Sunborn London, yacht hotel review: A pioneering concept

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This was published 9 years ago

Sunborn London, yacht hotel review: A pioneering concept

By Rob McFarland
Sunborn London is a gleaming super yacht.

Sunborn London is a gleaming super yacht.

Sunborn pioneered the concept of the yacht hotel, a floating property that can be relocated according to demand. Its latest offering is the Sunborn London, a gleaming 108-metre superyacht that looks as though it should be anchored off Cannes with a Russian oligarch at the helm.

Instead, it's in the less salubrious surrounds of Royal Victoria Dock, a rejuvenated part of London's Docklands that's also home to the ExCeL exhibition centre and London City Airport.

From the moment you step into the ship's glass elevator, it's a bling-fest of gold handrails, mirrored ceilings and chandeliered opulence. A bar and lounge spills onto an outdoor terrace with impressive views of The O2 arena and the Emirates cable car.

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Climb a sweeping glass staircase and there's an unexpectedly good restaurant specialising in modern English cuisine. Other facilities include a gym, a movie theatre and an Elemis spa.

Ships aren't renowned for their spacious accommodation and it's in this area that Sunborn really excels. Even the smallest of its four room categories is 30 square metres and all feature a king-size bed with a coma-inducing Ergoflex mattress, a generous bathroom and a separate lounge.

Throw in high-end amenities such as Lavazza coffee machines, Samsung tablets and Molton Brown toiletries and this floating hotel becomes a very compelling offering indeed.

Rooms from £180. Royal Victoria Dock, sunbornhotels.com/london.

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