QE2 Dubai's hotel operation joins Accor group.

[Rob Lightbody]

From :-

https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2022/05/09/dubais-qe2-hotel-to-join-accors-m-gallery-collection/

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

...

“We are confident that once finalised, the M Gallery Queen Elizabeth 2 will become a true must-visit attraction, sharing her own stories with her guests while offering a truly unforgettable experience on-board.”

[Rob Lightbody]

Sounds like a good thing to me, for the hotel to be run by a hotel group.

[Thomas Hypher]

Sounds promising. Hopefully it secures her future even more.

I just hope the "M Gallery" branding doesn't find it's way into wherever her name is displayed on her exterior or onboard - like "M Gallery Queen Elizabeth 2" on her stern. It would be tacky in my opinion, in addition to the Dubai branding on her stern which is already an eyesore. Other than the previously mentioned Dubai stern branding, the current hotel operation has kept her branding to just QE2 and kept it classy - I hope that this is maintained.

[June Ingram]

It does sound promising. I just hope this is not the start of a series of hand offs to various companies.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Sounds like a good thing to me, for the hotel to be run by a hotel group.

I am inclined to agree. And the fact that Accor is French, somehow seems good to me too.

[Peter Mugridge]

I am inclined to agree. And the fact that Accor is French, somehow seems good to me too.

Their brands include Ibis, Mercure, Pullman Hotels and Raffles so I think it's safe to say they know what they are doing when it comes to hotels...

[Rob Lightbody]

I'm hoping they might address the issue of the hotel looking so bare.  I think they went too far stripping it back (e.g. Window dressings) and removed any hint of luxury, and also they just need to add a sparkle of QE2 history back into the rooms etc (see the SS Rotterdam for clues on how to easily do this).

[Conor]

Broadly seems a positive move, I agree with a lot of what’s been said above.

My key thought would be: how do we attract non-enthusiasts to the ship? What activities are there for families, etc. that would make it more attractive as a place to stay/visit.

[Thomas Hypher]

A great re-use of Traveller's Cove:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqDkEteo92a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link