Elegancia Hotels, known for its artsy boutique hotels around Paris, is bringing a new hotel concept to the city’s famous Seine River: a floating hotel. Off-Paris Seine will be housed in a converted catamaran—ideal for small groups looking for a quirky way to experience the City of Lights.
The $11.8 million hotel, created in partnership with Citysurfing, a company dedicated to reducing urban crowding by creating eco-friendly floating structures, will be centrally located on the river nearby the Charles de Gaulle Bridge. Not only will it feature 54 guest rooms and four suites, but it will also house a bar, restaurant, panoramic lounge, solarium, swimming pool and summer terrace. Nearby, attendees will be able to walk to shops in the city’s Asian district, visit the National Library of France or take a 20-minute walk to Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Assembled in Normandy, the floating hotel is being towed down the river from Rouen to Paris this month, and it is expected to welcome attendees this spring. Other European cities such as Budapest, Copenhagen and London have already expanded into the floating-hotel market, but this will be a first for Paris.
Not much information has been released about the floating hotel’s design, but meeting planners can expect something innovative. Elegancia Hotels is known for its quirky hotels such as the Idol Hotel, which provides guests with a sensorial experience that engages sight as much as touch and sound. The hotel chain’s Legend Hotel engages guests with a Secret Passage room and DreamCatcher suite, while the Hidden Hotel is designed with natural materials such as flax and wood to create a minimalistic and intimate setting.
