London’s first super yacht hotel to open in May
The yacht hotel arrived at the Thames estuary on 1 April, where she is currently undergoing a full interior refurbishment before being moved to her permanent home in the Royal Victoria Docks, next to ExCeL London.
Sunborn London is being operated by ISS Facility Services Hotel Division London (ISS) who will manage all facets of the business including catering, sales and marketing and events as well as the day-to-day running of the hotel.
Sunborn Group executive director Hans Niemi said: “The new hotel in London, which is currently the world’s most important city, gives us an important platform for the Sunborn brand and business concept. We’re delighted to work with ISS, a trusted partner with a strong track record in the hotel industry. Their focus on delivering the finest bespoke service in the most professional manner blends well with our culture.”
Super yacht
Sunborn London is 120m long and has 138 spacious bedrooms and suites over five different decks. The super yacht also features a bar, an auditorium, conference rooms, a state of the art gym, a sauna, treatment rooms and private terraces.
The yacht’s main restaurant on Deck 4 seats 80 people and boasts panoramic views of the surroundings. It serves modern European cuisine and does a buffet-style breakfast and lunch and an a la carte dinner service. The restaurant is run by head chef Robert Prendergast who previously worked in InterContinental Park Lane and Guoman Victoria.
The nightly rates for rooms on the super yacht start from £200 and guests can choose from a range of berths from classic rooms to executive suites, some of which feature balconies. All of the rooms include free wifi, a Samsung tablet and flat screen TV, and have British, European and American socket outlets.
Supporting East London
The arrival of Sunborn London is expected to bring more business, attention and community opportunities to East London’s Dockland area.
ISS partnered with the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) to recruit more than 50 per cent of its staff for Sunborn London. A number of roles from housekeeping to reception have been filled by local residents and ISS is one of the first employers in the area to pay hotel staff the London Living Wage.
The hotel is predicted to primarily attract corporate clients due to its close proximity to ExCeL, which expects four million visitors in 2014. The yacht’s luxury accommodation and facilities will also provide a useful base from which to enjoy local attractions such as the O2, Royal Greenwich and the Emirates Airline cable car.
ISS Facility Services Director of Hotels Karen Thomson said: “At ISS we see this as a very exciting opportunity. We’ve worked extensively with our partners to create a totally unique experience, whilst driving positive change in the area.”
