Burj Al Arab

Burj Al Arab is one of the well-known hotels of Dubai. It is recognized as a landmark of Dubai among visitors. This seven-star hotel is the fourth tallest hotel of the world with height of 321 meters. Its top floor touches skies. Being standing on an artificial island, it is 280 m away from Beach Jumeirah. Its most interesting feature is that its shape looks like sail of a ship.

Location

As I have mentioned above, Burj Al Arab is located on Jumeirah Beach Strip. It is conveniently located at a distance of just 15 km from main city centre and it its distance from Dubai International Airport is 25 km.

Interesting Information

The previous name of the beachfront, where Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are standing today was Chicago Beach. Burj Al Arab is standing on the island on domestic land of the beach of Chicago Beach Hotel. The old hotel was demolished in 1997 and its name changed to Dubai Chicago Beach Hotel. This name persisted during the construction phase of Burj Al Arab Hotel until its new name was announced by Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Basic Information

As I was interested in visiting this hotel, so I collected some basic information about the hotel.

Location	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Developers	Jumeirah
Architect	Tom Wright
Rooms	202
Total Area	1,200,000 sq ft
Floors	60
Total Height	321 m or 1053 ft

Construction History

I am fond of getting knowledge about the construction histories of world’s famous locations. Burj Al Arab is one of those. I studied its construction history and came to know that its construction started in 1994. Its shape is the most interesting factor of its construction as Tom Wright (architecture) was ordered by his client to build a hotel that can become an icon for Dubai. It is somehow identical to Opera House or Eiffel Tower but its unique shape and structure is far more beautiful than the two of these places. A South African contractor company took the responsibility of construction of Burj Al Arab.

Main Features of Burj Al Arab

After getting such interesting information I decided to visit Burj Al Arab. I had a dream to visit it and finally my dream converted into reality. So I visited this hotel and I would really like to share my experience with you.

Rooms and Suites

I decided to stay in hotel to experience the facilities of seven-star hotel. Different types of suites were available in the hotel like one-bedroom suite, two-bedroom suite, panoramic suite, club suite, diplomatic suite, presidential suite and royal suite. All of those had their own facilities and features. As I was alone on the visit, so I decided to take one bedroom deluxe suite. It was a great pleasure of staying in such comfortable and well-decorated room. From the deluxe suite, I could view the Arabian Gulf. A staircase is also a feature of deluxe suite which let you go from one floor to other floor.

My suite had a living room having large lounge. It was decorated with state-of-the-art furniture of eye-catching colors. At the same level, there was a dining table for four persons which was big enough for me. But its structure was worth seeing. There was a private bar counter at the lower level of the suite where I enjoyed different refreshing soft drinks. The guest bathroom provided at the lower level was well-equipped. As it was my first experience to visit a seven-star hotel, I was impressed by the décor and cleanliness of the bathrooms. Very plush accessories were fitted there. There was clean towels and separate bathing area. At the upper level of the suite, I was provided with dressing room and a bedroom furnished with king size beds. The beauty and décor of the bedroom can not be described in words. It was far better than my expectations. The room was adorned with nice color schemes and I was astonished on looking at the room. At the upper level bathroom, there was facility of Jacuzzi which I enjoyed a lot.

Restaurants

There are number of restaurants in the hotel providing different kinds of food and cuisines. I stayed in the hotel for 5 days and tried some of those restaurants. Firstly, I tried Al Mahara which was offering seafood. Here I enjoyed the world’s most delicious seafood. Dining at Al Mahara was a great experience. Here dining was started with a sub-marine dive. Then I entered and took a seat nearby an aquarium where salt water animals were kept. That aquarium was big enough to spell bound me.

The next day I visited Al Muntaha where I experienced dining 200 meters above the sea level. I used a panoramic lift to reach the top. After entering into the restaurant, I simply became speech less. It was just like a fantasy. The restaurant was decorated with a combination of green and blue color which gave a soothing and refreshing feeling.  This restaurant was offering contemporary European cuisine which I enjoyed a lot.

After that I went to visit Bab Al Yam which is a café along the poolside. It was providing international cuisine which I enjoyed while looking at the beautiful sea views.

Once I visited Junsui which is a Far East Asian Restaurant. Here I enjoyed Chinese and Japanese cuisine as well as the dishes of Thailand, Korea and Indonesia. This restaurant provides spectacular views of Arabian Gulf which enhanced the dining experience and the taste of food.

Lastly, I visited Skyview Bar which is 200 meters above the sea level. From this bar the view was absolutely out of this world and awe-inspiring. I had my afternoon tea there in a wonderful environment but couldn’t try other drinks.

Meeting and Events

After dining experience, I decided to visit the places in the hotel that were specific for business purposes. These places are perfect for holding a meeting, launching the products, seminars and cultural events.

