Burj Hotel

Burj Al Arab Hotel Description: The worlds only seven star hotel, which has become an International landmark. The Burj Al Arab towers soaring 321 meters, above the Arabian Gulf. This unique billowing sail-shaped building stands proudly on a man-made island some 280 meters offshore, linked to the mainland by a slender, gently curving causeway. It is a dramatic tribute to the region's seafaring heritage. Combining the latest technology with a long-standing reputation of Arabian hospitality, the hotel symbolizes the very essence of Dubai. It embraces the best of the new alongside traditions of the past. Individual service and attention to detail are paramount, with a private reception area on each floor, as well as a butler service for every suite. Burj Al Arab is setting new standards of luxury, service, and comfort on the shores of the Arabian Gulf. Six restaurants and lounges provide a variety of dining options, from an underwater seafood restaurant called Al Mahara (accessible by a three minute simulated submarine voyage), to the heights of Al Muntaha, located on the top level of the hotel. Other fine restaurants include Al Iwan, Bab Al Yam, and Sahn Eddar. The Assawan Spa & Health Club is located on the 18th floor, and its unique location allows guest to enjoy spectacular views from the pools, Jacuzzi, spas, therapy rooms, and aerobics workout studios. Three fully equipped conference rooms are situated on the 27th floor, as are two Arabic and Western decorated boardrooms with seating for twenty. The gold domed Al Falak Ballroom is multi-functional and can be configured for a 200-person lunch or dinner, or alternatively accommodate 400 people for cocktails. Smart casual dress code mandatory. Hotel facilities and services Health & Fitness Jacuzzi , Gym, Sauna, Massage, Spa Children Care Playground , Swimming Pool - Outdoor (Fresh Water) Beauty Farm Beauty Saloon Tennis Centre Tennis Court General Exchange , Restaurant, Florist, Swimming Pool - Outdoor (Fresh Water), Lift, Room Service, Laundry / Cleaning, Complimentary Newspaper, Doctor on call, Lounge, Barber Shop, Bar, Reception Business Centre Secretarial Services Sports Squash Court Soaring 321 metres above the Arabian Gulf, Burj Al Arab - The Arabian Tower, is the world's tallest and most architecturally advanced hotel in the world. Standing 280 metres offshore on a man-made island, Burj Al Arab is designed in the shape of a billowing sail, reflecting Dubai's ancient seafaring traditions. Combining the very latest in technology with long-standing Arabian hospitality, Burj Al Arab offers, superbly unique dining experiences - whether suspended 200 metres above the Arabian Gulf in Al Muntana - Skyview Restaurant, or in Al Mahara Restaurant, an undersea seafood paradise. This all-suite hotel contains 202 world-class duplex suites. Unsurpassed by any other hotel in the world, they all feature floor to ceiling windows, offering a breathtaking view of the sea and range from 170 sqm to 780 sqm in floor area. All are equipped with the latest technology, laptop computers and Internet access. Convenience, luxury and a highly personalised service are available for every traveller, enhanced by private reception desks on every floor, in-suite check-in and exclusive butlers providing around the clock assistance. Conference facilities on the 27th floor include the Al Falak Ballroom whose sumptous decor and outdoor terrace provide an unforgettable venue. Located on the 18th floor of Burj Al Arab is the Assawan Spa, a lavishly decorated, private health and fitnes facility. It's unique location allows guests to enjoy a spectacular view from the pools, jacuzzis, spas, massage, beauty and therapy rooms and even the aerobic room. There is no charge for incoming faxes. The following nationalities will not require a visa to travel to Dubai as they can have it upon arrival at the airport: Western Europe: France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican City, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein. America: USA, Canada. Oceania: Australia, New Zealand. Asia: Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Please note that from the 1st February 2002, Jumeirah International properties in Dubai will not be accept the following currencies in either cash or travellers cheques,whereas our two London hotels will continue to accept these currencies until 31st December 2002:Deutsche Mark,French Franc,Italian Lira,Spanish Pesetas,Dutch Guilder,Belgian Fran,Austrian Schilling,Irish Pound,Portuguese Escudo,Finnish Markka,Greek Drachma,Luxembourg Franc. ***Maintenance on Swimming Pools between 8th July -25 July and 1st - 8th August. Whilst this maintenance takes place, guests will be re-directed to alternate pools within Burj Al Arab or as an alternative they will be offered access to the pool facilities at our sister hotel the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and complimentary access to Wild Wadi Waterpark***
General Information: Dubai Airport DXB 25 kilometers, Transport 2 kilometers, Gold Souk 20 kilometers, Desert Safari 20 kilometers, Shopping Malls 20 kilometers, Mosque 5 kilometers
Services/Facilities/Amenities: 220 AC Air Conditioned Airline Desk Alarm Clock Baby Sitting Bar Barber Shop Beach Nearby Beauty Salon Porters Boating Boutiques Business Center Car Rental Desk Conference Facilities Coffee Shop Coffee Maker Computer In Room Concierge Desk Currency Exchange 24 Hour Front Desk Handicap Facilities Disco Doctor On Call Drugstore Driving Range Express Check Out FAX Fishing Florist Game Room Golf Exercise Gym Hairdryer In Room Health Club Horseback Riding International Direct Dial Iron Jacuzzi Jogging Track Kennels Kitchenette Guest Laundromat
Property Location:
Areas Served:	Dubai Airport DXB 25 kilometers, Transport 2 kilometers, Gold Souk 20 kilometers, Desert Safari 20 kilometers, Shopping Malls 20 kilometers, Mosque 5 kilometers
Burk, Borj, or Boorj Ala Arab are the names of this wonderful 7 star hotel
Reservation Policies:
Currency:	AED
Guarantee Policy:	A credit card is required to book online. Peak seasons may require your card is charged in advance. Reading the rate rules after selecting your rate will indicate if your card will be charged. This information will appear in your email confirmation.
Cancellation Policy:	Subject to the discretion of the hotel, the credit card provided may be charged if the reservation is canceled after the cancellation deadline has passed or if the guest fails to arrive. The cancellation policy will appear after selecting rate rules.

