Floating hotels

River Kwai, Thailand

It is a jungle out there – not that you would necessarily know it at this luxury eco-lodge run by villagers on the banks of the River Kwai in western Thailand. The wooden long-tailed boat waiting to ferry you to your floating villa, complete with sunbathing deck, in-room dining, and massage, makes it feel more like a private island. If you get cabin fever, elephant rides, jungle trekking, kayaking, and rafting can all be arranged.

The Float House River Kwai

St. Katharine B&B Boat, Barcelona

As shipshape as any of the super yachts at Barcelona’s Port Forum marina, and just an anchor’s throw from the beach and city center, the St. Katharine B&B Boat is an ex-Royal Navy supply ship turned boutique boatel. Five luxurious cabins are decked out with air­conditioning, en-suite restrooms, flatscreen TVs, and Wi-Fi, and if you’re looking to push the boat out they also do tapas and paella.

St. Katharine B&B Boat

Bateau Johanna, Paris

They say there’s nothing like a stroll along the Seine. Well, stay at this houseboat moored in front of the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre and you’ll soon find out. Your first port of call should be the neighboring Musée D’Orsay, with the world’s largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces housed inside a beaux arts railway station.

Bateau Johanna

Miami

The beach and marine culture of Miami is well documented – just think of the 1980s TV show Miami Vice and all those boat chases. Miami is a place where you can eat on the water, play on the water, and live on the water. The city and its environs offer deep-sea fishing, crocodile safaris, and hop-on, hop-off water taxis. Several companies rent out yachts, too. But if you want to get up close and personal with the city and really explore Little Havana­ and the pastel-colored Art Deco district, why not stay on a boat? (Even Sonny Crockett lived on one.) Airbnb has several options, whether you’re tempted by views of South Beach or by the buzz of downtown.