Unique Stays on AirBnB – Why stay in a hotel when you can stay in a boat?

We were planning a visit to Norfolk and needed to find somewhere to stay. We looked at a few hotels and they were £400+ as we usually need 2 rooms for the 6 of us. So we search AirBnb for some unique stays instead.

Gaz found the listing on Airbnb for DannyBouy and we booked it up just a couple of days before we were due to travel.

We didn’t tell the kids where we were going we just left it vague that we were staying in a hotel somewhere nearby. They were really confused when we driving down this tiny lane towards the Marina.

And just a heads up I absolutely do not know any techincal boat jargon so you won’t find any of that here and I’ll be calling things as I see them, apologies in advance for that… #SorryNotSorry

What is AirBnB?

For those who aren’t familiar with AirBnb it is an unique accommodations bookings site where you will find some fabulous and unique stays. From staying in a converted shipping container to a tiny house with an outdoor shower or a yurt with a private hot tub on a farm!

It works great for us as we can find accomodation suitable for big families. It is also really good for larger group bookings.

Just be aware when booking the price shown is the accomodation price per night and there is likely to be additional costs such as cleaning costs and the AirBnB service fee. Some hosts do also offer discounts for longer stays so it’s worth testing around the dates you are looking to stay.

It sometimes works out cheaper for example to book Friday, Saturday and Sunday night than just the Friday and Saturday and you would be able to stay all day Sunday even if you didn’t need to stay the night.

@itsmechrissyj

♬ BILLIE EILISH. – Armani White

Where is Danny Bouy located?

You’ll find DannyBouy in the NR7 area of Norwich. There is ample parking a short walk away and the directions were really easy to follow. Danny sent us a really comprehensive video guide of where to find the boat and how to access it.

Just be cautious that you do have to go through this little tunnel there is a 3.1m height limit (which I am sure is fine for most people anyway but I sure did breathe in as I drove through like it somehow makes the car slimmer!)

How much did it cost?

We only stayed one night and Danny has a flat rate of £175 per night for short stays – he does offer 25% discount on bookings of 7 to 27 nights and 30% off for stays of 28 nights +.

With fees and service charge the total was £222.18 for our one night stay (far cheaper and more fun than Premier Inn!)

How was the accomodation?

We have never stayed on a boat before (The Cruise ship doesn’t count, it is not the same!) so we were all excited to try this one out!

We quickly located the DannyBouy and climbed on board. It probably wouldn’t be suitable for those with mobility issues as you do need to climb up these small steps and hop over onto the actual boat.

The girls thought it was a great little adventure having to climb on board, Oscar wasn’t so keen but he was fine after a couple of tries.

Bedroom 1 – Large Double

We claimed this room as the main room it had a largest bed and we knew we would end up with at least one child climbing in with us in the middle of the night (It was Holly) It was much more like a king-size bed due to the way its set up which was great for us.

Above the bed is a small window which opens right up and we were able to lie and see the stars (and see the International Space Station pass over too!)

There is plenty of space for you to store clothes and personal items, along with a small wardrobe for things that need to be hung up.

Off of the bedroom you’ll find a good sized walk-in shower and ensuite toilet which also has a door opening into the kitchen. Handsoap, toilet roll and towels are provided.

The doors to each room have a lip at the bottom and Gaz managed to fall over them everytime he entered a room so something to just be aware of.

Bedroom 2 – Bunk Beds

Oscar and Lottie claimed this room. The bottom bunk is virtually on the floor and the upper one is waist height so we weren’t worried about them falling out.

Plenty of room for the little ones and it was really cosy, not sure as an adult I would want to sleep on the top bunk though. It did have a lock on the door though so we had to make sure Oscar didn’t go in on his own after he locked himself in there almost immediately after we arrived – cue a panic when we realised we couldn’t open it from the outside! Luckily he managed to unlock it himself, thinking he was absolutely hilarious for locking it.

Bedroom 3 – Double

The third and final bedroom is another double room with private bathroom. Down here you’ll find an ensuite toilet and seperate en suite shower room. We avoided using this toilet as it had a bit of a fiddly flush on it so stuck to using the other toilet on the boat.

There are also a selection of toiletries available in this bedroom.

Main Living Area

The living room was lovely with high ceilings creating a really spacious feel, the table was really clever and could be extended and be raised up to create a dining room area.

The TV is a Smart TV and had access to all the usual options – Netflix etc. I think it’s safe to say that it’s expected that accomodations have smart tvs these days anyway.

With floor-to-ceiling windows and windows all round it really is a lovely light and airy space to relax in. It really didn’t feel cramped even with all 6 of us round the table in the dining area. The girls even managed to make enough space to try out these new Magnetix board games they have.

I really wanted to smuggle the rug out it is super soft and felt so lovely underfoot and of course it is in in my favourite colour too. In here there is also a drinks fridge next to the steps down to the bedroom and small work area with a pull out desk and small stool.

You’ll find plug sockets all over with USB sockets also we weren’t short of places to charge our devices.

Kitchen Area

Theres a couple of steps down into the kitchen area and being a boat with limited space you don’t have a full kitchen. However in the kitchen area you’ll find it’s pretty well stocked with a 2 ring hob, a ninja oven, microwave, another larger fridge and sink.

Washing up liquid, a scourer sponge, cleaning brush, kitchen roll, foil, some basic cleaning products and tea towels are provided.

All the cutlery, crockery, cups and cooking utensils you might need are also provided. A kettle and Nespresso coffee machine are also available for you to use.

Outdoor Space

Upstairs on the top of the boat you’ll find a small seating area (seat cushions are stored in the back part where you climb onto the boat), to the front of the boat (above the main bedroom) you’ll find a large deck with a couple of lounger style cushions perfect for sunbathing and at the back (where you get on the boat) there is a roomy reception area – This is covered but it looked like the cover can be removed in the warmer months.

Although the gorgeous views are slightly spoiled by the main road it is still pretty peaceful once the traffic died down in the evening.

Things to note

The temperature really drops when the sun goes down. Even with the little heaters on so we were glad we took thick onesies for the kids and I had my fluffy bed socks!

It’s also advised by Danny that you bring bottled water to drink. Although the tap water is drinkable as it is stored in a tank it isn’t the best for drinking unless you want to boil it each time.

Time to go home…

We only booked for the one night so our stay was over quite quickly much to everyones disappointment. We were a little bit worried Oscar might try and go for a swim but he was actually really good.

This is what Holly and Oscar thought of it when we said we had to go home now… Holly kept trying to move out of the photo and Oscar point blank refused to be in it as he wanted to stay. So I think we can take that as a sign they enjoys their stay.

Would be stay at DannyBouy again?

Absolutely yes! We would like to try and grab a few more days next time. It was a really unique stay and certainly one of the most most unique airbnbs we have stayed in so far.

With several pubs within walking distance, Sainsbury a short distance away and easy access to Great Yarmouth (We went to Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre after we checked out) its the perfect getaway location.

You can book DannyBouy on AirBnB here.

Make sure to follow the blog to see what unique places we find to stay at for our next trip.

ChrissyJ xxx

We were not gifted this stay or paid for this review all opinions are my own 🙂