ST : Suite dreams

Jan 31, 2010

Suite dreams

By Leonard Lim

Call it the new wave in premium stays.

Think flat-screen TV sets, king-size beds, huge bathtubs, a jacuzzi and a personal concierge.

But these amenities are not in a ritzy hotel but on a boat.

A local company called Nautique floated up this idea. It owns the two-storey Nautilus 55 which is tagged as the world's first luxury floating suite.

Docked at Raffles Marina in Tuas, the craft, completed last month, can take up to 30 people.

It has already reeled in some business ahead of its official launch next month. An overnight charter costs around $3,000 - comparable to prices for a hotel suite downtown and slightly lower than those for a yacht.

What does that money net you? The first floor has a kitchen and lounge, the second has a master bedroom with a pop-up flat-screen TV set, and the upper deck has a barbecue pit and jacuzzi.

The Nautilus can also be piloted out to sea from anywhere on board using a remote control - provided you have the requisite pleasure-craft licence.

Nautique chief executive Kevin Hill said the inspiration behind the Nautilus, which cost $1.5 million, was to provide a new form of over-water accommodation.

This also avoided causing environmental damage to the seabed from building structures anchored to a spot.

Mr Hill, 40, a Briton, has been involved in building resorts, including hotel facilities over the water, in places like the Maldives for around 15 years.

Since the Nautilus' completion, several resort developers and businessmen from places like Dubai have expressed interest in buying similar units.

'This is for export primarily. We will build and locate it in, say, the Maldives or Seychelles,' said Mr Hill, the Entrepreneur of the Year winner at last year's Singapore British Business Awards.

One of the first to experience life on the Nautilus was Ms Jacelyn Breen. The 32-year-old Singaporean spent the weekend there with her husband and three children a few weeks ago.

'It's like a hotel; we had friends over and the kids loved the jacuzzi,' said the project administrator.

Another customer was Mr Jonathan Geach, 42, managing director of a branding company. A fortnight ago, he decided to treat his clients from Australia and Hong Kong to something different.

The Briton said: 'The most fun part was sailing around using the remote control while I was in the jacuzzi.'