Burj-al-Arab is a hotel built in Dubai, the largest city in the Arab Emirates. Now it is the most expensive hotel with a creative form, located 15 km from the city center. Resembling a sailing ship, the building is located 280 meters from the beach area, which was formerly called Jumeirah, on a specially formed for this purpose artificial island. In order to get there, you need to walk across a beautiful bridge laid from the shore. In Russian the name of the hotel means "Arabian Tower" and it is quite natural, as for quite a long time it had the status of the highest hotel in the world.
History of creation
The idea to build a symbol of Dubai was inspired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister of the UAE and Emir of the city. He believed that Dubai would benefit from the status of the country's largest resort, where the world's wealthiest people would come for vacation. This plan was largely due to the area's ideal geographical location - the shores of the Persian Gulf and an extremely mild and warm climate.
The cost of the project is still a secret. The same goes for the "stardom" of the premises. According to official data, the Burj al-Arab has five stars, although other sources claim seven stars.
Main creators
The basic concept of the future building was created by architect Tom Wright from Britain, whose list of works included only projects of some educational institutions. However, the young man's creativity impressed the sheikh so much that he almost immediately signed a contract with the architect's team. The design and construction was carried out by Canadian engineer Rick Gregory of WS Atkins.
Sail Island
A building in the shape of a sail is extremely symbolic of Dubai, a city famous for seafarers and pearl mining. To create a complete image, it required a sailboat to float above the sea. In other words, the building had to be erected on a small island. Since there was no real island, an artificial one had to be built.
From the outset, it was necessary to build an embankment that would be at the same height as the sea water. To stabilize its position, it was decided to use special porous block systems. When the wave hits, the water is poured into the large pores and the strong flow is dissipated in the smaller ones, thus losing its force.
The first phase of construction was completed in 1995 - then specialists erected a beautifully configured artificial island, rising 7 meters above sea level. At the time, it was the world's first man-made island designed for the future construction of a massive high-rise building.
Secrets of the architects
To create a solid foundation, 250 reinforced concrete piles 40 meters long were driven into the artificial embankment. The depth of such structures was 20 meters. A special mixture of glue and cement was pumped into the embankment with large syringes to resist water pressure that could push the foundation to the surface.
Predicting the possibility of poor structural stability, Tom Wright came up with the idea of girdling the outside of the skyscraper with a strong frame. As a result, the building is not only highly reliable, but also has a distinctive exterior design.
The element representing the sail is made of fiberglass coated with Teflon on top. This solution made it possible to obtain the world's largest fabric screen, which emits a crystal-clear whiteness during the day and at night makes it possible to project various light shows onto itself.
The entire construction, which lasted a total of 5 years, was completed in December 1999. The lead partner in the initial stages of the process was Fletcher Construction from New Zealand. Further construction was carried out by Murray & Roberts and Al Habtoor Engineering, a South African building contractor. The hotel's helipad was designed by Irish architect Rebecca Gernon.
Interior features
Although the building itself is 321 meters tall, there are only 28 floors inside, with 202 rooms. All of them provide for a truly regal setting of bi-level suites.
The hotel also has two floors in the lobby. There, guests check in, and there are stores and cafés, as well as a corridor to the high-speed elevator. The second level of the lobby is reached by an escalator, which is located in the right segment of the lobby. There is also a very large beautifully illuminated fountain of jet type, which can "spit" water, and the walls are built into huge aquariums with outlandish fish.
The interior was designed by internationally renowned designer Kuan Chu. To emphasize the opulence and wealth, the inside features lavish twisting staircases made of gilded cast iron. The building also has columns made of Brazilian and Italian marble, the floor shows a sumptuous Oriental-inspired mosaic design, and extremely expensive materials have been used for decoration:
- valuable wood;
- precious and semi-precious stones;
- velvet;
- silver threads;
- fine genuine leather.
Services and facilities at the Parus Hotel
Burj Al Arab impresses not only with the cost of accommodation and services, but also with an unrivaled level of service. For those arriving at the hotel offers:
- helicopter or Rolls-Royce transportation;
- visit restaurants, of which there are 9;
- relax on the terrace with pools and on the private beach;
- Wild Wadi Waterpark - water attractions in the park;
- spa center;
- A 1000 m² children's play area where you can not only play but also sleep comfortably;
- Fitness center
- fitness center.
The main feature of the hotel is the personalized customer service. With a staff of 1600, each room is assigned 8 members of staff, complemented by an entire team of butlers.
Transfers
Few hotels in the world can afford a private helipad. The Burj al-Arab has one - located on the 28th floor, it accepts aircraft with commuters on board. The flight from the airport there lasts about 15 minutes. Hotel guests also have the opportunity to take aerial tours over the city of Dubai, including over artificial islands, if they wish.
Numbers
The money you have to shell out for a hotel stay is a pretty significant amount. The cheapest room costs up to 15,000 USD (dollars), while the luxurious Royal Suite costs around 28,000 USD (dollars). Their size is also quite impressive:
- The largest suite is 780 m²;
- Smaller suite - 169 m².