GUEST SERVICES
Burj Al Arab at a glance.



HOTEL CLASSIFICATION
-5 Star Deluxe
-Member of Virtuoso
-American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts



ACCOMMODATION
202 duplex suites, ranging from 170 sq. mts to 780 sq. mts, across 27 floors each with its own Guest Services exclusive for in-suites check-in and butler services.



IN SUITE FACILITIES
-In addition to a dining and living area, each suite has an office area complete with laptop, Internet access, private fax, printer and copier
-Hidden network of advanced technology - lighting, curtains and air-conditioning at the touch of a button
-42-inch plasma screen, video on demand, DVD, 93 cable channels, and 2 hotel information channels
-Full range of men and ladies Hermes amenities (full size bottles)
-Dining table for in-suite dining
-A safe for the safe keeping of your belongings
-Pillow menu with a range of 13 pillows and quilts to choose from
-Walk-in shower and Jacuzzi / Spa bath, complimented by a decadent bath menu with music and Aromatherapy Associates bath oils, prepared by your butler
-Children’s amenities
A private bar and in-suite mini-bar



LEISURE FACILITIES
-Assawan Spa & Health Club situated on the 18th floor with magnificent views over the Gulf. Treatment rooms, hydrotherapy baths, oriental massage, stand-up solarium, sauna, steam rooms and jacuzzi, two infinity pools, squash court, two fully equipped fitness studios and an aerobics floor
-Unlimited access to Wild Wadi Water Park
-Easy access to the newest and most popular shopping malls, including Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai
-Rolls-Royce chauffer shopping experience
-Helicopter scenic tour over Dubai
-Majles Al Bahar private beach, exclusive for Burj Al Arab guests
-Yacht charter
-Golf at world class golf courses such as Montgomerie, Emirates Hills, Dubai Greek and Arabian Ranches

