotel and museum in Rotterdam.[8]
Finland
The former cruise ship and carferry Bore is serving as a hotel, museum and restaurant in Turku.[9]
Germany
At times when accommodation shortages can be predicted, for example during
The moorings are usually located near the town centre. During a large trade fair such as Drupa or Medica in Düsseldorf, up to 40 ships can be moored to accommodate visitors.[10]
River cruisers are used as hotelships for a limited time and intermittently. Whereas a hotel has a fixed address and is used permanently, hotelships are only in any one location for a defined duration. Ship owners and shipping companies are particularly keen on this use of river cruisers as, unlike in the case of deep sea cruise ships, there is no seasonal transfer of ships to warmer areas. The result is therefore more efficient use of the ships outside the main cruising season.
The main thoroughfares for
Background
The origins of hotelships in Germany can be traced back to the 1970s. During international trade fairs it was often difficult to find good quality accommodation in a convenient location because of shortages of hotel rooms. During the International Textile Trade Fair in Frankfurt, the idea was born to moor a river cruiser on the banks of the Main and thus increase bed capacity in the city centre. Even today, the Frankfurt am Main harbour authorities offer moorings for hotelships on the Nizza Werft.[12]
During the last 10 years, river cruises in Europe have become a growth area of the tourism industry. Since the completion of the
Another reason for the increased use of hotelships is the huge peak in demand for hotel rooms in trade fair cities.[13] Local hotels demanding heavily increased prices during trade fair events has recently led to cutbacks in trade fairs or even their complete withdrawal. Many visitors have stayed away or just come for the day and have been able to do so because of reduced transport costs with budget airlines or ICE train connections. Hotelships redress the balance during these temporary peaks and, in spite of criticism from local hotels, help make trade fair locations more attractive and more competitive.[14]
The market
Hotelships operate as a balance in the hotel market where the market is too inflexible to react to periods of high demand such as is the case during trade fairs. Additional capacity through the construction of new hotels is not always possible and indeed not always desirable since in times of low demand outside the trade fair season, this creates excess capacity. The introduction of hotelships takes account of this situation and helps to balance occasional high demand with supply.
Hotelships are usually marketed by charter agencies who make use of accommodation made available by
During the 6-month season in 2008, hotelships in Germany boosted the market with an extra 100,000 beds and their turnover was about 10,000,000 Euros.[18] This only represents a small part of the total hotel capacity in Germany. Berlin alone, for example, has a daily capacity of 97,441 beds (figures from December 2008).[19]China
During the COVID-19 pandemic, river cruise ships were used to provide nearly 1,500 beds for medical workers in the worst affected city, Wuhan.[20]
Sweden
The Viking is a converted sailing ship floated in Sweden.
Indonesia
Former cruise ship Doulos Phos currently operates as a hotel in Bintan.
United Arab Emirates
The Former ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 currently operates as a hotel in Dubai.[21]
Gallery
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Botel Zebra in Amsterdam.
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Amstel Botel in Amsterdam.
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Botel Racek ("Seagull") in Prague.
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Queen Mary inLong Beach, California.
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Rotterdam as she is today, permanently moored as a hotel and museum.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Botel Zebra in Amsterdam, Netherlands". Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ a b c "Amstel Botel". Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ a b "The Botel, Savannah, Tennessee". Archived from the original on 2011-12-13. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ^ "Qatar Brings in Three Cruise Ships for World Cup Hotel Space". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
- ^ "The Queen Mary™ - One-Of-A-Kind Long Beach Hotel Experience". queenmary.com. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ "Boatel". SS City of Milwaukee. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ "Hikawa Maru". ssbarnhill.com. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ "Step aboard the ss Rotterdam". ss Rotterdam | by WestCord. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ skmalara (2020-03-11). "Ship Hostel S/S Bore". www.hostelbore.fi. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ Rheinische Post Archived 2009-04-30 at the Wayback Machine Daily Germany Newspaper, published in Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, The Article “Volles Haus in Düsseldorf”, May 26th, 2008 (Full House in Düsseldorf) describes the hotel situation and the need of hotelships during the major trade fairs in Germany.
- ^ Hafen Frankfurt Archived 2010-01-21 at the Wayback Machine The Frankfurt Harbour management company (FHM) | Hotelships in Frankfurt, The FHM describes hotelships as a central part of Frankfurt’s hotel industry during the major trade fairs.
- ^ Hafen Frankfurt Archived 2010-01-21 at the Wayback Machine The Frankfurt Harbour management company (FHM) promotes hotelship accommodation as an attractive option during trade fairs in Frankfurt.
- ^ The Hindu Business Line Indian Financial Daily Newspaper, “SOTC sees growth from trade fair tours — Ties up with German cruise cos”, May 10th, 2004
- ^ Rheinische Post Archived 2009-04-30 at the Wayback Machine Daily Germany Newspaper, published in Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, The Article “Volles Haus in Düsseldorf” (Full House in Düsseldorf) describes the hotel situation and the need of hotelships during the major trade fairs in Germany.
- ^ British Plastics Federation The British Plastic Federation advises its members about the option of booking hotelship accommodation for K2010 in Düsseldorf.
- ^ Düsseldorf Marketing und Tourismus GmbH Archived 2009-06-28 at the Wayback Machine Hotelship accommodation in Düsseldorf is also bookable over the Düsseldorf City and Tourism Marketing association(DMT).
- ^ Tourismus und Kongress GmbH Frankfurt am Main Archived 2009-09-01 at the Wayback Machine The Frankfurt Tourism Association promotes a booking service for hotelship accommodation during trade fairs in Frankfurt.
- ^ Crossgates Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine British hotel ship agency, Key facts on the hotelship industry in Germany.
- ^ Berlin Tourismus [permanent dead link] Berlin Tourism Association, Statistics on the hotel situation in Berlin 2008.
- ^ "Coronavirus: China brings in seven cruise ships to house Wuhan medical workers". 22 February 2020.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth 2 | Luxury 13-Deck Floating Hotel, Dubai". www.qe2.com. Retrieved 2023-08-15.