BURJ-AL-ARAB

I may have posted on this before, but I'm not sure.

The Burj al-Arab, "Tower of the Arabs", is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 1,053 feet, it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. It stands in the sea on an artificial island 919 feet away from the beach in the Persian Gulf, connected to the mainland only by a private curving bridge.


Arial View of Hotel


Day shot of Hotel

Construction of the hotel began in 1994, and its doors were opened to guests on December 1, 1999. It was built to resemble the sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian vessel. Near the top is a helipad, and extending from the other side of the hotel, over the ocean, is a restaurant called Al Muntaha (Arabic meaning Highest or Ultimate) supported by cantilever. A remarkable element of its architecture is the outer beachward wall of the atrium, which is made of a woven, Teflon-coated fiberglass cloth.


Night shot with front lit up

The Burj al-Arab does not have ordinary rooms; rather it is divided into 202 duplex suites. The smallest suite occupies an area of 1,819 square feet, and the largest one covers 8,396 square feet. It is one of the most expensive hotels in the world to stay in. The cost of staying in a suite begins at $1,000 per night and increases to over $15,000 per night; the Royal Suite is the most expensive, at $28,000 per night. The total cost to build and furnish the hotel has never been released.


A bathroom...yeah...a bathroom



Interior shot of one of the rooms



Another room view.



View of the Lobby


Each of the 202 duplex suites are an architectural dream. Details such as stone (granite) from Brazil, and marble and glass from Italy, and the finest Irish linens are painstakingly gathered here to paint a picture of luxurious excess. Each suite comes with its own butler, wall to wall views of the gulf, and the latest in television and technological additions (Internet access, an outside video monitoring system which allows you to both see who is at the door and open the door without ever leaving your bed). There are 164 one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom, and six three-bedroom suites available for your comfort. And that's just the low end.

For those not staying in the hotel, you can pay an entrance fee (somewhere around US$50) which can be applied toward a dinner in one of their world class restaurants.


Underwater Resturant


The hotel offers the Al-Mahara underwater seafood restaurant for diners wary of heights. The seafood restaurant is accessed by a 12 seater submarine taken from the lobby and features a shark filled aquarium running along the walls.

Or, if one chooses, you may dine amongst the stars at their Al-Muntaha restaurant. At 600 ft. above sea level the restaurant offers stunning views of the Arabian Gulf and the night sky. The hotel also includes five other world class restaurants ranging in themes (ballrooms) and prices.

Another attraction of the hotel is their Assawan Spa on the 18th floor. Facilities include two swimming pools with views over the Gulf, two diving pools, 18 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy baths, oriental massage, standup solarium, sauna, steam rooms and Jacuzzi. Many of their facilities have a women or men only policy, meaning there may be specific times when only one of the two sexes are allowed in an area (though they also have men and women centered themed spas).

The Burj al-Arab features the tallest atrium lobby in the world (180 metres, or 590 feet). The atrium can accommodate the Dubai World Trade Center building, which, at 38 stories, was the tallest building in Dubai from the late 1970s to the late 1990s.

In February 2005, professional tennis players Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played an unranked game on the helipad, which was temporarily converted into a grass tennis court, at a height of 692 feet. The helipad has no borders or fences on the edges.

Tennis on the Helipad. 692 feet in the air. No railing