Alex back on the QE2 Hotel, February 2023

[Rob Lightbody]

Alex has just a few hours ago departed from the QE2 Hotel, and is pleased to report that she is doing very well.  The linkup with Accor hotels is successful, she is much busier, and hotel rooms are being used (it helps that she's listed on the global Accor hotels website).  There have also been a number of positive moves in terms of décor and artwork and memorobilia.  Alex has been regularly staying at the hotel for a few years now, but says she's the best now that he's seen.

https://all.accor.com/hotel/B9L4/index.en.shtml

"Float Dubai" - the nightclub at the former funnel bar - is noisy and busy on the outside, brings life and soul to the ship, but didn't affect Alex's beautifully peaceful 3-deck stateroom.  He said he got a superb sleep.

As usual, he's sent lots of photos which I'll start posting today.

[Rob Lightbody]

Alex stayed in cabin 3018, which we believe is a combination of former cabins 3006 and 3008, adjacent to stairway A.

He described it as spacious, comfortable, modern, cool and peaceful - everything you want from a hotel really.  Points of interest are the funky 60s style furniture and décor, and nifty little wooden hatches to cover the portholes.

[Rob Lightbody]

A few shots of a very blue Queens Room last night

[Rob Lightbody]

We had been wondering where the Chart chest had gone from the Chart Room... some of us had enjoyed perusing the charts inside, and it sort of formed part of the reason for the room being called the Chart Room in the first place.

The space for it was still there, and its wee sign, but no sign of the Chest itself.

Well Alex spotted it in the museum area ashore, complete with its charts in the drawers!  I believe he has had a word with one of the team on board, so there are hopes it will be moved back to where it came from...

[Thomas Hypher]

Alex stayed in cabin 3018, which we believe is a combination of former cabins 3006 and 3008, adjacent to stairway A.

He described it as spacious, comfortable, modern, cool and peaceful - everything you want from a hotel really.  Points of interest are the funky 60s style furniture and décor, and nifty little wooden hatches to cover the portholes.

Very close to 3010 the cabin we had on our penultimate voyage and on the opposite side of the ship to 3005 the cabin we had on our last voyage. Mixed feelings as there's even less if any original stuff at all in these cabins compared to the bits and pieces retained in the One and Two deck cabins as part of the hotel. But I understand that the Three Deck cabins as we had back in the day (with a lot of originality apart from the upholstering and soft furnishings being renewed over the years and the new bathrooms from Project Lifestyle) still wouldn't really begin to satisfy contemporary hotel guest needs as much as it pains me to say this from sentimental and historical points of view.

What saddens me is the Three Deck cabin passageways have been altered to the extent they have as per Alex's photos from his previous visits, missing the characteristic strip of lights and instead the lighting being quite dim and now looking on the claustrophobic side. Why couldn't the rebuild of the cabins have allowed for leaving the nearby passageways in original form or as close to it as possible, as was done very nicely on One and Two Decks? That's where I think things could've been more sympathetic and still met other needs such as those of the contemporary hotel guest. Don't get me started on some of the lifts having a new "Titanic" style facade added to them either which is completely out of place in my opinion. Alas, I suppose these are just some of the compromises one has to get used to with any ship in a new, multi-use static life.

On a positive note, I should be able to recreate my Dad's photos of me in the porthole space now the deadlights are gone and not something to crack my head on as they were by the latter voyages!

Hopefully the chest of drawers from the Chart Room finds it's way back to it's home onboard. A Facebook shipping friend of mine and former passenger in the old days who I happened to meet by coincidence when revisiting the ship 3 years ago is planning to go and stay on her again soon and might enquire as to whether the silver model can see the light of day by being placed somewhere else other than in the mostly locked former Quarter Deck library. It would be great if it could return to it's home in Midships Lobby but I'm not holding my breath from a theft/security point of view despite the fact that the ship has plenty of security guards and other staff around!

Glad that the change of operators from PCFC to Accor is going well, the blue flag with her logo on flying from her signal mast looks very smart and is a new addition I think to do with Accor. She's looking better than ever out in Dubai paint condition wise and sand staining wise, something I also noticed on my whistle stop visit last August.

https://instagram.com/p/Cn6ygEDLVPQ?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[Rob Lightbody]

Hi Thomas,

Alex shared a video with me while aboard, walking around near to his cabin.  I see what you mean about the corridor lighting, and I also see that they've removed more of the corridor original features than on the other decks, however at least some of the passageways to the pairs of cabins remain - see attached.

Apart from the portholes, there isn't really anything in Alex's cabin that show's he's on the QE2 which is a bit of a shame... but then the same could be said for the SS Rotterdam's rooms.  I personally think its crying out for some more QE2-related artwork, and I'd have a couple of QE2 books in every cabin.  The ceiling in his room is also completely flat white, whereas the original cabin ceilings all had some curves and interest to them.

[Rob Lightbody]

Some exterior shots

[Thomas Hypher]

Hi Thomas,

Alex shared a video with me while aboard, walking around near to his cabin.  I see what you mean about the corridor lighting, and I also see that they've removed more of the corridor original features than on the other decks, however at least some of the passageways to the pairs of cabins remain - see attached.

Apart from the portholes, there isn't really anything in Alex's cabin that show's he's on the QE2 which is a bit of a shame... but then the same could be said for the SS Rotterdam's rooms.  I personally think its crying out for some more QE2-related artwork, and I'd have a couple of QE2 books in every cabin.  The ceiling in his room is also completely flat white, whereas the original cabin ceilings all had some curves and interest to them.

That's good about the passageways to the pairs of cabins remaining intact.

I think one or two QE2 framed photos in each of the new cabins would be good too, framed photos from her seagoing life and from her time in Dubai for a whole load of variety to create interest and potential talking points. Dubai already have a framed photo of an angle of her showing her funnel and upper decks in the passageway area near the Golden Lion Pub if I remember correctly from 3 years ago, as well as photos they've acquired off the likes of Getty Images. There are plenty of other sources for suitable photos too after all!

[Rob Lightbody]

Some more from Alex's visit a few days ago, on board this time.

[Rob Lightbody]

And some more from on board.

[Thomas Hypher]

Great to see the silver model has been moved so it's visible within the former Quarter Deck library. It was a shame when it was hidden behind the TV at the other end of the room. Will it ever make it's way back to Midships Lobby though?

Nice to see another framed photo of her exterior in the last photo of the second post, now just to put framed photos of her exterior in the rebuilt cabins to show the cabins are indeed on QE2!

A shame the Cunard Lion has disappeared from the lift doors, the voice has long since gone too. Also quite a few of the original strip light sections need bulbs replaced in places onboard.

Is the third photo in the second post where the Computer Centre used to be? The framed painting there looks great and it's good to see furniture from the old days reused in yet another place onboard.

[June Ingram]

She is looking very good. As much as we would like to see her look more like her old self inside, she is changing to fit her new career. She does look absolutely regal in the outside shots !

[Rob Lightbody]

Some more pics from Alex.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Good to see her looking clean and tidy and well cared for, as far as we can judge from the photos. I am sure that her new management is to her great advantage.

Thank you, Thomas, for pointing out the lift doors and the absent voice, I would not have noticed otherwise.

I did notice a display cabinet with some pieces of clothing inside, it would be quite interesting to know what these are. These cabinets used to house ship models, which presumably are now somewhere else.

[Rob Lightbody]

Some more from Alex's visit a couple of weeks ago