on January 24, 2008
I will not tell you "definitely stay in this hotel!"
I will also not tell you "Don't stay here!"
I will give you the facts & let you decide if the experience is worth the price.
The architecture: Yes, it is beautiful. I will admit that the concept behind the idea is lovely: The Jumeirah Beach Hotel represents a wave, the hotel’s conference centre represents a "Dhow" (traditional Arabic boat), and the Burj Al Arab was therefore designed in the shape of a sail.
The details & finish in the rooms, bathrooms, restaurants, etc. is amazing: bling-bling! Gold, satin, silk, glitter, you'll need sunglasses. But I find the decor quickly becomes overwhelming, and after the initial shock you can recognise the resemblance of what we know as "overdone, cheesy Arabic interiors".
The size: Yes, the hotel is very impressive: at 321 meters high, Burj Al Arab is taller than the Eiffel Tower and only 60 meters shorter than the Empire State Building, and also the fact that it stands on it's own man-built island, so it's reachable by helicopter, boat or by its heavily guarded bridge.
The Spa: the hotel itself does not impress me much, but I wouldn't say "no" to a day at the Assawan Spa!
For more info on the picture of Andre Agassi & Roger Federer playing tennis on the helipad of the hotel, click here...
It is known as the landmark of Dubai:
If you desperately want to see the Burj Al Arab, then go as part of a guided Dubai city tour with one of the many tour operators. Afternoon Tea is offered to non-guests of the hotel every day apart from Fridays.
There are 2 options:
> The Lobby Lounge, at 3pm or at 5pm.
> Al Muntaha Sky View Rest, at 3pm or at 4pm.
Prices at the moment (Year 2007) are 280 Dhs per person.
(1 US Dollar = 3.67 Dirhams)
It is vital that you make a booking in advance.
Tel: 00971 - 4 - 301 7600.
Wining & Dining: The restaurant at the top of the hotel is called Al Muntaha... great views of the ocean, Palm Island construction & shoreline. A little know fact is that it has been voted Dubai's worst restaurant for 2 consecutive years (!) so I would suggest simply having some drinks in Al Muntaha, enjoying the views & then heading downstairs for food. My mother actually refuses to take her tourist groups there, as so many people have had diarrhea, etc. after dining there.
If you wish to have a great meal at the Burj, eat at the Al Mahara Seafood restaurant (it's not a real submarine ride... don't be so gullible). This is the hotel's signature restaurant.
MY VERDICT: If you have the cash & absolutely want to stay there for 1 night, go ahead. But please be aware that a stay at the Burj Al Arab is NOT experiencing Dubai. It's nice, but far too "over-the-top" for many of us.
In the end, all I want to say is:
Sting, Bryan Adams, the Black Eyed Peas, Bill Clinton etc. have been in Dubai before. Non of them have ever stayed in this hotel. The hotel pleaded, the organisers begged, but they have no privacy, no back-doors, no way of hiding unless you stay locked in your suite, and no safe & quick emergency exits...
For little-known, secret & true facts about the Burj Al Arab, click here!
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