The ship operated as a luxury cruise liner between 1969 and 2008, before being sold to a Dubai-based firm and eventually reopening as a floating hotel situated in the city’s Port Rashid in 2018.
Accor has taken over operation of the hotel, and will reflag it under the group’s M Gallery Hotel Collection following “further upgrades and renovations”.
According to the hotel’s website qe2.com, the ship currently offer 215 rooms and suites, but in a press release Accor said that “Once the renovation is completed, the new M Gallery Queen Elizabeth 2 will feature 447 hotel rooms”, as well as nine food and beverage outlets, ten meeting rooms, 5,620 sqm of outdoor events space, six retail outlets, a swimming pool and a gym.
Accor currently operates around 100 M Gallery properties, including The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel, and The Canvas Hotel Dubai – M Gallery Hotel Collection.
The QE2 adds to the group’s 62 hotels and 18,562 rooms across the UAE, with a further 20 properties in the pipeline.