Superyacht hotel opens in London

Few of us ever get the chance to experience life on board a superyacht. But now, for just a couple of hundred pounds a night, there's the chance to live like a star.

Sunborn London is a 102-metre, £40 million floating hotel moored up at the Royal Victoria Dock in East London. "If you like the idea of being on a cruise ship but don't fancy going on a cruise, then Sunborn is the answer!" writes one of the first guests on TripAdvisor.

Getting the ship there took some doing: to save money, it hasn't been equipped with an engine and needed to be towed from Finland. When it arrived in London, the mast had to be removed and the water level dropped just to get it under a motorway bridge.

But it's now open for business, with rooms costing between £140 and £850 a night.

Golden staircase

There are 136 guest rooms with river or city views, including four suites, spread over five decks. All have a king-sized bed and high-tech room control system, and some have balconies - the executive suite even boasts a sauna.

The lobby features a golden staircase, and there's a restaurant with views of the O2 Arena and Canary Wharf - and a mirrored ceiling - along with a lounge bar, day spa and suite of meeting rooms. The hotel is close to ExCel, London City Airport and Canary Wharf, which will probably make it popular with corporate clients.

Take a look inside the Sunborn yacht with our slideshow

London hotel prices soar

But with prices starting at just £140, the hotel represents good value for tourists too, thanks to its watery location. Land and property prices have rocketed in London over recent years, and hotel rates have followed suit.

A report from Mayfair estate agent Wetherell found earlier this month that a five star London hotel suite now averages £2,050 per night - making the capital one of the most expensive cities on the world for luxury accommodation.

Even the average London hotel room now costs £130 a night, says the Hotel Reservation Service (HRS) - making it the most expensive city in the world. Prices have risen more than 10% in the last year.

"Thanks to the economic recovery, tourism is picking up again and this is reflected in the price increase of hotel rooms in the capital," says HRS UK and Ireland managing director Jon West.

Read more about hotel deals on AOL Money:
How to get a hotel room for less than half price
Britons spend £109 on hotel rooms
Online hotel deal schemes analysed