Our stay at the Burj Al Arab was the centerpiece of our United Arab Emirates trip in August/September of 2019. Burj Al Arab had been on my radar the moment I found out about its existence. There was a point in my life where I was obsessed with skylines and architecture. Back then, I believed that Burj Al Arab was the pinnacle of beautiful design. While I wouldn’t quite describe the building as such anymore, the charm and allure of the self described “world’s only seven star hotel” was never lost on me. I stayed at the hotel with rose colored glasses, and left knowing that I had finally stayed at the famous Burj Al Arab. It was a fantastic experience for me.
Table of Contents
Background
The Burj Al Arab is an iconic architectural masterpiece located off the shore in Dubai. The hotel’s name means “Tower of the Arabs”, and is a luxury hotel managed by the Jumierah Group.
Drawing architectural inspiration from the sails of ships, the Burj Al Arab stands 1053ft (321m) tall, and is considered one of the tallest hotels in the world. The hotel also has a helipad near the roof situated 689ft (210m) from the ground. Construction started in 1994, and was completed in 1999. The first two years were spent creating the island, and the final three years built the hotel. The hotel sits on a manmade island 920ft (280m) off the shore of Jumierah Beach, and is connected by a 1115ft (340m) bridge. Entrance to the bridge is guarded, allowing only guests of the hotel and those with dining reservations to enter.
The Burj Al Arab contains a total of 56 floors, 3 of which are below ground level. All 202 rooms are suites, occupying two floors each. Suites start at 170 sqm. for the base category room, all the way up to 670 sqm. for the three bedroom suites. Guests have a choice of 17 types of pillows from their pillow menu. Rooms also contain highly prized eiderdown duvets, containing eiderdown harvested from eider ducks in Iceland.
This exclusive hotel is also home to the largest Swarovski crystal ceiling in the world. The 21,000 crystals represent the Milky Way, and adorn the ceiling of Junsui, which is the hotel’s Japanese restaurant. Over 30 types of Statuario marble adorn 24,000sqm of the wall and ceilings. The hotel also has 16 in house florists to create stunning floral arrangements throughout the hotel and guestrooms. And if that wasn’t enough, approximately 1,790sqm of 24-carat gold leaf deck out the interior, creating the luxurious look one would come to expect at a hotel of this caliber.
As for food options, you are spoilt for choice. There are a many restaurants featuring a wide variety of cuisines:
- Sal (Southern Mediterranean beach restaurant)
- Al Muntaha (French & Italian upscale dinner)
- Sahn Eddar (multicultural, lounge in the atrium for lunch, dinner, afternoon tea)
- Al Iwan (Middle Eastern dinner)
- Al Mahara (Italian dinner)
- Bab Al Yam (Middle Eastern & European breakfast)
- Gilt (contemporary bar, previously named Gold on 27)
- Skyview Bar (famous for their afternoon tea)
- Junsui (pan-Asian buffet)
The Terrace is a 10,000 sqm luxury platform at the back of the hotel facing the ocean. This area contains two pools, cabanas, and a beach area. 1000 tonnes of white sand was imported to create the beach. Even The Terrace was constructed and imported from Finland. For another method of relaxation, the Talise pool & spa is located on the 18th floor. The skyhigh pool offers spectacular views of Dubai. The Talise spa is set over two floors, and contains separated areas for men and women.
Booking
The reason I even considered a stay here was due to a summer promotion they were running on Virtuoso. Temperatures exceeding 100F isn’t very welcoming to tourists, but at a price of AED5513.00 (1500USD) for their base Deluxe Marina Suite, I knew that this would be a once in a lifetime experience.
The standard Virtuoso booking includes the following:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily buffet Breakfast for up to two in-room guests, served in restaurant
- A complimentary 50-minute massage for up to two people, per room, once during stay
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
With the addition of the Immigration Services Promotion:
Arrive in style as a Virtuoso guest of Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Enjoy fast-track airport custom clearance, round-trip airport transfers, and guaranteed early check-in at 7:00 am or late checkout until 20:00 pm at the world’s most luxurious hotel.