First of all I visited Al Falak Ballroom. It was a big place adorned with enormous windows and a chandelier which added to the beauty of this ballroom. I was very surprised to know that the stage in the ballroom was portable. I had never heard it before. Moreover it had audio visual equipment and perfect banquet style lighting. This ballroom is very suitable for arrangement of weddings and such other events.

Then I visited Marina Garden which is an open air place from where I could see the view of Arabian Gulf. I found this place suitable for cocktail and wedding reception. Then I came to know that at special events fireworks are also displayed here for the sheer enjoyment of visitors.

After that, my plan was to visit Assawan Amphitheatre which is located at 18^th floor. Having a seating capacity of 100 guests for cocktail reception, I found it perfect for such events. From this place, I could also view Burj Al Arab reception area.

Assawan Spa & Health Club

On the 5^th day, I decided to try some leisure services and facilities. So I visited Assawan Spa & Health Club. It is also located at the 18^th floor having luxurious accessories. I tried it and experienced a refreshing and fortifying feel.            There were health club facilities too; including different treatments and spa facilities included sauna, steam and gyms.

Other Facilities

Some family and kids facilities are provided too at Burj Al Arab. But the facility which appealed me a lot was a kid’s club named Sindbad’s Kid’s Club providing facilities such as: stuff toys, Disney channel, computer games, board games and children’s TV channels. I was excited to know that hotel provides a room having soft bed and a cot for the youngest guests that is babies.  Another facility provided to Burj Al Arab guests was complimentary access to the Wild Wadi Waterpark which is one of the best water parks I had ever seen. I availed this opportunity and went to this park. I enjoyed a lot as it is a perfect place to get leisure and pleasure.

I hope you would also love to visit Burj Al Arab Hotel which, to my opinion, is the dream place in the world.

Read Full Post »

Gold Souk

Dubai is the most favorite place among tourists because it influences them with its beautiful skyscrapers, deluxe hotels, the very rare World Islands and a lot of other entertaining locations. But it is not just the end of the list. Dubai attracts the tourists for another reason that is the title of “City of Gold”. This title has been given to it because of the world’s popular gold market in Dubai called Gold Souk. Gold souk is located in Deira, Dubai near Baniyas Square.
About Gold Souk
Gold Souk Dubai is a worth-seeing place even if you don’t have an intention to buy any jewelry. If you ever had a chance to visit gold souk, you will definitely understand why Dubai is given the title of City of Gold. It is a huge gold market having almost 600 shops in narrow streets where the windows sparkle with the gold ornaments. Windows of each shop are jam-packed with gold rings, bangles, ear rings and necklaces. According to an estimate 25 tons of gold is displayed in the windows of shops. Other than gold, some precious stones are also sold in the market.
Two Gold Markets
There are two gold markets, old souk and the new souk. Both are in the same location and display same variety of ornaments.
Prices and Variety of Gold
Most of the jewelry in this market is 24 carat or 22, 21 carat. In this market, you can find gold in different shades and colors. These shades include pink, yellow, white and purple. As far as the prices are concerned, they are found to be the lowest in the world. But the prices are not displayed because gold prices change everyday. The prices are displayed only on the main shops. These prices are obtained from The National Bank of Dubai. The daily gold prices are set by the UAE government. Moreover, the prices are based on weights and not per piece as in the western world. These prices are set regardless of the design of the jewelry.
Best Time to Visit Gold Souk
If you have an intention to visit gold souk, the best time is evening because at evening you would have abundance of time to go from one shop to another. The reason to visit every shop is that in gold souk you will find a wide range of long gold chains and other ornaments that you had never seen before. You will definitely have a desire to touch the beautiful ornaments with your hands.
How to Purchase Jewelry?
When you have a desire to do shopping from the gold souk, go in the day time specially morning so that you can check the selected item. Moreover the market is not much busy in morning time. You should also check the jewelry carefully to make sure that there are no flaws and rough edges. Another thing that should be kept in mind is that you will have to bargain with the shopkeepers because they tell high prices first. You can also check the selected item from other shops to get better price. Then go to your favorite shop and purchase the selected item by keeping an eye on the scale.
Opening Timings of Gold Souk
The opening timings of gold souk are 10 am to 1 pm and it reopens at 4 pm to 10 pm. On Fridays, the market remains closed in morning and opens in the afternoon.

