Burj Al Arab in Dubai

Known as the world's third tallest hotel, Burj Al Arab stands with pride at the smallest archipelago of The Palm Island. Right from the Jumeirah Beach, the hotel is connected to the mainland of Dubai via a curved bridge which can be accessed either by the members of the hotel or the guests lodging up here.

Established by one of the most skillful engineers of that time, Atkins and developed by Tom Wright and WKK Architects, the construction of Burj Al Arab Hotel has eventually increased the urbanity of Dubai by manifolds. Burj Al Arab Hotel is known to house a total of 202 rooms and 18 elevators. The hotel was inaugurated later in the year 1999 and its total value was estimated to be around $1 Billion.

Location

Previously known as the Chicago Beach, the land where Burj Al Arab Hotel was established had to face a lot of controversies. The hotel is located at a distance of 280m from Chicago Beach, which collided with another luxury resort known as Chicago Beach Hotel. Therefore, the location of the mega-structure was renamed as Jumeirah Beach by the former ruler of Dubai named Sheikh Saeed Al-Maktoum.

Construction

The construction of Burj Al Arab Hotel had begun in 1994 and had involved approximately 2000 workers. The hotel is shaped like the sail of a J-class yacht.  On both sides, the sail is also facilitated with "wings" which have been shaped in the form of a massive "mast" encompassing a surreal space. This mega-structure was designed extravagantly with the idea of making it the icon of Dubai in accordance with structures like the Eiffel Tower of Paris and The Big Ben of London.

Features

The most striking feature of Burj Al Arab Hotel is that it is made to stand on an artificial island, which lies at a distance of 280m away from the main seashore of Dubai. For its firm establishment, the contractors had imposed 230 pieces of cemented blocks, each of which measured up to 40m in length. To prevent it from erosion, the ground was constructed in a honeycomb pattern which ensures firm binding and equalizes the weight of the world's third tallest hotel.

In spite of its height, the Burj Al Arab Hotel is home to only 28 double-storey floors, each of which is extravagantly decorated with five-star furnishings. The area of the smallest bedroom here is measured to be around 1820 sq ft and the largest expands up to 8400 sq ft. Each room is delicately designed in an East-to-West facing pattern and is accentuated by the color white. The flooring reflects some exquisite designs and the lavatories are decorated with mosaic tiles all of which perfectly define a lavish sojourning experience.

The other striking features of Burj Al Arab include a premium-class restaurant, Al Muntaha at 200m above the Gulf region which provides an exquisite view of the city and a mega aquarium, Al Mahara, holding around 990,000 L of water and many rare species of marine life.