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Boat of the Week: Meet ‘Boardwalk,’ Houston Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta’s Showstopping 252-Foot Superyacht

This vessel has a long, instantly recognizable profile. but it's the myriad interior details—and the interplay of light and crystal—that define her., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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At the end of February, Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta and his family held an annual Mardi Gras celebration, which they call the San Luis Salute. The event, which included local officials and celebrities, was headlined by the band Maroon 5. But the most visible VIP guest at the gala was Fertitta’s majestic new superyacht, Boardwalk.  

The 252-foot Feadship is indeed a showstopper. It was the largest vessel at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, and hundreds of people walking the docks took selfies against Boardwalk ’s towering stern, with a H130 helicopter perched on the top deck. Fertitta and his family enjoyed the show from the comfort of the yacht—from the main-deck’s rear cockpit lounge to be precise.

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It’s Fertitta’s favorite spot on his new yacht, a sanctuary protected from the wind and sun, but still exposed to the ocean. It’s also a microcosm of Boardwalk ’s very intricate design. The stern has the requisite lounges, bar and large flat-screen television, but that’s where it differs from other yachts. The ceiling has delicate curves, there are many lights embedded into the area above the bar, and the trim on the columns supporting the stern’s overhang is highly stylized.

The abundance of crystal and lighting define Boardwalk ‘s formal dining area.  Courtesy Fertitta Entertainment

“I don’t think any other owner pays as much attention to the details,” Fertitta told Robb Report during a visit to the yacht. “If you look at the bigger yachts, they really don’t vary much with standard features like ceilings and lighting.”

“Tilman came in with all the important details—all the details that really make the difference in this boat,” adds Amy Halffman, who worked closely with Fertitta on the design. “He’s an extreme detail man, down to the quarter of an inch.”

The Houston entrepreneur has made a highly successful career out of paying attention to the details. Named by Forbes as the “World’s Wealthiest Restaurateur,” the chairman of Fertitta Entertainment and chairman of Landry’s has an empire that also includes the Houston Rockets NBA team, multiple restaurants, Bentley and Rolls-Royce dealerships, and five-star hotels.

The contrast of the black stairwell with the white floors is dramatic, nicely offset by the custom stainless-steel inlays along the railings.  Courtesy Fertitta Entertainment

Fertitta’s Post Oak Hotel in Houston, in fact, provided inspiration for Boardwalk . “We spent a lot of time meeting at the hotel,” says Halffman. “He had a lot of input into that design, which is classy and elegant, so we decided to reflect that style on the yacht.”

This Feadship is actually Halffman’s fifth yacht project with Fertitta, the other four Boardwalks being a succession of ever-larger Westports, the most recent being 165 feet in length. After owning it for 12 years, “it felt like time for a larger project,” says Fertitta. “One that was more complex and elaborate.”

While upsizing by almost 100 feet sounds like a simple hull stretch, the Feadship has 1,848 gross tonnes of interior volume, compared to 492 on the last Westport—in other words, the latest Boardwalk has nearly four times as much interior as the last one. That makes not only for a very complicated build—something which bespoke builder Feadship is used to—but also a new mindset for the interior design, which the design team needed to wrap their heads around.

A more relaxed vibe in the owner’s office.  Courtesy Fertitta Entertainment

Halffman and design partner Frank Woll came up with the concept about four years ago, and then worked closely with the owner on the yacht’s many features. There are hundreds of features, seen and unseen, that distinguish the interior.

The most noticeable—arresting, in fact—is a whimsical, fantasy-like sculpture of a bronze female form with a dress of flowing crystals, diamonds and pearls. The work by Estella Fransbergen is strategically placed in the main entry. “She’s like a guardian angel,” says the sculptor, noting it took nearly two years to complete. “She was originally going to be placed by the staircase, but we moved her so she greets everyone.”