TRAVEL INFORMATION

-Dubai International Airport 25 km
-Rolls-Royce or BMW limousine service available at a charge
-Helicopter transfer

RESTAURANTS & BARS

9 restaurants and lounges, including:
- Al Mahara - award winning signature seafood restaurant accessible by a three minute virtual submarine voyage. Magnificent oval aquarium visible throughout the restaurant and 2 private dining rooms for private functions at no extra cost
-Al Muntaha - which means the ultimate or the highest at 200 metres above the Arabian Gulf, offering Mediterranean cuisine and unmatched view of The Palm Jumeirah and The World Islands
- Junsui - The Japanese word for 'pure', Junsui is a new authentic Asian restaurant set within the opulent interiors of Burj Al Arab, with 12 live cooking stations and no less than 45 specialized chefs, Junsui offers a mouth-watering union of culinary delights from Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea
-Al Iwan - finest Arabian hospitality with décor of dramatic gold, red and black
Majlis Al Bahar - a casual alfresco restaurant serving mediterranean specialities with spectacular views of the gulf and Burj Al Arab
-Sahn Eddar - at the base of the world's tallest atrium and offering light fine fare and Afternoon Tea
-Juna Lounge - a stylish and intimate lounge with a fine selection of cigars
-Skyview Bar - located adjacent to Al Muntaha, a wonderful location for pre- and post dinner drinks with views of The World Islands, The Palm Jumeirah, and Jumeirah Beach shoreline
-Bab Al Yam - cafe restaurant with a relaxing atmosphere and stunning views of the Arabian Gulf

PRIVATE BANQUETING & MEETING FACILITIES

-Al Falak Ballroom is a palatial, two-tiered, domed ballroom crowned with a unique crystal chandelier, located at the top of Burj Al Arab
-Boardrooms and Majlis also located on the 27th floor offering stunning views, the very latest technology and services to match
-Assawan Amphitheatre and Marina Garden are perfect locations for cocktail receptions
-In-house florist to see to your flower arrangements
-Catering by our very own award winning chefs
-For outside catering services please contact Jumeirah Hospitality on +971 4 3300000

Burj Al-Arab Hotel 7 Star

The Burj Al Arab (Arabic: برج العرب, literally, Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Burj Al Arab is managed by the Jumeirah Group. It was designed by British architect Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC with the design and construction managed by Canadian engineer Rick Gregory of WS Atkins. At 321 metres (1,053 ft), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. However, the Rose Tower, also in Dubai, which has already topped Burj Al Arab's height at 333 m (1,090 ft), will take away this title upon its opening. 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 is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and 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 to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. Architect Tom Wright said "The client wanted a building that would become an iconic or symbolic 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 name of the country.























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.The hotel cost $650 million to build.












Features

Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 meters offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 40-meter long concrete piles into the sand. The foundation is held in place not by bedrock, but by the friction of the sand and silt along the length of the piles.

Engineers created a surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honey-comb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the land from the sea, but less than three years to construct the building itself. The building contains over 70,000 cubic meters of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel.






Inside the building, the atrium is 180 meters (590 ft) tall. During the construction phase, to lower the interior temperature, the building was cooled by one degree per day over 6 months. This was to prevent large amounts of "condensation or in fact even a rain cloud from forming in the hotel during the period of construction." This task was accomplished by several cold air nozzles, which point down from the top of the ceiling, and blast a 1 meter cold air pocket down the inside of the sail. This creates a buffer zone, which controls the interior temperature without massive energy costs.