Read Full Post »

Hotels at Dubai

Dubai is one of the finest places to visit. The tourists are attracted toward its beauty and culture. The tourists are impressed by the thrilling world of Dubai. To meet the demands of the international tourists, there are a large number of hotels providing contemporary facilities blended with the traditional touch of Dubai culture. The hotels at Dubai have been built with dual purpose i.e. business as well as leisure.
Dubai has a large variety of hotels. The hotels at the beach side are more popular because they provide feeling of being relaxed as well as beautiful view of beaches. But it doesn’t mean that the city center has less number of hotels. Many famous hotels can be found in the heart of Dubai city. All these hotels make Dubai famous for its contented and deluxe accommodation.
Here I am mentioning some of the hotels at Dubai which will help you to make a guess about the hotels facilities and console.
Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab is the only 7-star hotel in Dubai. The hotel is 321 meters high and has a shape of sail of a ship. All these features make it unique and famous all over the world. It looks even more beautiful at night because the colored sculptures of water and fire create a stunning scene. As it is a 7-star hotel, you can expect sophisticated services. Its important features include:
• Luxurious Suites
• Advanced technology
• Jacuzzi
• Spa Bath
• State-of-the-art facilities in restaurants
• Lavishly Decorated Rooms
• Meeting and Event Management
• Ballroom
• Aquarium in the Restaurant
• Dining in a restaurant 200 meters above the sea level
• Well-equipped health club
Raffles Hotel
It is another famous hotel of Dubai. Its building is made in the shape of pyramids whose inspiration was taken from the Pyramids of Egypt. This feature of hotel has become a signpost in the city of Dubai. It is a 19 story building whose top most structure shows gold like color that gives a glittering effect in the day time. It has another exclusive feature that is a botanical garden located on the third floor of the hotel. This garden has been divided into four parts that represent the four elements of life that is Water, Air, Earth and Fire. Each part is decorated according to their relative features. For example, in the water garden there is a stream flowing and having water plants. The restaurants have their own amazing features which can’t be found in other hotels of Dubai. Some other features are as follows:
• Most spacious rooms in the city
• Each room having its own private balcony
• Restaurants and bars offering exclusive dining experience
• Clubs
• Raffles Amrita spa to revitalize yourself.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel
It is a 5-star hotel located near the shores of Arabian Gulf. It is considered among the leading hotels of the world. Its shape is quite interesting because the hotel looks like a breaking wave. Although, the hotel is located near the beach, but despite of this fact, it has its private beach to facilitate the guests. The guests also love to stay here because the Wild Wadi Park is just near to it. As far as the hotel facilities and services are concerned, it provides deluxe rooms, suites and villas having different categories and facilities accordingly. Some of its features include:
• Deluxe Beachside Villas
• Theatre having audio-visual equipment, and a capacity of 416 people
• Facility of diving center
• Leisure Club having state-of-the-art facilities
• Facility of different body treatments
• Massage facility
• Sindbad’s kids club for kid’s leisure
• Spacious Ballroom having a capacity of 1100 persons
Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers
This hotel is located on the bank of Dubai Creek, which is the heart of Dubai city. It is a fully renovated hotel having world class facilities including luxurious suites and tower floor. Most of the deluxe suites have floor to ceiling windows which provide a beautiful view of Dubai Creek. The list of the features of this hotel is never ending but some of these are:
• Restaurants providing Indian and Japanese cuisine
• An English pub
• Creek Health Club offering steam room and massage treatment
• A well-equipped gym having wooden floor and big windows to provide natural light
• Children’s pool
• Facility of temperature controlled pool
• Facility of playing tennis for recreation
• Business centers having color printers, internet access, meeting rooms accommodating up to 500 people
• Limousine service
Taj Palace Hotel
It is a 5-star deluxe hotel that is located on the northern side of Dubai Creek. It has 245 well-furnished rooms, having lavish carpets, paintings and bathrooms which have contemporary facilities. The apartments have such facilities that you will never heard before like dishwashers, kitchenette and microwaves. Its other features include:
• Six restaurants providing Japanese, Indian, Turkish and Italian cuisines
• Fitness center which is equipped with modern machines
• Spa for the guests, where they can enjoy different treatments
• Three function rooms
• Ballroom having a capacity of 500 people and providing modern technology equipment
• Facilities of translation
• Facility of video conferencing
• Facility of integrated video recording
These were the most famous hotels of Dubai but the list is too long. Here you can see some names of the hotels and their locations at Dubai:
• Atlantis, The Palm, Palm Jumeirah
• Al Maha Desert Resort, Sheikh Zayed Road
• Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, Al Garhoud
• Concorde Hotel and Residence, Al Maktoum Road
• Coral Boutique Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road
• Desert Palm Dubai, Al Awir Road
• The Harbour Hotel and Residence, Al Safoud Road
• Grand Hiyyat Dubai, Deira
• Shangri-La Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road
• Jumeirha Emirates Tower Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road
• Hilton Dubai Creek Hotel, Dubai Creek
• Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort, Jumeirah Beach
• Samya Hotel, Deira
• Coral Deira Hotel, Deira
• Sheraton Deira Hotel, Al Mateena Street
• Metropolitan Hotel, Al Maktoum Street Deira
• Coral Boutique Villa, Al Barsha
• Hyatt Regency Dubai, Al Khaleej Road, Deira
• Crowne Plaza Hotel Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road
• Coral Deira Hotel, Deira, Dubai
This list of hotels in Dubai will definitely help you to choose any of these hotels when you have a plan to visit Dubai.