“I’d seen Estella’s work years ago and admired it,” says Halffman. “The torso of the woman’s body appealed to everyone and proved to be a launchpad for me. It played off all the other features.” They include an enormous crystal in the main foyer, pendant chandeliers in the formal dining area beside a case with crystal wear, and bespoke crystal light fixtures on the nearby stairway—which also has a beautiful stainless railing that resembles a feature from the last Boardwalk , but on a much grander scale.

The main salon, with detailed lighting overhead. Notice the backlighting on the rear bar.  Courtesy Fertitta Entertainment

The designers looked for striking but elegant stones—a white opal for the salon and an onice grigio for the sky lounge—mixed with Sapele, mahogany and other dark-stained woods that show contrast with the light-colored fabrics and tiling. The wine cellar even has a custom stainless-steel design that gives it a distinctive look. In all, 55 stones, marbles and tiles were used across the yacht.

Of course, all these stunning details were made possible by the ubiquitous placement of lighting, both direct and indirect, something that Fertitta understands with almost a scientific precision. His previous Westport had four times more lights than the yard had ever put on the 164-foot series. This Feadship paid even more attention to the lighting. Even the beach club, with its lounge and dedicated dive and watersports locker, has a stylish, deliberate look. The bar has a light fixture comprised of Swarovski crystals.

The yacht, though immense, is easy to navigate. Fertitta and longtime captain Tristan Judson paid attention to the functional aspects, creating an open foredeck where the two Hogdon-built tenders are stored, adding the ability to use the massive area for social occasions. The sundeck has a mosaic-tiled swimming pool, and above that is an observation deck with a mast. On that level, one gets a sense of how large Boardwalk really is, surrounded by smaller superyachts at the Fort Lauderdale show.

The intricate details on the day head—typically a forgotten space—give a sense of the how the design team approached the interior.  Courtesy Fertitta Entertainment

Still, the owner and his designers managed to keep a sense of intimacy throughout, installing what they call a “country kitchen” as the owner’s galley, to allow more informal meals and socializing than the main dining room, while retaining the yacht’s professional galley for the staff on another deck. Fertitta, who often works on board, has an office dressed with light-colored fabrics, lounges and glass doors to access the exterior decks.

The Feadship may not be Fertitta’s last yacht. Rumor has it that he’s talking to European yards about an even larger Boardwalk . When asked about it, he says simply: “I love to build things.”

Some other angles.

Courtesy Fertitta Entertainment

Courtesy Boardwalk

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Cool Spaces: Step aboard Tilman Fertitta's luxury mega-yacht

At 164-feet long, 31-feet wide and almost 500 tons, this is no ordinary yacht. Welcome aboard "The Boardwalk", Houston businessman Tilman Fertitta's luxury ocean vessel and favorite toy.

The $40 million yacht has 12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, grand salons, and a true chef's kitchen with steamers, warming drawers, and walk-in fridge and freezer.

The master suite features an owner's office, opulent bedroom with space to spare, and a gorgeous bathroom.

No expense was spared on the outdoor space either. "The Boardwalk" boasts multiple decks, lounges, scooters for land excursions, and even a helicopter pad.

Fertitta, his family and crew travel the world on the yacht. Some of his favorite stops are the Bahamas and the Mediterranean.

"It's one of those things I always wanted and I'll always have. It isn't cheap, I can tell you that," Fertitta said with a smile. "But every time I walk on it, I tell myself, 'God, I love this boat.'"

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🔒Insiders: Go inside Tilman Fertitta’s ultra-luxe yacht, a ‘mansion on the water’

Amanda Cochran , Digital Special Projects Manager

HOUSTON – Houston billionaire and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta showed KPRC 2 inside his luxurious new yacht he docked in Galveston around Mardi Gras.

This is Fertitta’s sixth yacht. The owner of the restaurant giant Landry’s, Inc. and Golden Nugget Casinos told KPRC 2′s Frank Billingsley he played an integral part in designing “the boat” -- the term he prefers for the massive yacht he has dubbed The Boardwalk. The yacht, he explained, was ordered several years ago and took two-and-a-half years to build. It was finished during the pandemic.

