A Floating Hotel Comes To Regent's Canal

By BethanyC Last edited 152 months ago
A Floating Hotel Comes To Regent's Canal

The London hotel landscape has a lot to offer, but here’s a first: a luxury hotel boat on Regent’s Canal. ‘On the Water’ is a custom-built narrow boat, designed to be as spacious as possible while still moving freely in the country’s canal system. Starting at £250 per night, it can also be your own private, five star hotel.

The lounge/bedroom is bright and spacious, decorated luxuriously in white and grays, with a large skylight over the bed and small touches like candles, a DVD collection and cozy blankets. There’s a slick bathroom and even a galley kitchen, stocked with coffee, tea and snacks. You’ll find a chilled bottle of champagne on arrival to enjoy on the boat’s spacious outdoor deck and dining area. The next morning, wake up to freshly baked breakfast treats and the papers, all delivered to your door.

So far, so good, right? The boat is moored on the north side of Regent’s Park, near the enigmatic floating Chinese restaurant (anyone ever tried it?), and is accessed via “a secret pathway” in the park. The canal can be idyllic on warm, sunny days; just remember to close the curtains on the boat or else you might wake up to some curious pedestrians peering through the windows.

But once the sun goes down, what do you think: does the canal become peaceful and private, or a bit dank and dodgy? (And what sorts of noises emanate from the Zoo after dark?) We’re leaning towards the former but, either way, this would certainly be a fun and unusual way to spend a night in the capital.

On the Water, Regent's Park. Visit www.beonthewater.co.uk for more information.

Last Updated 19 July 2011