Dubai in
July announced it is to relaunch the iconic QE2 cruise liner as a 300-room
luxury floating hotel, as part of plans to transform its current home at Port
Rashid into the emirate’s newest tourist attraction.
The 293m
long vessel was bought from Cunard for around US$100m in June 2007 by Istithmar,
an investment company owned by the government of Dubai.
The cruise
terminal at Dubai’s Port Rashid is now set to become the liner’s permanent home
and it will be converted into a 300-room luxury hotel, with the terminal
developed to include a maritime museum. The refurbishment work is expected to
take 18 months to complete.
According
to Bloomberg, Istithmar is currently in talks with three hoteliers, including
Jumeirah Group, to manage the property.
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