Burj Al Arab characterizes itself as the world's only "7-star" property, a designation considered by travel professionals to be hyperbole. All major travel guides and hotel rating systems have a 5-star maximum, which some hotels attempt to out-do by ascribing themselves "6-star" status. Yet according to the Burj Al Arab's official site, the hotel is a "5-star deluxe hotel". It is the world's tallest structure with a membrane façade and the world's tallest hotel (not including buildings with mixed use) and was the first 5-star hotel to surpass 1,000 ft (305 m) in height.


Exterior

The building design features a steel exoskeleton wrapped around a reinforced concrete tower. Notably the building is shaped like the sail of a dhow, with two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast". The space between the wings is enclosed by a Teflon-coated fibreglass sail, curving across the front of the building and creating an atrium inside. The sail is made of a material called Dyneon, spanning over 161,000 square feet (15,000 m²), consists of two layers, and is divided into twelve panels and installed vertically. The fabric is coated with DuPont Teflon to protect it from harsh desert heat, wind, and dirt; as a result, "the fabricators estimate that it will hold up for up to 50 years. The whole design in itself was originally put forward to the design committee by Edah Yllib, a Scandinavian designer. It took great mathematical thinking by this designer, but in the end proved very successful.

During the day, the white fabric allows a soft, milky light inside the hotel, whereas a clear glass front would produce blinding amounts of glare and a constantly increasing temperature. At night, both inside and outside, the fabric is lit by color-changing lights. During the period of mourning following the death of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum in January 2006, the light show and some water features were turned off.

Near the top of the building is a suspended helipad supported by a cantilever. The helipad has featured some of the hotel's notable publicity events. Irish singer Ronan Keating shot his music video Iris on the helipad. In March 2004, professional golfer Tiger Woods hit several golf balls from the helipad into the Persian Gulf, while in February 2005, professional tennis players Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played an unranked game on the helipad, which was temporarily converted into a grass tennis court, at a height of 211 meters. The helipad has no borders or fences on the edges and if a player hit a winner the tennis balls would plunge down to the ground.


Interior

The interior was designed by Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International. Other projects by Khuan Chew include the Sultan of Brunei's palace, Dubai International Airport, Jumeirah Beach Resort Development, Madinat Resort and much more.

The Burj Al Arab features the tallest atrium lobby in the world, at 180 meters (590 ft). The [atrium] is formed between the building's V-shaped span. The atrium dominates the interior of the hotel, and takes up over one-third of interior space. It can accommodate the Dubai World Trade Center building, which, at 38 stories, was the tallest building in Dubai from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s.

While the exterior of the Burj Al Arab is expressed in terms of ultra-modern sculptural design, the interior guest space is a compilation of lavish and luxurious architectural styles from both the east and the west. The hotel boasts 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marble.

In the mezzanine lobby, a fountain creates a "three-dimensional Islamic star pattern.Pointed arches throughout, found in one of the hotel’s three restaurants, corridors between guest rooms, and at the top of the atrium recall a classic Arabian architectural design form.


Rooms and prices

Despite its size, the Burj Al Arab holds only 28 double-story floors which accommodate 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 hotels in the world. The cost of staying in a suite begins at $1,500 per night; the Royal Suite is the most expensive, at $5,000 per night.

Suites feature design details that juxtapose east and west. White Tuscan columns and a spiral staircase covered in marble with a wrought-iron gold leaf railing 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. Many celebrities have stayed at the Burj Al Arab including Katie Holmes.


Restaurants

One of its restaurants, Al Muntaha (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 chef there- Edah Semaj Leachim, was awarded Chef of the Year 2006 and also owns the restaurant, in accordance with the Burj Al Arab hotel.

Another restaurant, the Al Mahara (Arabic meaning "The Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage, features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 35,000 cubic feet (over one million litres) of water. The tank, made of acrylic glass in order to withstand the water pressure, is about 18 centimetres (7.1 in) thick. The restaurant was also voted among the top ten best restaurants of the world by Condé Nast Traveler. They have recently hired acclaimed chef Kevin McLaughlin.