A boat hotel in Paris: a cabin on the Seine with meals and drinks on board

If you want a boat hotel in Paris with the arranging done for you, Spice Escapes runs a hosted short break on the MS Botticelli, a river cruise ship moored on the Seine a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. On All Inclusive Perfect Paris a small group spends 3 nights aboard, with all meals and drinks on board included and a host who travels with you.

Below: the cabin, the meals, the walk to the tower, the two guided tours and who it suits. Most people book on their own. The group is around fifteen people, and some reach twenty, so there is always someone to sit with at dinner.

The ship is your hotel, tied up on the Seine

The MS Botticelli is a completely renovated river cruise ship 110 metres long, with 74 cabins over two decks and room for 147 passengers. For this break it stays at the quay. You unpack once, Paris is on the other side of the gangway, and the ship casts off only for the evening cruises, river conditions allowing.

Your cabin is compact, and the upper deck has the big window

The ship's own description puts its cabins at roughly 10 to 12 square metres. Upper-deck cabins have a French balcony and a large panoramic sliding window, two beds that can be separated, a private bathroom with shower, satellite TV and a safe. Main-deck cabins are listed at 11 square metres, so if the deck matters to you, ask before you book.

A cabin to yourself carries a single supplement or room-to-yourself cost, as on every Spice Escapes holiday. Our single supplement page explains how it works.

Every meal and drink on board is included, and each evening has a plan

Full board with drinks on board is included, and each evening has its own shape:

• The first is a "Titi Parisien" themed night, full of French flair.
• The second is a gala dinner. Depending on the river's water level, the ship may cruise to La Défense, the business district, and back.
• The third is a cruise through Paris by night to see the city lit up, subject to river conditions.

What is included is what is served on board, so a riverside coffee on a free afternoon is your own. For people travelling on their own the real gain is simpler: dinner on board with the group each evening, and no booking a table for one.

If that already sounds right, see the dates and book online on All Inclusive Perfect Paris. It runs on 3 Feb 2027 – 6 Feb 2027, from £679.

Two guided mornings, then the afternoons are yours

Two tours are included, both in the morning: a panoramic guided coach tour of the city, about two hours, and a guided walk round historic Montmartre, about three hours, taking in the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The afternoons are free.

From the gangway to the Eiffel Tower on foot

The ship is docked a short walk from the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadéro Gardens and Invalides, so a free afternoon starts at the gangway. Take the lift to the tower's second floor for the panoramic view over the capital, then walk on to the gardens or to the Dôme des Invalides.

The Paris tourist office lists the Dôme as a major historic monument and warns that it can be quite cold inside, so keep a layer with you. The tower itself was built for the World's Fair of 1889.

Leave your bags at the docks and board from 6 p.m.

The provisional itinerary has people arriving by Eurostar or into Charles de Gaulle linking up for the transfer and the day. Depending on how you travel, you can leave your luggage at the docks and see the city before boarding opens at 6 p.m. On the last morning there is a buffet breakfast on board, you leave the ship at 9 a.m., and bags can stay at the docks until around midday.

Who a boat hotel in Paris suits, and who it does not

It suits you if waking on the Seine appeals, you like your evenings arranged and your drinks paid for, and you want a short break that fits your annual leave. It also makes a gentle first holiday with a group, and our notes for first-time solo travellers and on over 50s solo holidays cover the rest.

It suits you less if you want a large room or a different restaurant every night. The cabins are compact and the evenings are spent with the group on board.

Other ways to sleep afloat, or take a short city break

If the Paris dates do not suit, Summertime Fjordland Cruise keeps the ship as your hotel on a far bigger scale: Ambience, an ocean ship for around 1,400 guests, sailing from London Tilbury to the Norwegian fjords and back, full board. It is 8 nights with Pam Harte, from £1,129. Places: 4 places left.

Prague Christmas Magic swaps the boat for Hotel Rott, a few steps from Old Town Square and its Christmas market. It is 3 nights with Sally Wiltshire, on 4 Dec 2026 – 7 Dec 2026, from £675.

Browse more city breaks, more on France, or read about seeing Paris from the Seine.

Questions people ask

Does the boat sail while I am asleep?

No. It stays moored at the quay as your hotel and leaves only for the evening cruises, which depend on river conditions.

Can I have a cabin to myself?

Yes, at a cost. As on every Spice Escapes holiday, a cabin of your own carries a single supplement or room-to-yourself cost.

Is a cabin on a river boat cramped?

It is compact, at roughly 10 to 12 square metres by the ship's own figures. Upper-deck cabins add a French balcony and a large sliding window.

Will I know anyone when I arrive?

Most people book on their own, so you arrive in the same position as everyone else. People coming by air and by Eurostar link up for the transfer and the first day.

See the dates and book your cabin on the Seine

When you are ready, see the dates and book online on All Inclusive Perfect Paris, hosted by Samantha Pike. Places: 13 places left.

For a question first, ask Rosie, the chat on the holiday page, or contact the team, who can put it to your host.