Fertitta said in addition to a pool, luxury accommodations, bars on each level and water sport vehicles, the yacht has a full office with full communications around the world.

In addition to docking in Galveston, Fertitta said in the next few years he plans to enjoy “the boat” around the world, with plans to dock in places like the Bahamas, Mexico, Greece, Croatia and more.

Watch more with Fertitta and Billingsley in the video above.

You can also take a detailed look inside the massive yacht below and learn more about how the yacht is manned with the yacht captain in the second video below.

Copyright 2022 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

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A stroll on the Boardwalk, a luxury tour

Published 10:18 am Monday, February 29, 2016

By American Press Staff

“Be prepared to remove your shoes…wear your good socks….”

Those were the words of Elizabeth McLaughlin, community relations manager for a Lake Charles casino after she set up the American Press tour of the yacht often spotted in the casino’s marina.

Some folks are in the habit of removing work boots or yard shoes before entering the home, especially when floors are freshly mopped. Asian homeowners often practice removing shoes at the home’s entrance and may ask guests to do the same, no matter where the home is located.

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Removing shoes to board a yacht — because shoe soles or heels may leave marks or track sand or dirt onto the epitome of ship shape — is standard procedure for yacht boarding.

Yacht owner is Tilman Fertitta. Fertitta is the chairman, president and CEO of Landry’s Restaurants, an entertainment and gaming firm.

Fertitta doesn’t live on his $40 million dollar yacht. Galveston is home. But the Boardwalk, named after Fertitta’s Kemah Boardwalk amusement complex, is home-away-from-home when he visits Lake Charles or one of his other four casino properties.

Boardwalk Captain Tristan Judson has been with Fertitta for fourteen years and conducted the tour, translating nautical lingo when necessary and purposely avoiding use of the term “below decks” because of the reality TV show by that name.

“It sheds a poor light on the industry,” he said. “I don’t know captains or crews who would allow any of the stuff you see on that show.”

The Fertitta yacht is a Wesport 164. The number refers to its length of 163 feet and 10 inches. Westport is a luxury semi-custom yacht building company. Yachts, unlike houses, aren’t generally described in square footage. Beam is used instead of width. The Boardwalk’s beam is 31 feet.

There’s no living room. That space is referred to as the salon. And people in the nautical know don’t say first floor, second floor, etc. The 164 is a trideck through which the captain and male and female crew members move aft and fore in a way that seems especially light on their shoeless feet.

The spacious, six-stateroom, six and a half bath yacht layout features a master suite on the main deck, four guest staterooms below amidships – one for each of Fertitta’s four children, and a VIP guest suite on the bridge deck. The exceptional VIP suite is uniquely situated with its own luxurious bath suite, entertainment system, and private balcony.

A helipad, jacuzzi, four scooters, a large swim platform, a dive locker, fishing rods, SeaBobs, large screen high-definition TVs, a full movie library, and underwater lights are just a few of the watercraft’s luxury amenities.

The Boardwalk is Fertitta’s third yacht. All have been Westports.

“Tillman plays a big role in the design of each yacht,” Judson said. “He enjoys the build as much as using the boat.”

How big a role? Judson said he checks out details such as seat height and the softness of the upholstery. Some of the furnishings are custom made. The build took 18 months.

“He wanted some of the same things he had in the 130, things built to his specifications,” Judson said.

When the boat was nearing completion, Fertitta did a walk-through and casually dropped his elbows onto a counter,” Judson said.

Fertitta told the builders the counter was a half-inch too high in comparison to the height of the counter of his last yacht. They told him it wasn’t. The measuring tape was proffered. The counter was measured. It was exactly a half-inch too high.

