BOTEL’s Final Goodbye

After 15 long years of service, Aries Group’s Safe BOTEL (Backwater operated Tourist Entertainment Launch) has now been handed over to its new owner. BOTEL, a uniquely novel concept, which provided the Kerala’s houseboat industry a new facelift, played a huge role in taking the cruise industry to the next level. Designed and engineered to sail on the sea, BOTEL was the first ever houseboat in Kerala to be made from steel merging the durability of the metal with the aesthetics of traditional houseboat architecture. Aries Group was forced to put the BOTEL on sale as its Captain Shri. James died due to a heart attack this month, quoted the Founder Chairman and Naval Architect, Shri. Sohan Roy.

Though, BOTEL was featured in many television advertisements and movies, it gained international recognition after it appeared in the Hollywood movie, DAM999. Accepting the hospitality of President of Indywood Billionaires Club and President of NRIPA, Shri. Sohan Roy, many international celebrities and Indian billionaires have reportedly enjoyed travelling in BOTEL to admire the picturesque beauty of Alappuzha’s backwater. As part of its social responsibility, even with its 5-star settings, during off-seasons, BOTEL rides were charged at similar rates as that of a normal houseboat for general public.



BOTEL is equipped many unique features. The houseboat is fitted with double bottom, buoyancy chambers, firefighting devices, and lifesaving accessories and two emergency evacuation doors, in case there is an accident. BOTEL also has an efficient garbage management system to store and dispose the food and plastic waste, dual power air conditioners, solar-power attached bedrooms, conference rooms, massage rooms, fire resistant kitchen, water storage tanks etc. BOTEL is the first houseboat to have passed the water stability test. This was conducted and tested by Shri Sohan Roy personally. It was a proud moment for everyone as the houseboat returned safe and well facing the unruly backwaters waters of Alappuzha.

During the Boat Show exhibition organized at Kochi, BOTEL was able to provide a clear guideline on the changes which houseboat industry needs to make in its current designs to the ministers who attended the event. Within 1month, new regulations were devised and a new chapter in the history of houseboats were unfurled. After 15 years of loyal service, the BOTEL is here to stay in the Alappuzha backwaters to witness many such new reforms, but with a different name.