The Queen Elizabeth 2, a world-famous cruise liner with a history spanning five decades, which was originally retired in 2008 will be permanently docked at Dubai, where it gets a second life as a luxury hotel.
PCFC Hotels part of the Dubai government’s Ports, Customs and Free Zones Corporation has reinvented the vessel into a 13-deck hotel complete with 13 restaurants and lounges. At the QE2, guests have a wide range of options from simple berths priced at US$150 a night to elaborate rooms worth US$15,000 a night. The ship been restored to her former glory — maintaining interior design features such as period furniture, paintings and famous memorabilia. The original porthole windows add a maritime feel to the modernized guest rooms and many of the restaurants have retained the same names.
A British pub style bar will serve alcohol but its slot machines will not functions given that gambling is illegal in Dubai. The hotel’s signature restaurant is The Queens Grill which offers a selection of British fine-dining dishes as well as a tasting menu that recreates a classic selection of dishes from 1969.
Hamza Mustafa, CEO of PCFC Hotels, commented: “To finally open the QE2 is a dream come true for my team and I… We have dedicated more than 2.7 million man-hours into transforming this legendary ocean liner into the multi-faceted tourist destination that she is today.”
The hotel will enjoy a soft opening next week. During the soft launch of the QE2, passengers can experience some of the ship’s original restaurants including The Chart Room, a historical lounge and bar; The Golden Lion, a traditional English pub and now potentially one of Dubai’s oldest; The Pavilion, a family restaurant with a large terrace overlooking the marina; Lido, the hotel’s all-day-dining restaurant; The Grand Lounge, a cabaret-style lounge with a weekly entertainment programme; and the Yacht Club, a chic rendition of the former venue as well as a unique take on the traditional afternoon tea.
The grand launch of the QE2 will take place in October.