Floatel hits high tide on the Hooghly, on Monday afternoon. Picture by Aranya Sen

SHIP-SHAPE

• 73 double-bed AC rooms • Three suites • Multi-cuisine restaurant • 24-hour coffee shop • Banquet hall • Cyber café • Promenade decks • Elevator

Ever lounged on the deck of a ship sipping cappuccino and counting the small waves lashing the shore? Ever watched the twin bridges on the horizon in a silhouette and the sun melting behind the riverscape from the quietness of an AC bedroom? Perhaps not, for the country — leave alone Calcutta — has never had any state-of-the-art hotel floating on a river.

A whole new world of maritime pleasures is waiting to be uncorked on the mild waters of the Hooghly sometime in October when Floatel will be ready to welcome people aboard.

Sailing down the river for its “home and dry run” from the Kidderpore docks to Chandpal Ghat — where it will stay anchored — on a breezy Monday afternoon, the 180-ft-long four-storeyed white vessel looked every bit the grand new queen of the riverfront.

With 73 double-bed AC rooms, three suites, elevator, 24-hour coffee shop, cyber café, multi-cuisine restaurant-cum-bar, banquet hall for 200 heads, two promenade decks and overall accommodation for 550 people, the “country’s first four-star floating hotel” is just the right place to break away from a landlocked routine.

If staying put for a day or two is too much for the pocket, you can just drive in at 2, Strand Road and help yourself to a lavish seafood spread in the speciality restaurant while soft music wafts across your dinner table. Musical events and barbecue nites promise to spice up the stay.

“Calcutta was the obvious choice as the conditions of the Hooghly were most favourable for the project. The riverfront, 140 miles away from the sea, has the ideal salinity level and is attached to the city centre, unlike any other metro in India.

Besides, the costs would have doubled had it been implemented in Mumbai or any other city,” said Manab Pal, managing director of Manor Floatel, who has designed, conceived and implemented the vessel.

With around 30 seasons of shipping experience, Pal manoeuvred the project three years ago after extensive researching on flotillas in Europe, where it’s big time tourism business.

“Business travellers and tourists are our target clients and we aim to churn out a Rs 15 crore turnover in the first year itself,” added Pal, stressing that the October-February stretch will see a higher tourist footfall.

Built at Rs 31 crore with the latest offshore accommodation system, Floatel has in-built eco-friendly environs, as the litter will be pumped out on the land.

To run the hotel, Manor Floatel has tied up with the Mumbai-based eco-friendly hospitality chain Orchid, to take care of the staff, food and beverage.

“We are expecting around 60 per cent room occupancy which will translate into 50-60 bedrooms being occupied the year round,” said Param Kannampilly, director, Orchid. The room rents will compete with any five-star hotel in the city.

“The barge is ideal for business conferences and general seminars. The Calcutta Port Trust staff can drop in for the buffet lunch. We are also toying with the idea of introducing an East Indian fare, a kebab corner and pub food,” he added.

City-based interior architect Ajit Jain will do up the corridors, coffee shop and restaurants with panels narrating the genesis of shipping running along the walls.

“Doing up the interiors was challenging as we had to use material that was suitable for the conditions inside a ship. The furniture is made of rubberwood, steel and wrought iron as per shipping regulations,” Jain explained.

Security on board should be smooth sailing with the river traffic police a shout away.