The world’s oldest passenger ship, built in 1914, just two years after the Titanic, has been transformed into a luxury hotel on the Indonesian island of Bintan after being rescued from the scrapyard.
Launched as the SS Medina in Virginia, the 428-foot vessel originally hauled onions and goods. Over more than a century, it took on new roles and names, including WWII services, carrying pilgrims, and eventually sold to Operation Mobilization in 1977, where it was renamed as MV Doulos and used as a floating library.
By 2010 it held a Guinness World Record as the oldest active passenger ship, according to CNN. Its future, however, looked grim as it awaited sale, with shipbreakers eyeing it for scrap.
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Passenger ship transformed into $18 million hotel
Singaporean entrepreneur Eric Saw bid $1.1 million (€900,000) to buy the ship in 2010. “If I didn’t have this project, maybe I’d have a Ferrari and a Lamborghini at home,” Saw told CNN. “But the gargantuan task… was a calling from God.”
What followed was a 15-year project costing $18 million, as Saw fought bureaucracy, oversaw refurbishments, and eventually moved the vessel to Bintan. Developers even reclaimed land – in the shape of an anchor – to house it permanently.
In 2015, the 6,800-tonne vessel was hauled ashore and renamed Doulos Phos, meaning Servant of Light in Greek. The hotel first opened in 2019, but pandemic restrictions forced closure until 2023.
Today, it offers around 100 cabins priced between 1.7m and 3.8m rupiah (€96–€214) per night. Original portholes, lifeboats, and even the old engine room remain for visitors to explore. Guests can even recreate the famous Titanic pose on deck.
Saw takes only a token $1 annual salary, donating profits to Christian charities.
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