Any floor of the hotel has a separate and on-duty concierge - it is provided for the best convenience of each visitor. Guests are obligatorily met and elevator and escorted to the threshold of the room. French windows give an opportunity to admire the amazing panorama of the Persian Gulf. Wi-Fi is available for guests to use completely free of charge. Other extras in each suite include:
- gold-plated iPad tablet;
- an iMac computer with a 21-inch screen;
- a wide-screen interactive TV with high picture quality;
- Bose multimedia center with an iPhone dock;
Beach Vacation
The beach, where guests are provided with all the conditions for a comfortable vacation, is located on the mainland. It is taken there by comfortable electric cars. The area is equipped with a separate passageway, where the visitor will need to register, after which a specially assigned person escorts him to the sunbed. Moving between the sunbeds is extremely convenient, as there are carpeted paths, selected in the same color scheme with the sand. The service staff makes sure that on the table near the sunbed is always cool drinking water and moisturizing spray for the face. Swimming in the sea, it is almost impossible to drown - all vacationers on the water are monitored by two to five professionally trained lifeguards.
The terrace on the water
It's a distinctive lounge platform that combines nautical design with a guest-friendly layout. The 10,000-square-foot space houses a bar and restaurant, two pools and small air-conditioned cabins.
Burj Al Arab Hotel Restaurants
Each of the hotel's 9 restaurants is unique in its own way, both in its interior and in the way it serves food. But some of them are unique nonetheless.
Al Mahara (Oyster)
There guests are taken there by an elevator in the shape of a submarine. Inside, there's a huge aquarium with exotic fish that you can watch while you eat. Seafood is served exclusively, and the lowest price for a meal is 160 USD (dollars).
Sahn Eddar (Living Room)
Located on the same floor as Al Mahara. It serves international cuisine, classical music, and prices start at 80 USD (dollars).
Al Muntaha Restaurant
Here visitors are in the clouds. The restaurant is located on the 27th floor, where guests are taken by a panoramic elevator. The elevator and the restaurant itself offer wonderful views of Dubai and the Persian Gulf with its artificial islands. The restaurant offers European dishes with prices starting from 150 USD (dollars)..
The tallest tennis court
The world's tallest tennis court is located right in the Burj al-Arab Hotel. This landscaped area for the sporting game is none other than the aforementioned helipad. Since helicopters do not fly here very often, it is used as a sky court during the rest of the free time. In 2005, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, participants of the Tennis Championships held in Dubai at that time, played there. It's impossible to fall off the court, as there is a deep wire netting at the bottom, but balls do fly off very often.
Tourist Information
The address of the hotel is Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, UAE.
Reservation link: booking.com
Official website: jumeirah.com
How to get there
- Metro
- Taxi
- Bus
To get to the hotel in Dubai, you need to get off at the moll of emirates metro station. To the right of the metro entrance is the road leading to the hotel. It takes about 25 to 30 minutes to walk to it.
A cab ride will cost 15 - 20 dirhams.
Buses numbered 81 also run to the hotel, in which case the fare is AED 5.
How to get to Burj al-Arab
Not everyone will be able to enter the site itself, as there is a checkpoint with security guards at the entrance to the bridge.
- Hotel accommodation
- Book a table at a restaurant
- With a tour
Prices for booking rooms can be seen below.
But even in the absence of a reservation for accommodation, the tourist is still given the opportunity to visit the hotel. To do so, you need to make a reservation for a table in the hotel restaurant in advance.
Also most of the tour bureau offers organized excursions that include a visit to the cherished hotel. Prices are also listed a little further down in the article. And to prove to your acquaintances that you were really in the hotel - buy a small souvenir in one of the stores.
Room Booking
You can book your room at Burj Al Arab at an affordable rate at booking.com.
The total price of a super suite with a living room that can accommodate two adults and two children under 12 is $1,225 USD (dollars) excluding tax. The room has a whirlpool, water treatment room, unlimited wi-fi, dryer, kitchen appliances, books, TV. and more. A good breakfast is included.
A two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite will cost $2,831 USD (dollars). In addition to the traditional amenities, the suite includes a private bar and butler's kitchen. It has a beautiful view of the Persian Gulf.
Hotel Excursions
For those who are visiting the Arab Emirates and want to familiarize themselves with the hotel without checking in, most of the travel agencies offer tours that include a visit to this phenomenal structure.
- boat tour for 1.5 hours - over 700 USD (dollars);
- City Familiarization, 4 hour tour - about 600 USD (dollars);
- Burj el Arab: Al Mahara lunch at the restaurant with aquarium - 3,900 USD (dollars);
- helicopter flights for 20 - 25 minutes - 7,350 USD (dollars);
- Burj Al Arab: Arabic lunch or dinner at Al Iwan restaurant - 3,200 USD (dollars);
Interesting Facts in Figures
180 meters are the height parameters of the hotel lobby, which is the largest in the world;
39% is the unoccupied area of the building;
210 meters - that's the height of the helipad;
1790 square meters - that's how much 24-karat gold was required to decorate the interior.
29,000 pieces - that's how many Swarovski crystals were used to create the Milky Way image on the lobby ceiling;
24000 - that's how many square meters of marble stone were brought from Italy for the floors and walls;
3500 - this figure refers to the number of workers involved in the construction of the skyscraper;
9,000 USD - the cost of a cocktail from renowned bartender Salvatore Calabrese at Skyview Bar.
There really aren't many places in the world that a true traveler needs to visit. This hotel is one of them. You don't have to rent an expensive room to see the power and luxury of the Arab Emirates for yourself. Using the information from our article, you can get there without much financial effort. And it's really worth it.
