A feared accommodation crunch during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be somewhat eased thanks to at least one floating hotel option.
Princess Cruises’ Sun Princess will serve as a hotel docked at nearby Yokohama Port during the Games.
The ship has been chartered by major Japanese travel group JTB.
The 2,000 passenger vessel will ‘help ease a shortage of accommodations during the Olympics,’ JTB President Hiroyuki Takahashi said.
Real estate analysts predict a shortage of about 3,500 hotel rooms by the time the Olympics take place.
The floating hotel will also put cruising in the spotlight.
"The JTB plan will be a great opportunity to drive the popularity of cruises. I want guests to experience the charms of passenger vessels," said Yokohama Mayor Fumiko Hayashi.
JTB said it will offer staterooms at $273 to $2,730 per night based on category and a program of shipboard dining and entertainment will take place.
The Tokyo metropolitan government is also exploring the possibility of a floating hotel option with MSC Cruises for the Olympics, which would be sited at the Port of Tokyo.