The food storage area, separate from what Judson describes as the Westport’s country-style kitchen, contains a couple of rows of gleaming, smudge-free acrylic drawers from floor to ceiling. Baccarat crystal stemware is stored in glass-fronted cabinets designed with special acrylic stemware holders.

Westport 164 trideck owners can choose between an elevator or stairway. Fertitta chose the stairway, which serves as a light conduit from the bridge deck. Handrails are curving stainless steel. There are no fingerprints on the handrails or anywhere else on the boat. No stray crumb in the kitchen. No watermark in the beam-to-beam master bath. The crew sees to that, tackling specific cleaning chores on a daily basis.

Twin MTU 16V4000 diesels drive the Westport 164 to mid-20 knot top speed.

Fertitta, in addition to being involved in the design of the Boardwalk, enjoys being at the helm, Judson said.

Tilman Fertitta named his luxury yacht Boardwalk

after his Kemah Boardwalk amusement complex. (Special to the American Press)

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Billionaire Tilman Fertitta aboard his superyacht Boardwalk in the Bahamas during a Forbes 400 interview. (Photo by Jamel Toppin for Forbes)

Tilman Fertitta's 252-foot superyacht 'Boardwalk' with the H130 helicopter perched on top (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

The swirling grand staircase on Tilman Fertitta's superyacht 'Boardwalk' (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

The main salon on Tilman Fertitta's superyacht 'Boardwalk' (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

Tilman Fertitta's office on his superyacht 'Boardwalk' (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

The resplendent powder room on Tilman Fertitta's superyacht 'Boardwalk' (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

The dining room on the main deck of Tilman Fertitta's superyacht 'Boardwalk' (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

The sky lounge on Tilman Fertitta's superhyacht 'Boardwalk' (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

A primary suite aboard Tilman Fertitta's superyacht 'Boardwalk' (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

Sculpture by Estella Fransbergen in the dining room of Tilman Fertitta's superyacht 'Boardwalk' (Photo courtesy of Fertitta Entertainment)

Tilman Fertitta's 252-foot, $150 million superyacht Boardwalk courses through canals after departing Feadship's Aalsmeer shipyard in The Netherlands on its way to sea trials. (Photo courtesy of Feadship)

Tilman Fertitta's 164-foot yacht, Boardwalk, creates plenty of envy in ports around the world.

Tilman Fertitta's $150 million, 77-meter yacht 'Boardwalk' welcoming San Luis Salute Mardi Gras VIPs. (Photo by Dave Rossman)

Mardi Gras partying aboard Tilman Fertitta's yacht, 'The Boardwalk' at the San Luis Salute. (Photo by Dave Rossman)

Blayne Fertitta at the 2022 San Luis Salute to Galveston Mardi Gras, pictured here on The Boardwalk, her fatherTilman Fertitta's 77-meter superyacht. (Photo by Rhea Hemming)

Houston Billionaire Tilman Fertitta’s Superyacht Causes a Greek Stir — The Boardwalk Continues to Turn Heads

The houston rockets owner travels on an anything but ordinary boat and the stories behind it are becoming legendary.

W hile hiking through the woods lining Greece’s Corinth Canal, a local Greek television reporter took a video of billionaire Tilman Fertitta’s superyacht Boardwalk squeezing through the Corinth Canal. He documented a snippet of the four mile journey and posted it on the TV station’s website with the headline: “Who is its billionaire owner?”

It didn’t take long for the Greek news hounds to discover that entertainment and sports mogul Fertitta was the owner. The video posted on the website shows the 252 foot long, 40 foot wide yacht gliding through the canal, which at its most narrow point is 69 feet. The manmade canal is the watery path leads from the Aegean to the Ionian sea, which opens to the Mediterranean

Sailing on a superyacht from the Greek Isles to the enchanting coast of Italy is definitely the realm of the world’s richest.