I booked through a Virtuoso travel agent. We didn’t need fast-track airport custom clearance, and we would be arriving from a hotel in Old Dubai. Burj Al Arab was flexible enough to allow us transfers from Ahmedia Guesthouse the previous night, to the Waldorf Astoria Palm Jumeirah the next night. We chose the 20:00 checkout, which allowed us to maximize our stay at the hotel, without feeling pressured to arrive super early.
All in all, the Virtuoso booking would guarantee us an upgrade, breakfast, massage, and transfers from the hotels we would be staying at. Best of all, a one night stay allowed us to spend more than 24hours at the hotel!
Arrival, Check-in & Lobby
We were picked up from our hotel in Old Dubai by a Burj Al Arab driver. He escorted us to the car, with luggage in tow.
It was a short drive to the hotel. We were able to choose music during the ride, and this is when we were introduced to our new favorite Arab pop singer, Nancy Ajram. Cold towels were also passed out to us.
Once we were waved through by the security guard at the start of the bridge, we proceeded across to the hotel.
Once we arrived to the entrance, a few staff members helped unload our luggage.
And we were greeted by Jeena, who would be guiding us through the check-in process, as well as the room tour.
Waiting to greet us were five staff members. We received a cool towel, some dates, as well as fresh Arabic coffee.
The atrium when viewed from the lobby floor is stunning. The gradient of colors and gold embellishments were both gaudy and chic at the same time.
And looks gorgeous even at night.
The lobby also had a few fresh, but underwhelming flower arrangements.
After passing the greeters, Jeena guided us up the escalators towards our room.
Along the escalator was a giant aquarium. Crazy!
At the top of the elevators was a large water feature, as well as lounging areas surrounded by entrances to a few of their restaurants and high end shops.
The landing to our floor was also opulently decorated (the elevator itself was decked out in polished metals).
The elevator hallway then opens up to the atrium. At each floor is a dedicated concierge.
The view across to the other side from the 21st floor, and below, are also quite stunning.
Deluxe Marina Suite & Amenities
Their Deluxe Marina Suites are advertised as 170sqm (1830sqft), and contains one king bed. All suites at the Burj Al Arab contain two floors.
Jeena escorted us into the room on the 21st floor, room 2103. We completed the remainder of the check-in process inside.
The entrance of the suite opens up into a large foyer area with a winding staircase leading up to the second floor on the right.
To the left of the entrance is a powder room.
Between the entrance and the living room, there’s a work desk with an iMac, as well as a phone.
Adjacent to the work desk were a few cabinets, containing some chargeable snacks, the mini fridge, and additional glasses.
Behind the work desk is the mini bar, containing a hot water kettle, a coffee machine, and its accompaniments.
Greeting us at the dining table was a welcome amenity of fruit slices. Behind the dining table is a television that we never used.
We had a lot of fun posing around the suite. We had never stayed in a hotel room of this size before. The styling is evidently quite gaudy, but also very fitting for a property like this. We also received a second welcome amenity after settling into our room, a bottle of date juice.
The slippers they provided are very high quality. They contain quite a lot of cushioning (and we definitely asked for an extra few pairs to bring back home).
Walking up the stairs to the mezzanine level, there’s a quirky projection of a clock on the wall. A large chandelier also hangs over the stairs.
Looking straight ahead from the top of the stairs, is the large dressing room.
The slippers they provide in the dressing room are meant to be used at the pool, and at their artificial “beach”. These flip flops were also very high quality, and we again swiped a few extra pairs as a souvenir.
Of course, there’s the typical closet amenities inside the dressing room, and these high quality wood hangers.
Next to the dressing room is the bedroom. Again, we can see an eclectic mix of gaudy furniture, which forms a sitting area.
The views from this room is identical to the one downstairs.
We also had a lot of fun taking silly pictures on this bed. Mirror above the bed? CHECK!
