There it was – all 332 meters high – right across the bridge from the sands of Jumeirah beach, its facade billowing like the canvass of a sailing ship. Hyped up as the world’s one and only 7-star hotel, the Burj Al-Arab (Tower of the Arabs) is indeed an architectural marvel. Towering over the Gulf, it rests on 230 40-meter long concrete piles driven into a man-made island encircled with honeycombed concrete barriers to prevent the erosion of its foundation. Built in the latter half of the ‘90s, it was supposed to be an iconic statement for Dubai the way the Eiffel Tower symbolizes Paris or the Opera House represents Sydney.
The entry gate at the foot of the bridge and the dancing fountain in the lobby
Getting into the hotel isn’t easy because you should either have a confirmed booking for a night’s stay or a reservation in one of their restaurants. With rates ranging from $2,000/- - $5,000/- per night and about $100/- for a reservation at their restaurants, it is definitely not for everybody. Only the crème de la crème or those with oozing petrodollars in their wallets can afford such luxury. Being neither of the first nor second variety, we needed some wasta (“connections” in Arabic) in order to get in. It came in the form of my brother’s neighbor who used to be a restaurant manager there and got us in without much fuss.
And so, there we stood in the lobby, craning our necks up to view the tallest atrium in the world at 182 meters high and taking up over a third of the interior space. All the rooms have balconies overlooking this massive cavity. Rising up to the second level is a stepped fountain that forms a dazzling pattern of water that traipses around in perfect unison. This is flanked on both sides by escalators with a Perspex wall that holds a massive aquarium. So as you glide up, your senses are bombarded with these images that keep your mouth agape in wonder and your brain working overtime to assimilate your surroundings into a coherent whole. I think that was the original intent of the designers – to keep guests “oohing” and “aahing” as they entered the lobby! I had to go up and down a couple of times just to take it in all together.
Ted and I in the lobby; 22-karat goldleaf on the dome; Entrance driveway
A guide took us around the place, pointing out important facts about the building such as: there are 28 double-storey floors in all; 8 restaurants and bars with one, the Al Mahara (Oyster), consistently listed in the top ten best hotel restaurants in the world; a spa, health club and fitness center; banqueting venue and ballroom; pool and sundeck with promenade; an amphitheater and conference and seminar rooms. Of course, these are also found in other luxury hotels but here, they are reeking with opulence, luxury, and wealth judging from the lavish textures and finishes that were used. Just imagine, the hotel boasts of 8,000sqm. of 22-karat gold leaf on the domes of the ceiling. Not content with these facilities? How about a helipad cantilevering out of the structure at the 200-meter level where you can be ferried direct to your suite without the hassle of rubbing shoulders with mere mortals below.
The highlight of our visit was the 3-bedroom suite, 2 notches below the Presidential and Royal Suites which were occupied by long-staying princes at the time. See, the Burj Al-Arab doesn’t actually have rooms – it has 202 suites with each one having two levels. Aside from the Presidential and Royal Suites which occupy the whole footprint of the building in terms of floor space, the rest are 1, 2 and 3 Bedroom Suites with areas ranging from a piddling 170sqm. to an astonishing 670sqm! There are 5 different Suite configurations with the least expensive at $2,000/- and the priciest one at $5,400/- per night. Each one features a sumptuous living and dining area on the lower level and bedrooms, library and office facilities on the upper level. Interested in the uber luxurious suites? Well, you can stay in the Presidential Suite for a cool $8,800/- and $11,000/- for the Royal Suite. That is, if you can get a reservation since it’s fully booked 3 months in advance. I got dizzy from calculating all these prices in terms of pesos. I figured that I’d never be able to sleep thinking about half a million pesos for a night’s stay. Man, I’d be too hyped up!
As we entered the suite, the thing that immediately struck me was the opulence – there’s a helluva difference between looking at the pictures and actually being there. The ceiling was with goldleaf finish and so was the wrought iron baluster of the curving staircase that led to the upper level. Your feet sunk under the plush floor carpeting and the exuberant colors assailed your senses: yellow, deep purplish blues and bright reds. I thought that Gianni Versace’s house must have looked something like this. Somehow, I didn’t like it so much – it reminded me of the extravagant showbiz atmosphere of Vegas.
Clockwise from top left: Entrance lobby, Upper level lounge, Futuristic restaurant entryway, Elevator foyer. Note all the touches of gold everywhere
On the foyer that separates the bedrooms was a library cum office with a work desk, plasma screen, armchairs and shelves lined with books and magazines. I wonder if I’d have the time to sit there just to read them! In the middle of the Master’s Bedroom was a canopy at the top of the bed with a full-length mirror. Naughty! I remembered the same thing in those motels in Pasig. The guide said there were 13 kinds of pillows to choose from. I bet one was as good as the other so why there was such a choice, I could only guess (perhaps each has a different use for the various Kamasutra positions?). The bathrooms were so huge you could live in them already. They had jacuzzies and wall mosaic tiled murals having an Arabian motif, complete with Hermes amenities and unobtrusive built-in closets whose wood had geometric inlays. Again, the colors were bright. A compact kitchen, dining area and bar made up the rest of the space.
The best part that I liked, though, was the floor-to-ceiling glass that gave you unobstructed views of the turquoise waters of the
$5,000/- per night bed in the 3-bedroom suite and the bathroom with exotic colors
We rode the panoramic elevator that traveled at an ear-popping 6 meters per second to the Al Muntaha (Arabic for “ultimate”) restaurant which cantilevers 27 meters out of the structural frame at a dizzying height. Their buffet costs something like $110/- per head and the table stretched a long way, laden with mouth-watering selection of seafood, Japanese sushi and caviar. Well worth the price, I guess, and something that I could probably afford even if only for one special day. Like most of the hotel’s staff, Filipinos run the place and one waiter told me that an Arroyo had a seat reservation for lunch - he was the First Gentleman’s brother.
Intrigued, I asked if other prominent Pinoys stayed in the Burj Al-Arab. Meron naman daw but most were low-key businessmen. A Bicolana chambermaid told me that one of their latest guests were Brad Pitt and Angelina Jollie who kept mostly to themselves and didn’t want their presence known. Michael Jackson was also a guest and she showed me his photo na nakaakbay pa sa kanya. Ma-PR daw si MJ!
Top-of-the-line cars; 007 with his red Aston Martin
Before leaving, we checked out some of the luxury cars parked at the entrance. There were several Ferraris, Porsches and Aston Martins. They were for rent at the pleasure of the guests. One guy with a stunning blonde was driving a Maclaren Mercedes handed over to him by the valet. Which made me wonder if that same blonde would come with me if I were at the wheel of that fabulous car. My brother told me to stop dreaming and get on board his Toyota Fortuner before we drove out of the place.
Well, ain’t that place the stuff of dreams, I said……