Recent reporting in national publications are shedding more light on the superyacht ‘s mastery of luxe design. Among the numerous amenities in the Tilman yacht that sleeps 14 — including the VIP suite — are a 120 bottle wine cellar, a lavishly decorated beauty/massage room, a 19-foot-long swimming pool, a bronze sculpture of a female form by Estella Fransbergen with a dress of flowing crystals, diamonds and pearls, and the billionaire requisite — a helicopter pad.

“I don’t think any other owner pays as much attention to the details,” Fertitta told Robb Report during a visit to his yacht. “If you look at the bigger yachts, they really don’t vary much with standard features like ceilings and lighting.”

Robb Report first gushed over Fertitta’s superyacht in the luxury lifestyle magazine last year.

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In addition, the magazine quoted Seattle-based yacht interior designer Amy Halffmann. “Tilman came in with all the important details — all the details that really make the difference in this boat. He’s an extreme detail man, down to the quarter of an inch,” Halffmann told the magazine.

The luxe interiors of the Fertitta superyacht include 54 different types of stone, marble and tiles, including mother of pearl tiles, a light pendant by Charles Loomis , appliqués by Wired Custom Lighting and a glass sculpture from David Wright .

“I was going for classic elegance – beautiful spaces that could stand the test of time, and I think we achieved that,” Halffman tells Boat International .

A limited number of Houstonians and Galveston residents are privy to the superyacht as each year Fertitta transports this — his second Boardwalk — to Galveston during Mardi Gras. He entertains VIP guests at a cocktail reception aboard the superyacht before the billionaire and friends join a police escort caravan to the Galveston Convention Center for Fertitta’s San Luis Salute to Mardi Gras.

Now, the rest of the world is getting in on the fascination.

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Westport 164: Boardwalk

• By Diane M. Byrne
• Updated: October 31, 2011

Westport 164

There are repeat yacht buyers, and then there’s Tilman Fertitta. Fertitta is chairman, president and CEO of Landry’s Restaurants, one of the largest privately owned restaurant, entertainment and gaming firms in the United States. Given that his company owns eateries ranging from the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. to the Chart House, as well as operating the Golden Nugget casinos, Fertitta knows a thing or two about hospitality. And in his role as a father of four, he understands how to keep kids entertained.

No wonder, then, that his 164-foot Westport Boardwalk reflects a mix of spaces meant for grown-up fun and family-friendly gatherings. Fertitta made Boardwalk fully his own, and different from the six deliveries in the Westport 164 series that came before her. He took full advantage of the customization that the Pacific Northwest builder offers, a level that other series builders rarely permit.

Prior to commissioning his 164, Fertitta owned a Westport 112 and then a 130, both christened Boardwalk . While each of the three models differs from the others they share some similarities. You’ll spy the first upon stepping inside from the main afterdeck doors. Directly to port, there’s a stone-top wet bar with leather-clad bar chairs. The setup worked well aboard the smaller Westports, without impinging on the rest of the salon’s space, so why not incorporate it aboard the 164, especially given the extra floor space afforded by the length overall and nearly 31-foot beam?

See the complete photo gallery here .

The other major similarity is also on the main deck. Boardwalk ‘s galley has a dining spot much like a country kitchen does. Fertitta’s 112- and 130-footers featured Westport’s standard country kitchen arrangement, and he preferred this to the stainless-steel commercial look that Westport offers as the standard galley design on the 164. Whether cruising stateside or in the Med, as Boardwalk did this summer, Fertitta wanted an open, warmer ambience where he and his family could feel welcome while the chef and stews were at work. As a result, the galley is rich with stone-top counters and wood-clad cabinetry. The welcoming feel is aided by bar stools that pull up to the island cooking area, ideal for observing the pros at work or for sneaking samples out of the pots when the chef isn’t looking.

Boardwalk incorporates a handful of other customized touches as well. There are loose furnishings on the afterdeck, easily moved when entertaining large groups or rearranged into intimate relaxation areas on private trips.

Normally an elevator rises through the trideck 164, but Fertitta specified a stairway instead, something that a few other 164 owners also chose.

