Originally, we were just going to stay cheap and simple because we were going to be in Dubai for a day–26 hours to be exact–arriving at 2AM on Saturday morning and departing at 4:40AM on Sunday morning.  However, we just couldn’t let Dubai go past without doing Dubai the biggest, tallest, and the best.  So a couple weeks before our trip, we booked a Sunday night at the magical Burj Al Arab, one of the most lavish, gilded, luxury hotels in the world and said to be the only 7-star hotel in the world.

The Burj Al Arab

At 24-stories, the Burj Al Arab resembles a large sail.  The top two floors are the ultra-lavish suites and run almost $20,000 per night(!) and are truly fit for royalty.  There are two small infinity pools (overlooking the gulf) and spas on the 18th floor — coed and women-only.   As the floors go up, the rooms get a little smaller as the hotel tapers.  Lights on the connecting bridge as well as those in the massive atrium illuminate the face.

The hotel sits on its own island, across from the landmark Jumeirah Beach Hotel, connected by a bridge:

The Lobby

The hotel lobby is pretty impressive with a massive atrium inside.  The rooms along the perimeter are accented by a different color of the rainbow on each floor.

Even the hotel elevators are gorgeous gilded gateways:

When we arrived at 11:50AM, we we were just planning to drop our luggage with the concierge, however, we were pleasantly surprised when we were met by Ana from guest relations who said that we could go right to our room.

Panoramic Suite

Wow! The panoramic one-bedroom suite is AMAZING!  This one-bedroom suite features two floors and floor to ceiling windows.

Also available at the Burj Al Arab is the gold-plated iPad which is complimentary to use; however, a USD$5,000 deposit is required.
The girls liked the mirror above the bed:

and the TV with gold-surround was a nice touch, too:

Happy Anniversary

On the way to our room, Ana asked us if were were celebrating anything special, so we said that we were celebrating our anniversary in a few days.   That evening, this appeared, complete with a very nice anniversary card:

Food:

We missed the Iftar the one night that we stayed – too busy having fun with the girls at the adjacent Wild Wadi Water Park, so we ordered in. Room service set our small table like it was a formal dining room, with everything in its place.  The sushi platter was excellent and quite pretty, too:

Views

We enjoyed the views out the windows.  By dark, the skies had cleared a bit, and we could see the lights of Burj Khalifa while the Jumeirah Beach Hotel cycled through its colors.  Down on the bridge below, we could hear the sounds of Ferrari engines revving as guests arrived or departed the hotel.

Service:

Each floor has their own concierge or butler available.  If you need or want anything, you pick up the phone and call your floor butler.

Summary:

The Burj Al Arab is an awe-inspiring hotel.  The level of service is top notch.  We felt like royalty staying here, and it never felt pretentious.  The staff (Ana and our butler) went out of their way to accommodate our requests (we asked for a room on the downtown side vs. the Palm, and then we asked for a higher floor; and we requested a photo op with the gold plated iPad).  While we robbed ourselves of a good night’s sleep and a leisurely morning (4:40 AM flight to South Africa), we thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Burj Al Arab.  We would love to have stayed another night, a week, or a month, but our short stay was magical, and it was the highlight of our stay in Dubai.

Happy RTW Travels!