At the end of Pier 59 in New York, on docks underneath the JFK airports, there are floating hotels. A non-profit arts organization called Flux Factory teamed up with some creative people to produce these unique establishments. There are 16 of them. Together, they make up a Boatel.
The Gothamist reports that the accommodations aren't fancy, but the atmosphere does foster creativity for artistic individuals. The boatel even includes a Floating Theater.
Each of the boats has some special trait about it. One boat sings, another is intended to look appropriate for the Victorian era, and a third was designed as a patchwork treehouse boat. There's a style for everyone. There's even a boat described as a "hillbily karma sutra honeymoon suite," for those who like that sort of thing. (That wouldn't really be surprising anyway, since hotels are now offering packages based on the novel Fifty Shades of Grey).
“I named the Boatel for Nancy Boggs, who ran a floating brothel in Portland,” said Constance Hockaday, the co-founder. “I didn't want to do a brothel, ethically, because I'm not a sex worker, so it just didn't feel right."
A boatel seemed like a better fit to Boggs and to the owner of the marina, who donated all of the boats. The boats had been abandoned and forgotten, so they were in poor condition. Boggs did a lot of work to fix them up and make them ready for guests. "Basically I had to rip out the interiors, put in paneling, seal up the leaks so they would float," she said. "Most of them, I had to strip the entire insides. Then I got to decorate."
The work paid off, however. The Boatel quickly became pompular. Boggs said the boats were filled to capacity almost immediately.
If you'd like to make a reservation, go to the website, which also features a suggested packing list and policy information.
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