Aboard Boardwalk , the stairway treads are floating affairs, with a sturdy yet elegantly curving stainless-steel handrail outboard, along the mahogany-lined walls.

To lessen the formality of the dining area, Fertitta requested a smooth flow-through from the salon, skipping the customary central buffet that acts as a room divider. The arrangement still avoids the “bowling alley” look, and it’s simultaneously family-friendly and suitable for big gatherings.

In the master, rather than have the standard separated his and her heads, Fertitta wanted one full-beam bath. In another change, the vista bar, a standard wet bar tucked forward to port off the skylounge, is more like an intimate wine-tasting area, since Fertitta has it equipped with glass-front bottle stowage. Plenty of extra televisions are aboard as well, from the main afterdeck bar to the full-beam master bath (the TV is camouflaged as artwork when off) to the galley’s dining spot. And to help set various moods day or night, plus highlight the colorful, specially commissioned artwork throughout Boardwalk , a great deal of attention was paid to lighting.

Of course, some areas aboard Boardwalk follow the standard Westport 164 layout, which has both typical and atypical features. A good example of the latter is the upper-deck VIP stateroom, which benefits from a private sun deck. There are four more guest staterooms, all on the lower deck. Fertitta can stay in touch with his various businesses while in the office within the main-deck master suite. The room doubles as a lounge, with comfortable seating opposite the desk. Doors connecting it to the owner’s foyer just aft and the sleeping area just forward can close for more privacy. And guests can watch the captain at work from a raised observation settee in the pilothouse.

The crew also benefit from keeping some things the same aboard Boardwalk . The crew’s quarters (accommodations for 10 in five cabins, in addition to the captain’s stateroom) have service access to the guest staterooms via a dedicated housekeeping area. An automatic door leads from the galley to the formal dining area, and a dumbwaiter makes serving hors d’oeuvres or full meals easier while dining abaft the skylounge. Also, when Fertitta, his family or guests want to explore an anchorage, the crew can retrieve fishing rods and dive gear and launch the tender from the garage.

The toys were put to good use this summer while Boardwalk was exploring the Mediterranean. She also put her own propulsion package to the test: twin MTU 16V 4000s, which permit a reported 20-knot cruising speed and 24-knot top end (each at half load). Range at cruising speed is reported to be 1,700 miles, though it naturally increases to 5,200 miles when speed is reduced to 12 knots.

As a repeat yacht owner, Fertitta knows what works well. Being a repeat Westport client, he also knows that a turnkey construction approach can still successfully offer tailor-made options. When a buyer and builder understand each other as well as these two do, the end result is a yacht as custom as you can get without compromising production principles.

LOA: 163’10” BEAM: 30’10” DRAFT: 7’3″ DISPL.: 690,000 lb. (half load) FUEL: 20,000 gal. WATER: 2,000 gal. HOLDING: 1,500 gal. black water CONSTRUCTION: Fiberglass DESIGN: William Garden and Taylor Olson (hull), Donald Starkey Designs (styling) INTERIOR DESIGN: Donald Starkey Designs GENERATORS: 2 x 99 kW and 1 x 65 kW Northern Lights BOW THRUSTER: American Bow Thruster WATERMAKER: Sea Recovery, 2 x 3,000 gpd ENGINES: 2 x 3,650 hp MTU 16V 4000 diesel inboards SPEED: 24 knots max, 20 knots cruise RANGE: 5,200 nautical miles at 12 knots PRICE: Upon request Westport, 954-316-6364; www.westportyachts.com

Click here to view a photo gallery of the Westport 164 Boardwalk.

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CL Yachts Unveils 100-foot CLX99 Flagship Design

The First All-Aluminum Custom Line 50 Has Launched

For Sale: Princess Yachts S60

Viking Yachts 82 Convertible Reviewed

For Sale: 2017 Palm Beach Motor Yachts 45

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