Superyachts: Luxury floating hotel with private catamaran apartment pods by Salt & Water

A winning floating hotel design may signal a new wave of luxury travel delivering a relaxing, up-market, tranquil nature escape with astounding views and ultimate privacy.

Designed by Salt & Water, the floating hotel allows guests to drift all day in a private apartment pod which features a balcony and sun deck. Guests can disembark when they feel like grabbing a bite at the hotel's main restaurant on the central floating unit.

The floating hotel has a central floating unit incorporating the reception, restaurant, event hall, a cafe and offices for crew, and the detachable private apartment units (called catamarans).

Guests enter the hotel through the central unit, where they can check in before heading to their floating apartment pod via a connecting walkway.

Each apartment is designed as a catamaran which means it can be separated from the dock and central floating construction and navigated by guests. This unique design allows guests to steer to their private catamaran and choose the location they want for their floating inland water holiday.

The catamaran pods include a salon, a galley, a bathroom, a hall with storage space and a sleeping area located above the salon. The pods have two separate outdoor locations - the flying bridge and the beach platform for swimming, diving, fishing and sun bathing.

According to the designers, the unusual shape of the pods (with large windows at the front) provides sweeping views of the surrounds. Guests are able to navigate the catamaran at a slow speed for uninterrupted views.

The catamaran apartments accommodate up to four guests (for four guests the salon is converted into a double bedroom).

The company behind the floating hotel idea says the design will allow more travellers to experience rivers and lakes in are more eco-friendly way, with minimal disruption to the natural surroundings.