- I stayed in Doulos Phos The Ship Hotel, a short ferry ride from Singapore.
- The 110-year-old ship was brought to its resting place in Indonesia and renovated into a hotel.
- It was a unique respite from the hustle and bustle of Singapore.
Life in Singapore, a small island state in Southeast Asia that’s just slightly smaller than New York City, can get claustrophobic.
Weekend getaways to nearby islands are popular escapes for weary residents. Bintan, an Indonesian island just an hourlong, 107 Singapore dollars ($80) round-trip ferry from Singapore, is a top choice.
As my ferry turned into Bintan’s harbor, I caught the first glimpse of what would be my home for the next 36 hours: a 110-year-old mammoth ship that’s been converted into a hotel.
About Doulos Phos The Ship Hotel
The ship, retrofitted to become a hotel in 2019, was built in 1914, just two years after the Titanic sank.
Built in Texas, it was a cargo ship carrying onions from 1914 to 1948. Until 1953, it was a passenger ship that ferried pilgrims to Rome.
In 1953, it was acquired by a cruise company and served as a passenger ship before it was sold to a Christian missionary in 1977. There, it spent 33 years as a floating library sailing around the world.
When it was decommissioned in 2009 at 95 years old, the ship received a Guinness World Record as the oldest active passenger ocean-going ship.
Singaporean businessman Eric Saw bought the vessel in 2010 and spent nine years finding its final resting spot.
From the get-go, I was blown away by the vastness
As my taxi turned the corner from the ferry terminal, I took in the sheer size of the 430-foot-long ship hotel.
Dry-berthed on an anchor-shaped piece of reclaimed land, the hotel has 105 ship-cabin-inspired rooms, three operating eateries, an infinity swimming pool overlooking the sea, a gym, and a spa center.
The lobby was bright, polished, and spacious. While I checked in, I was given a refreshing glass of chilled orange juice, a welcome respite from the nearly 90-degree heat of the island.
Its history as an ocean-going vessel was apparent: The staff were all dressed in sailor-inspired uniforms with nautical patterns, its rooms were called cabins, and its floors were referred to as decks.
The room was stunning
My room, which was an executive suite, was spacious and way too big for one person. It had a sofa area, a work desk, a king-sized bed, and a mini-fridge. The windows looked out to a beautiful view of Bintan’s coastline.
The bathroom, too, was huge — much larger than some hotel rooms I’ve stayed in.
The room cost about $87 a night, which I thought was a good deal for the size and amenities. Business Insider paid for my stay in full.
There wasn’t that much to do on the property — but the tour was fascinating
I thought the activities “on board” the ship hotel could have been more extensive. The highlight was a ship tour, which takes place twice daily, at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m..
The tour started from the upper decks, with the staff taking me through the various suites of the ship. It then wound its way to the engine room on the lowest deck.
The engine room looked like it was the most untouched part of the ship. A wall with maps of dozens of countries documented its 95 years of sails, and the preserved pipes and machinery gave me an idea of what the ship must have looked like while in operation.
Outside the ship, on the edge of the anchor-shaped reclaimed island, sat the hotel’s infinity pool. The water was cool and refreshing, and given that it faced west, the view of the sunset was to die for.
There was a small spa facility and benches and grass patches to sit around in.
The gym on-site had a traditional wooden roof and was equipped with weights, a treadmill, exercise balls, and other basic equipment. It was small but had a beautiful view of the sea.
Apart from that, there was not that much to do. But living and working in Singapore’s noisy concrete jungle, I found myself gazing at the sea for a good part of my trip.
There was an odd lack of visitors
One thing that shocked me about the place was the unsettling lack of visitors. Most of the visitors during my stay were the missionaries who owned the ship before it was decommissioned and were on a group retreat at the hotel.
Throughout my weekday stay, I only saw one visitor who was not a part of the missionary retreats. The visitor, Truphena Omolo from Kenya, was a teacher working in Singapore who was on a short getaway to Bintan.
She said she had found the hotel on Booking.com and booked it for five days and four nights, paying about $400 for her trip.
The food needed some work
I am a huge fan of Indonesian cuisine and had high hopes for the food. But it fell short, with the chicken being a bit too dry for my liking.
Omolo, the visitor from Kenya, said she thought the only area the hotel could improve on was its food.
“I think if there were a variety of maybe choices in terms of meals for people who are vegetarian, then I would appreciate that,” she said, adding that the choices for her were “slim.”
I returned home refreshed
Overall, I returned from the short trip rejuvenated. It was a perfect place for a quick and inexpensive escape from city life.
However, other hotels and resorts in Bintan with water sports and golf courses might be a safer bet for more activity-seeking vacationers.
