Dubai is a celebrated, rich and famous land. So is Burj Al Arab, the world's tallest and most lavish hotel on its soil. Both are unparalleled leaders in their own spheres. If Dubai is the monarch of free-trade and infrastructure in the new millennium, then so is Burj Al Arab the lord of hotel industry. They both are unconquered celebrities. One provides the entire world an opportunity to be successful. While the other, one of the best architectural wonders of all times, displays its grandeur and artistry at the Gulf sea coast.



Measuring 321 m above the seabed, where it was constructed on a small man-made island, the hotel is arguably a very mammoth structure. The bellowing-sail that it looks like as was the brainchild of the UK based construction giant, WS Atkins, who are well known for taking up similar feats elsewhere in the world. They have been actively providing planning, designing, engineering, project management and consulting services since 1938, when Sir William Atkins had laid their foundation. Burj Al Arab is one of the most ambitious projects they have undertaken until now.

If you look from the hotel management viewpoint, running Burj Al Arab is a daunting task. Substantial manpower and planning are required to look after the lavishly built 202 lavish hotel rooms on 60 floors. These are no ordinary dwellings anyway. They are a part of one of the best hotel accommodations made available ever. If you were to fly in from a western location such as the USA, it won't be a pleasing experience at first, stepping out in the heat of Dubai. However, driving across the sandy landscape and looking at the magnificence of Burj Al Arab from your Rolls Royce is enhancing. The romance of traveling starts making beats from hereon.

Inside the hotel, you will experience an unbound colourfulness overwhelming you. There is so much of gold splattered all around, that you might begin believing Dubai was the sole owner of all the gold artifacts on earth. They have a caring staff looking after each of your needs from the moment you have checked in there, which indicates the high standards of service they are looking forward to offer. There are separate check-in counters on each of those 60 lavish floors, thus providing their customers with unparalleled freedom.

And these living spaces are not just like what you will find at any other five or even six star hotels. The smallest one occupies an area of 169 square metres (1,819 square feet), and the largest one covers 780 square metres (8,396 square feet). The cost of staying in these heavenly suits is equally staggering. You will need to cough out anything from $1K to over $15K per night. Still more expensive are the Royal Suites, which cost you 28K per night. The total expense in making of the hotel was never made public by the owners. It has remained a guarded secret until this date.

Burj Al Arab is without doubt the lord of the Arabian skies, and one of the best attraction in this part of the world for the travellers to experience. It also symbolizes Dubai's quest for more wealth and advancement. The quest that the outside world would love to be part of. Also hidden beneath is Dubai's desire of being an admired host. A host who could be seen draped in ethnic Arabian values and western influences, both at the same time. From commoners to celebrities, all have experienced this great fusion of cultural diversities. Hope you also get to have a glimpse of the same in the very near future.