Mumbai: Marine Drive is soon going to have its own floatel, a floating hotel just two nautical miles from Nariman Point. The hotel will be equipped with restaurants, casinos, and bars. To appoint contractors, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) has begun the tender process.
This floatel will be set up to promote tourism in Mumbai on the lines of Goa. Earlier, a similar floatel was set up in the sea at Bandra. However, the State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has closed the jetty leading to the hotel as work on the Bandra-Versova sea bridge is underway. As a result, the floatel is currently closed. The MMB has now started the process of installing a new floatel in the sea opposite Marine Drive on the same lines.
A new jetty will be set up on an area of 10,000 square meters near NCPA at Nariman Point to allow tourists to visit the floating hotel. The jetty will be equipped with modern amenities. There will also be a helipad facility so that passengers coming from the airport can land a helicopter so that they can go directly to the floatel. Apart from this, terminals, canteens, navigational channels for speed boats to come and go, breakwater to protect the jetty from waves, etc. will be created. The project is expected to cost around Rs 240 crore.
Meanwhile, the hotel will open for 275 days a year. It will be closed to tourists for some time as the sea is rough from June to September during the rainy season.
Four-year wait
The contractor will also have to build a jetty facility at Nariman Point along with the floatel. It will also have to be managed and maintained. A portion of the proceeds will have to be paid to the MMB. Officials said it will take about four years for the floatel to become a reality after the tendering process is completed.
Facilities on cruise floatels
The cruise will feature a variety of food restaurants, bars, casinos, banquet halls, shopping malls, swimming pools, library facilities, theaters for plays, and other cultural events.