Read Full Post »

Burj Khalifa

Dubai is famous all over the world for its innovative buildings and construction. Among many of these is Burj Khalifa which is the world tallest history ever. It is a sky scarpers of Dubai having a height of 828 meters or 2717 feet. It has 162 stories. Due to its height, it became world famous before its inauguration and was called Burj Dubai. It is named after Khalifa Bin Zayed who is the president of United Arab Emirates.

Construction History

Its construction started on September 21, 2004 and was officially inaugurated on January 4, 2010 which means that construction of this marvelous tower took 6 years to complete. Its developers were Emaar Properties and Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, Skidmore, and Owings & Merrill (SOM). Burj Khalifa is designed with the concept of a multi-purpose building that includes 30,000 homes, 9 hotels and 19 residential towers.

Interesting Facts about Burj Khalifa

I visited this wonderful tower and came to know that has many world records like world’s tallest building, the world’s tallest free standing structure having highest number of stories. It has highest outdoor observation desk. I was also amazed to know that it has the tallest elevator service in the world. Other facts about Burj Khalifa are:

• More than 160 floors
• 57 elevators
• 8 escalators
• More than 26000 glass panels

What’s inside Burj Khalifa?

Observation Deck

When I went inside this tower, I was astonished to see its super splendid décor and beauty. I started visiting it from the top of tower. So, firstly I visited observation desk which is on level 124. I was entertained with the multimedia presentation about the striking history of Dubai and the miracle of this tower throughout my journey from bottom to top. When I reached at the observation deck I was captivated to see the view.

Dining Experience

Then I came down to level 122 and find that there was a restaurant at this level. It was beautifully decorated. I had lunch there and enjoyed a lot. It was a fine dining experience.

Burj Khalifa Residences

I also visited Burj Khalifa Residences. In these residences, high living becomes a reality because they are located at level 19 to 108. There are 900 residences having studios and suites. I had no intention of staying in it but I visited them just for sake of pleasure. I came to know that high quality services and amenities are provided in the residences like indoor and outdoor swimming pools and Jacuzzis. A recreation room is also built for gatherings and events. I found that some other interesting services are also provided such as resident’s library, cigar club and Burj Khalifa gourmet market.

Club

There I  saw a four-story health and recreation club. It was opened for general public but mostly the preference is given to the residents. Here I was very happy to see luxurious facilities. There were outdoor and indoor swimming pools and separate gyms for ladies and gents. The gyms were fitted with modern equipment. I was very impressed after seeing the facility of modern spa equipped with all the accessories.

Corporate Suites

There are also corporate suites in Burj Khalifa. They are located on one of the highest level of this building, occupying 37 floors. The entrance lobby is featured with the reception team. There are lifts that take away the visitors to the lounge lobby directly. Lounge lobby is located at level 123 and it serves as ‘meet and greet’ point. I was stunned to see the modern facilities provided with the corporate suites. Innovative technology is provided to the offices and corporate suites. Each suite has advanced telecom services. Another interesting fact which I noticed was that there was no interruption in using mobile phones even on the elevators; you can use mobile with no signal breakup issue.

A very good system of security is provided in the corporate suites as well as in the whole building. I saw that there was professional and trained security staff. The in-house security staff was patrolling in the interior and exterior of building to ensure safety.

Armani Hotel

Armani hotel in Burj Khalifa has 160 guestrooms and suites. I came to know this when I visited level 5 through level 8 because guest rooms were located throughout these levels. I was looking for suites. A staff member told me that they are located on floors 38 and 39.

Armani Residences

The Armani Hotel Dubai is complemented with Armani residences. Armani Residences are located on level 6 to 9. I decided to visit Armani Residences. For the convenience and ease of the residents, elevators are provided in each floor. There was also an entrance lobby for the same purpose. Armani Residences had full-glass windows to provide a fascinating view.

The Park

I visited the amazing park that was recommended by my friend. Its area is 11 hectares having greenery and water features. This park has dual purpose. It is used as an entry as well as it provides outdoor living area. Six water features were in this garden, which are designed by WET, the designers of The Dubai Fountain. The park is too huge that it contains 2 tennis court, a children playground and a wading pool.

Keeping it shortly, I want to mention that it is one of the most amazing buildings of the world. It is so perfectly constructed and maintained that it must be added in the list of wonders of world.

Read Full Post »