You can see all the way to downtown Dubai from the window. Even the tallest building in the world, the Burj, is visible through the summer haze!
The bathroom follows the colorful theme of the suite. To the left is a double vanity, as well as a large bathtub and shower at the end.
The saturated mosaic tiles, although slightly garish, fit right in with the rest of the space. It also felt high-end and luxurious.
The Burj Al Arab provides Hermes toiletries in the bathroom. Very luxurious.
And even has a scale for you to use… in case that’s your kind of thing to do on vacation.
And of course, the room comes with two bathrobes.
Amenities
Welcome amenity greeted us when we checked-in, and consisted of a platter filled with nicely cut mango, dragon fruit, and cantelope slices.
We were also given a sparking date and apple juice drink, as well as two champagne glasses.
Because we loved the mango so much, we even asked the concierge for another mango, and they sent one to us gratis.
At night, turndown service included a long stem rose placed on each side of the bed, a piece of chocolate in the shape of the hotel’s iconic sail silhouette, water by the bedside table, and slippers placed beside the bed. The eiderdown comforter was unbelievably comfortable.
You were also given a pillow menu to order from.
In the evening, the concierges for our floor surprised me with a bouquet of red roses, a bottle of Burj Al Arab branded Montes Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Colchagua Valley, Chile), as well as a delicious chocolate hazelnut cake.
They also provided a vase for the roses. The roses were of very high quality, and looked beautiful for the remainder of our 5 day trip.
The concierge even drew a bubble bath for us, upon request. We had so much fun relaxing in the tub, drinking date juice, and the red wine. We took this picture with a tripod (no we didn’t ask the concierge to do it with us!).
Pool (Outdoor & Indoor)
The outdoor pool is located at the Burj Al Arab Terrace. This area contains jacuzzis, sun beds, day beds, swim up bar, as well as a family freshwater pool and an adults-only saltwater infinity pool. We spent most of our time at the infinity pool. The sun beds were surrounded by sand, giving a very beachy feel for this completely artificial terrace. The towering hotel made a perfect backdrop.
Looking out into the horizon, you can see the Atlantis Hotel. The hotel is located at the end of the Palm Jumeirah. Sunset was gorgeous at the Terrace area.
We also checked out their indoor pool, which is located on the 18th floor. Since each floor at the hotel are double floors, the pool and spa also occupy two levels. The indoor pool was decked out in bright colors. Since we stayed at the hotel during low season, we hardly bumped into anyone else while using this space.
The detailed mosaics on the floor of the pool is stunning.
The indoor pool looks amazing in the day time when it is completed flooded with bright sunlight.
Our stay when booked with the Virtuoso promo allowed us a 60-minute massage each. We had to go one at a time. The treatment started with a nice warm towel and a cup of tea. Then there was a foot washing, and finally the massage. I felt so pampered after the treatment was finished.
Sky View Bar (Afternoon Tea)
We had pre-booked the afternoon tea at Sky View Bar at 15:00, right after we checked-in. Afternoon tea was 635AED (~170USD) per person, but since we wanted window seating, we paid an additional 100AED (27USD) for that privilege. In hindsight, that was probably not necessary, since it was low season and there weren’t that many guests there that day. A deposit of 180AED (50USD) was required to secure the reservation.
A glass of Louis Roederer Brut Non-Vintage champagne was passed out to start the afternoon tea service. There was an opportunity to upgrade to a glass of Dom Pérignon 2008 for AED345 (95USD), but that would be a silly waste of money (yes, I totally see the irony in this). There was a huge selection of teas to choose from, and we ended up sampling eight of them. You could request for refills of any of the afternoon tea items. We had grand plans to stuff ourselves with refills, but we never thought we would be way too full to do so. At least we didn’t need dinner after this!
Although there were no particular standout foods, the ambience and the joy of eating afternoon tea atop the Burj Al Arab made this experience amazing. If someone didn’t have the opportunity to stay at the Burj Al Arab, the best way to check out the hotel would be to make a reservation at a restaurant in the hotel. The afternoon tea would definitely be a great option for this.
