Dubai has it all from the tallest of buildings to the largest of malls. Adding to its impressive list of world records is Dubai’s first floating five-star hotel – The Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2).
Docked permanently at Dubai’s Port Rashid, the iconic QE2 has been refurbished and transformed into a luxurious and elegant hotel that spans across 13 decks providing spacious and comfortable rooms, fine dining, entertainment, events and so much more. A visit to this elegant hotel will leave you in awe of its elegance and beauty giving you an experience you’ll never forget. Whether you want to dine on delicious British delicacies with a backdrop of the pristine ocean, spend a night in one of its many luxurious rooms or discover a glimpse of what the iconic QE2 was like during her sailing days, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t visit this iconic hotel in Dubai.
Get ready to embark on a unique cultural journey. Here’s a complete guide on everything you need to know about the iconic QE2 hotel.
History behind The QE2:
The Queen Elizabeth 2’s poignant history contributes to all her glory and grandeur with more than 1,300 voyages around 6 million nautical miles. Built for the Cunard Line in Scotland, The Queen Elizabeth 2 was designed for the transatlantic service from Southampton to New York and was named after the earlier Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth. It served as the flagship of the line from 1969 until it was succeeded by the Queen Mary 2 in 2004. After its final voyage in 2008, QE2 was handed over to its new owners Dubai World who transformed it into the marvelous beauty it is today.
The QE2 Experience - What to expect inside this magnificent hotel:
QE2 offers you the chance to experience the thrill of staying in an ocean linear while also being at the heart of the city. The hotel features 447 distinctive rooms and suites that are designed to meet all your luxury needs. The various options for the Rooms are- Standard Room, Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Officers Room, Captain’s Room, and Captain’s Room with Balcony. The suites have various luxurious options like – Junior Suite, Officer’s Suite, Captain’s Suite, Duplex Suite, and The Royal Suite. Each of rooms have porthole windows with breath-taking views that will truly make you feel at sea. Guests have the choice to choose any room with sea views or a view of Dubai’s skyline.
Price for the rooms start from AED 250.
Enjoy an international buffet in the chic and modern atmosphere for breakfast, lunch or dinner while admiring the views from the floor to ceiling windows at the Lido restaurant located on the Quarter deck. Eat like the royals and indulge into the quintessential British cuisine or sip into a warm cup of tea along with savoury and sweet bites at The Queen’s Grill. End your day by enjoying drinks and snacks at the Golden Lion, the oldest pub in Dubai.
The QE2 has a state-of-the-art gym where you can keep up with your fitness regime while also enjoying picturesque views. Enjoy world class performances in their licensed theatre, it has room for up to 515 people making it the perfect space to host a variety of events from press conferences, product launches, conferences, and private shows. The QE2 theatre is also known for conducting many celebrity live shows and performances.
The ship’s main attraction is the museum that lets you look back into the ship’s early days of glory as an ocean liner mapping it’s 39 years of service. This Heritage Tour starts from the Heritage Exhibition near the ship, next you’ll get to see the important features of the ship including the – Queens Room, The Bridge and Cabin where you can experience an interactive playback of the ship’s iconic history. You will also get a glimpse of the luxurious suites, original dining venues along with a plethora of historical artefacts. You can even avail a voucher of AED 100 to relish the specially curated menu on one of the ship’s onboard restaurants.
Timings of the Heritage Tour: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:00 am and 5:00 pm
Price: AED 85 per person
Restaurants in QE2:
There are 3 main dining options onboard this iconic ship. Here’s a brief list of the restaurants you can find at QE2:
1. The Lido Restaurant
The Lido is known for its delicious buffets that are served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Enjoy international dining in its chic and modern atmosphere while admiring the magnificent views from its floor to ceiling windows. Lido’s menu includes continental dishes and has everything from fruit, cheese, yogurt, hot breakfast items and Arabic delicacies. You can try the ‘3 Eggs Your Way’, ‘QE2 Full English Breakfast’, ‘Verdure Pizza’, ‘Napolitana Pasta’, ‘Falafel Wrap’, ‘QE2 Special Wagyu Cheeseburger’, ‘QE2 Butter Chicken’, ‘Tiramisu’ and ‘San Sebastian Burnt Cheesecake’.
Timings: Breakfast: 07:00 am – 10:30 am |Lunch: 12:30 pm – 03:00 pm |Dinner: 06:30 pm – 11:00 pm
Cost for 2: AED 285 (approx.)
2. The Queen’s Grill
Dine like royalty at the Queen’s Grill, a fine dining restaurant abroad QE2. The restaurant occupies the former first-class gourmet quarters of the ship. Once patronized by members of British royalty, Queen’s Grill today still maintains the original ocean liner feel with the elegance of fine dining. Enjoy delectable dishes like ‘Butter Confit Lobster’ and ‘Braised Lamb’ paired with picturesque sea views. The eatery is also famous for offering two types of afternoon teas- Cunard and Britannia. Cunard offers a fine assortment of freshly baked pastries and cold bites while, Britannia offers cold/hot canapes and pastries. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are also available upon request. The Queen’s Grill’s royal luxury and refined taste in food will truly make you feel like a king.
Timings: 03:00 pm – 06:30 pm (Last seating at 05:00 pm)
Cost: AED 760 (Average cost for two)
Cunard Afternoon Tea: Adults - AED 155 per person | Children - AED 100
Britannia Afternoon Tea: Adults - AED 199 per person| Children- AED 125
3. The Golden Lion
The Golden Lion is deemed as Dubai’s oldest pub, it offers live sports, great beer, and mouth-watering food. The plush red chairs and the vibrant green décor give this restaurant the classic English pub feel. The QE2’s global travels commemorative shields from countless ports are proudly displayed on the walls of this restaurant. You should try their ‘Mediterranean Salad’, ‘Crispy Chicken tenders with BBQ sauce and peri peri sauce served with French fries’, ‘Fried Calamari served with garlic lemon mayo’, ‘Panko breaded chicken burger’ and ‘Peri Peri Chicken Wings with blue cheese sauce’. They also have a vast variety of wines, soft drinks, fresh juices, cocktails and mocktails. There’s a 50% discount on selected house beverages from 4-8 pm daily.
Timings: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Cost: AED 410 (Average for two), AED 45 for a pint of beer
How to get there:
The QE2 is located at Port Rashid near some of Dubai’s most famous attractions like Burj Khalifa, Dubai World Trade Centre and The Dubai Mall. The Dubai International Airport is a short drive away. You can reach QE2 by car or you can also take the metro. The nearest metro station is Al Ghubaiba Station. You can also take the Bus- the Bus C1 and X92 takes you to the nearest bus stop. The nearest bus station is Falcon Intersection, Raffa and Ghubaiba Bus station.
Things you probably didn’t know about the QE2:
• Queen Elizabeth 2 had once carried around 2.5 million passengers, equivalent to the size of Budapest.
• The ship has travelled across the globe at least 25 times.
• QE2 was the only ship to have a synagogue at sea.
• The ship had a shopping arcade with over 11 boutiques, including Harrods.
• Approximately around 600,000 liters of beverage were consumed annually on QE2.
