The Saint Louis (named for Louis IX of France, later canonised) is a Luxemotor hotel barge, which operates as a hotel barge on the Canal de Garonne in South West France. She is one of around 60 barges offering luxury cruises on the French waterways, bringing a total of 60 million euros of revenue to the mainly rural areas where they operate, according to a study by Voies Navigables de France.
History
Hotel Barge Cruise in Southern France - The Saint Louis - Our luxurious hotel boat cruises the beautiful canals and rivers of South-West France, Aquitaine and Gascony. We would love to meet you on board! Find out more: https://www.french-waterways.com/bo...
Built in 1923 by Gebroeders Boot in Alphen aan den Rijn in the Netherlands, Saint Louis was a bulk carrier and served on the Dutch inland seas and waterways carrying cargoes of grain and gravel until around 1985. At that time she was converted for use as a supply vessel in the port of Amsterdam, using the name Supplier 2. In 1994 she was sold and then converted into a hotel barge. She spent the first 10 years of her new life as a hotel barge on the canals of Burgundy, in central France. The Saint Louis was then bought by Barbara and Alasdair Wyllie in 2004, when she was taken down the river and canal system of France to arrive on the Canal de Garonne, in south west France. She was acquired by the current owners, Peter and Wendy Carrington, in 2014.
Accommodation
Saint Louis has three double cabins for guests and separate accommodation for her crew of four. The guest cabins all have en-suite bathrooms. The boat has full air conditioning and central heating. The barge carries a crew of four and is owner-operated. The owners themselves fulfil the key roles of pilot and tour guide and chef/head housekeeper.
External links
- Saint Louis hotel barge website
- Saint Louis on french-waterways.com
- Guide to the Canal de Garonne Places and ports on the Canal de Garonne
- Guide to the Canal de Montech Places and ports on the Canal de Montech-Montauban