Here's something you don't see everyday while traveling. Next time anyone visits Beijing, you'll want to take the train in Tianjin & spend the night at the Kiev Aircraft Carrier Hotel. I see its even made Trip Advisor.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2...t_13078734.htm

http://travel.aol.co.uk/2011/08/09/i...r-hotel-china/

IMO...
I don't think the US Navy would ever let one of our retired warships be used in such a way. They have strict rules what retired vessels can be used for and how they are displayed. If they cannot be displayed properly or the organization is unable to support the museum, then they reclaim the ship like the USS Edson. Former US warships are either proper museums, sunk as reefs or unfortunately scrapped. I understand that Russia might be cashed strapped, unable to afford the vessel and want to make some cash, but IMO it would be an embarrassment to see a fine ship that many men or women served our country on to be a hotel. US museum warships do have sleeping accommodations for overnight stays for boy scouts, but they are not made up like hotels. I agree with how the US Navy handles museum vessels the way they do.
Like I said, IMO. (And I usually do not get political about things!)

U.S. warships are not sold or donated to museums, they are 'leased' (a dollar a year sounds like the familiar lease rate) and should the organization fail to keep of the ship or cease operations they Navy can then take the ship back and dispose of her. Edson is still 'alive' and kicking (according to this article I found from July last year http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/i..._to_bring.html ), although it sounds like the EPA is doing its level best to make things hard. Conditions and contaminants that the crew would have just had to live with are unacceptable to the general public on most warships.

I can remember an article in Time(?, not sure) about the captain of that carrier. She had been stuck alongside the pier for two years (no fuel budget), he had a crew of less than 125 souls aboard (and couldn't have gotten underway if he had wanted to), his wife and family were staying aboard (due to the fact that HE had not been paid in two years, and they were living on her small salary as a teacher on the Naval Base). His chief engineer had been forced to live aboard with his family. The crew had been forced to stand watches on the pier to keep the local power company from cutting them off (since they apparently hadn't been paid in a year). So maybe she is better as a Best Western, than as she was.

Not to get too political, if we don't fix some of our budget problems some of our ships could be the same way......"Good evening Sir, this is the Best Western U.S.S. Theodore Roosvelt. How may I direct your call? Why yes sir our admiral's flag suite is available......"
Foo
Foo

Here's some pics I took of her sister "Minsk" in the Indian Ocean back in the 70's. These were taken with my Kodak 110 pocket camera so they aren't very good. She was pretty new at that time and we were a new ship too....so a lot of pics were being taken by both sides.

I recall there was another post on Kiev a few months back, maybe it was your Herrmill who posted? but I recall her looking in very sad shape, rust all over and paint peeling. The pics posted now looks like she was given a paint job and some sprucing up? What happened to the people who wer eliving aboard her?


Scott

From what I recall the navy managed to get them paid and evicted them on the way to the breakers for her. The captain has made a comment in the article about having to send out foraging parties to the vegetable gardens on base to provide food (evidently their supply chain was as efficient as their payroll).
Foo

Is it just me or doesn't the Presidential Suite look like it was designed for short people in mind? From the photos, it appears that the headroom isn't much higher than those attendants are tall.

Originally Posted by fooman2008

U.S. warships are not sold or donated to museums, they are 'leased' (a dollar a year sounds like the familiar lease rate) and should the organization fail to keep of the ship or cease operations they Navy can then take the ship back and dispose of her. Edson is still 'alive' and kicking (according to this article I found from July last year http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/i..._to_bring.html ), although it sounds like the EPA is doing its level best to make things hard. Conditions and contaminants that the crew would have just had to live with are unacceptable to the general public on most warships.

I can remember an article in Time(?, not sure) about the captain of that carrier. She had been stuck alongside the pier for two years (no fuel budget), he had a crew of less than 125 souls aboard (and couldn't have gotten underway if he had wanted to), his wife and family were staying aboard (due to the fact that HE had not been paid in two years, and they were living on her small salary as a teacher on the Naval Base). His chief engineer had been forced to live aboard with his family. The crew had been forced to stand watches on the pier to keep the local power company from cutting them off (since they apparently hadn't been paid in a year). So maybe she is better as a Best Western, than as she was.

Not to get too political, if we don't fix some of our budget problems some of our ships could be the same way......"Good evening Sir, this is the Best Western U.S.S. Theodore Roosvelt. How may I direct your call? Why yes sir our admiral's flag suite is available......"
Foo
Foo

We might end up giving our fleet to China for the pink slip on our debt.

What a funny looking little heli! If it wasn't already, it should be nicknamed the gnat or something along those lines.