Burj Al Arab Hotel

Dubai’s seven star Burj Al Arab Hotel has long become a synonym for grandeur, class and style. Offering limousine service, private transfer for all guests via private golf cart, private butler service and just about anything else that is being associated with luxury, the Burj Al Arab Hotel is located in the premier Jumeirah Beach area of Dubai.

The Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب‎, literally, Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the second tallest building used exclusively as a hotel, after Rose Tower, also in Dubai.^[2] However, the structure of the unfinished Ryugyong Hotel is nine meters taller than the Burj Al Arab, And the Rose Tower,

also in Dubai, which has already topped Burj Al Arab's height at 333 m (1,090 ft), will take away the title upon its opening.^[3][4][5] The Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It isan iconic structure,designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformationand to mimic the sail of a boat.

Construction:

Construction of Burj Al Arab began in 1994. It was built to resemble the sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian vessel. Two "wings" spread in a V t o form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. The architect Tom Wright^[6] said "The client wanted a building that would become an iconic or sy mb olic statement for Dubai; this is very similar to Sydney with its Opera House, or Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that would become synonymous with the na me of the count ry." ^[7] The architect and engineering consultant for the project was Atkins, the UK's largest multidisciplinary consultancy.

The hotel was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts.^[8] The hotel cost $650 million to build.^[9]

Rooms and prices:

It is managed by the Jumeirah Gro up. Despite its size, the Burj Al Arab holds only 28 double-story floors which

accommodat e 202 bedroom suites. The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 square meters (1 ,819 sq ft), the largest covers 780 square meters (8,396 sq ft). It is one of the most expensive hote ls in the world. The cost of staying in a suite begin s at $1,000 per night; the Royal Suite is the most expensive, at $28,000 per night.^[11] Suites feature design details that juxtapose east and west. White Tuscan columns and a spiral staircase covered in marblewith a wrought-iron gold leafrailing show influence from classicism and art nouveau. Spa-like bathrooms are accented by mosaic tile patterns on the floors and walls, with Arabian-influenced geometries, which are also found elsewhere in the building.

Restaurants:

One of its restaurants, Al Mu n taha (Arabic meaning "Highest" or "Ultimate"), is located 200 metres (660 ft) above the Persian Gulf, offering a view of Dubai. It is supported by a full cantilever that extends 27 metres (89 ft) from either side of the mast, and is accessed by a panoramic elevator. The main c hef there- Edah Semaj Leachim, was awarded Chef of the Year 2006 and also owns the rest aur ant, in accordance with the Burj Al Arab hotel.Another restaurant, the Al Mahara (Arabic meaning "The Oyster"),which is accessed via asimulated submarine voyage, features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 35,000 cubic feet (over onemillion litres) of water.The tank, made of acrylic glass in order to withstand the water pressure, isabout 18 centimetres (7.1 in) thick. The restaurant was also voted among the top ten bestrestaurants of the world by Condé Nast Traveler. They haverecently hired acclaimed chef Kevin McLaughlin.

Reviews by architecture critics:

The Burj Al Arab has attrac ted cr iticism as well as praise, described as "a contradiction of sorts, considering how well-designed and impressive the construction ultimately proves to be."^[12] The contradiction here seems to be related to the hotel’s extreme opulence. "This extraordinary investment in state-of-the-art construction technology stretches the limits of the ambitious urban imagination in an exercise that is largely due to the power of excessive wealth." Another critic includes the city of Dubai as well: "both the hotel and the city, after all, are monuments to the triumph of money over practicality. Both elevate style over substance."^[12] Yet another: "Emulating the quality of palatial interiors, in an expression of wealth for the mainstream, a theater of opulence is created in Burj Al Arab … The result is a baroque effect".^[12] Sam Wollaston writing in The Guardian described the Burj as "...fabulous, hideous, and the very pinnacle of tackiness - like Vegas after a serious, no-expense-spared, sheik-over". ^[13]