Soviet Aircraft Turns Into Luxurious Hotel Suite

Plane accommodation: Dutch hotelier transforms disused Soviet aircraft into luxurious hotel suite

    The former East German government aeroplane is now a plush suite
    It once flew the Communist nation's most important politicians
    It boasts a sauna, Jacuzzi, bar, and a luxury dining area

A disused East German aircraft has been turned into a hotel suite by a hotel chain known for offering stays in bizarre locations.

The Soviet-made Ilyushin II-18 is now luxury accommodation complete with Jacuzzi, sauna, bar, luxury kitchen diner and a flat-screen television.

German news site The Local reported that the cockpit of the aircraft has been left intact, so guests can go straight from the luxury quarters to the pilot’s seat.

The plane was originally used by East German leaders, and may have even transported former East German leader Erich Honecker.

Dutch entrepreneur Ben Thijssen, whose company hotelsuites.nl also offers stays in other unusual places such as prisons and boats, said he had been looking for a plane to turn into a hotel for years.

When he found the Ilyushin it was already serving an unusual purpose - it was being used as a restaurant in a village near the old East German border.

He bought it and shipped it across Germany to the Dutch village of Tegue. The renovation cost hundreds of thousands of euros and the plane can now sleep two in luxury.

He said: 'You can sleep in all kinds of accommodation, but not in an airplane. I decided this was perfect.'

The plane, which once flew for the now-defunct East German state airline Interflug, is said to have carried leaders such as Erich Honecker. Thijssen said he had seen photos which seemed to show Honecker on the plane.

'There’s actually not much known about it, especially because it was part of the East German government and they tried to keep such things secret,' he said.
Its history makes it popular with Germany history enthusiasts, who often bring photos of their lives before the fall of the Berlin Wall with them for their stay.

A former Ilyushin pilot showed up for a night and was delighted to find the cockpit was as exactly as he remembered.

Mr Thijsen said: 'One man even showed up in a pilot's uniform then spent the day in the on-board sauna. The next day, he was dressed normally and his wife was in a flight attendant's uniform.'

A stay in the plane starts at 350 euros per night.