The Afternoon Tea menu was as follows:
FOOD
Delicate “Baeri” Caviar with Balik Salmon and Cauliflower lightness on a freshly made Blini
Selection of Finger Sandwiches
Traditional John Stone Farm Beef Tourte
Williams Pear Granité, Rose Petal Jelly
Homemade Scones
- Willie Rodda’s Clotted Cream, Lemon Curd, Homemade Strawberry and Rose Jam
Selection of pastries, Grand Cru Chocolate
Mignardises
TEA SELECTION
Wild Cherry Black Tea
Earl Grey
English Breakfast
Lapang Souchong
Darjeeling
Milk Oolong
Longing Green Tea
Jasmine Pearls Green Tea
Silver Needle White Tea
*all teas and coffees are served with a choice of full or low fat milk, soy or almond, and coffee flavoring syrups
Junsui (Breakfast)
Our complimentary breakfast was served at their restaurant, Junsui. Typical cost for their breakfast buffet is AED370 (100USD) per person! The variety of food and number of food stations they have for this buffet is impressive. We would have never consider paying 100USD for a breakfast buffet, but it was great.
The first area contains the bread, and has your typical sliced bread, baguettes, and various other pastries.
There’s also a fruit and yogurt/cereal bar, where I ate many of their passion fruits.
There was a huge eastern asian cuisine area (which makes sense, considering Junsui is a pan-Asian based restaurant).
The Hainanese chicken station was quite good, and came with the typical accompaniments.
There were also various fried foods to go with congee and dim sum.
We were surprised to see Kaya Toast on the menu too.
Of course, there is also the omelette bar. The Chinese text on the menu suggests the expected clientele for this restaurant.
Junsui also had a selection of skewers served with satay sauce.
As well as various soups and curries.
The Japanese area was located in a self-contained room. Various raw fish, tofu dishes, sushi, and cold appetizers were served here.
The view from the tables looked into the ocean.
Here is our spread, containing most of the buffet options. Sparkling and still water came complimentary, as well as a wide selection of teas and juices.
Wild Wadi Waterpark & Rolls-Royce
Our stay came with complimentary access to Wild Wadi Waterpark. The entrance to this park would have been AED300 (75USD) otherwise. At our command, a buggy was summoned for us to take the five minute journey to the water park entrance. There was a dizzying maze of waterslides at various heights. This was the laziest waterpark I had ever been to. Unlike many parks where you have to hike up long stretches of stairs to the entrance of tall waterslides, this park contains water slides that literally boost you uphill, completely effortlessly.
The lazy river was definitely one of our favorite attractions to beat the hot 100F Dubai heat.
Talk about an awesome view!
Burj Al Arab also has a large fleet of BMW and Rolls-Royce vehicles for hire. We asked to check one out, and they kindly let us sit inside and to take pictures with them! For reference, a one way trip to Dubai International Airport (DXB) in their Rolls-Royce Phantom costs a cool AED800 ($210)!
Service
Service at this hotel was fantastic. The personal attention you get from the staff is crazy. The welcoming upon check-in was also a nice touch, and we had a great experience with Jeena, who guided us through the welcoming process.
The dedicated concierge situated on each floor allowed us to have quick and direct access to staff members. This included questions about reservations, asking for more toiletries/amenities, having the staff draw a bath for us etc. The team even surprised us with high quality red roses, chocolate cake, and red wine to celebrate my birthday. Even though our check out time was 8pm, housekeeping had no issues to clean
Buggies arrived promptly when requested. We used this service to go to Wild Wadi Waterpark, as well as going to and from the other Jumeirah properties to explore.
Summary
Staying at the Burj Al Arab was a dream come true. It’s going to be hard to find a hotel that can best the Burj Al Arab in lavish, and garish luxury. It was a unique experience. While I wouldn’t recommend this hotel to anyone, for those who are looking for a one of a kind sheikh chic experience, Burj Al Arab is absolutely PERFECT.
