After three years of battling with bureaucracy, Chetan Bhende and wife Manju can finally enjoy the sunset on the sun deck of the AB Celestial. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar

What does it take to stay afloat? After three years of doing the rounds of government offices and ministries, seeking 108 permissions for Maharashtra's first floatel, Chetan Bhende, proprietor of AB Celestial, might just have the answer. Docked at Mahim Bay, overlooking the majestic Bandra Worli Sea Link, the floating hotel has had the city curious for the past week. After pictures of it began to do the rounds of social media, it has got a thumbs-up from over nine lakh Facebook users, say Bhende and wife Manju. But, the journey wasn't easy.