What Is a Floating Hotel?

Floating hotels are hotels that are not located on solid ground, typically sitting over water. While a floating hotel could be designed to float on water, most hotels of this type are actually securely positioned on stilts so that the building does not sway. There are many different floating hotel designs, but one popular strategy is to build small individual cabins over the water, creating privacy and a festive atmosphere. It is also possible to create a floating hotel that would float in the air rather than water, although the investment required to create such a hotel is quite high.

Most of the time, a floating hotel operates in a way that is similar to a resort or a traditional hotel. Rooms are rented to guests, and room service and other amenities are provided. In some cases, the purpose of the hotel is explicitly romantic, and the establishment may have special honeymoon and wedding suites. As the rooms are often divided and do not connect to one another, they are sometimes called villas or bungalows.

For many vacationers to waterfront destinations, floating hotels are ideal because of their necessary proximity to the water. Many rooms in these hotels are close enough to the water to allow residents to hear the waves, and some allow swimming directly off the deck. Floating hotels of this type are particularly popular in warm destinations, but they do exist in cold areas where swimming would not be advisable. In these locations, the benefits of a floating hotel might include the views and environmental preservation.

Some groups build floating hotels not because of the draw of the water but because of the reduced environmental impact. In these cases, the floating hotel may actually float, because these hotels are often built on barges. Another common design for the environmentally friendly floating hotel involves suspending the hotel from above, reducing the need to create contact with land. Problematically, a hotel of this type must be in an area with relatively still weather and water conditions to keep the vessel safe.

Airborne floating hotels would operate in a way similar to floating hotels over water, but these structures would likely not be tethered to the ground in any way. In order to remain steady, airships of this type must be quite large to balance out movement due to wind. The cost to develop an airborne hotel could be quite large, but an airborne floating hotel has the potential to provide excellent views and a unique experience.