Bucket List / Experience Goals
Stay At The Burj Al Arab 7* Hotel
Still to do
Sleep inside the sail-shaped tower that became the symbol of Dubai, with a butler on every floor.
The adventure
You arrive across a private bridge, often in a chauffeured car, to a hotel that stands on its own island in the Gulf. Inside, the atrium soars up through the whole building, lined with gold and coloured light, and dancing fountains shoot water up towards the ceiling.
Every room is a duplex suite, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the sea and the Palm Jumeirah. A team of butlers looks after each floor, there is a pillow menu, and the bathrooms are bigger than many hotel rooms. You can dine beside a vast aquarium at Al Mahara, sip cocktails at a bar high up the tower, and swim at the terrace pools jutting out into the sea. As the sun sets, the outside of the sail lights up in shifting colours.
Why it’s epic
- The tower rises 321 metres and opened in 1999 on an artificial island.
- Every room is a duplex suite, many of them with sweeping sea views.
- The helipad near the top has hosted stunts including a tennis match and a golf drive.
- Dinner at Al Mahara is served beside a floor-to-ceiling aquarium.
What it is
The Burj Al Arab is a sail-shaped luxury hotel on its own island.
How to do it
Book a stay, or reserve afternoon tea or a meal at one of its restaurants.
Top tip
Book ahead; walk-ins aren't allowed.
Need to know
- The "7-star" label comes from the media; officially the hotel holds a five-star rating.
- Non-guests can only enter with a restaurant booking or a guided tour, so reserve ahead.
- November to March is the most pleasant time to visit Dubai, and also the busiest and most expensive.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £5,000 or more per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 night
- Best time to go
- November to March
- Fly into
- DXB airport
Suites cost thousands of pounds a night; afternoon tea or a tour is a far cheaper way in.
Make it happen
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Why it’s on my list
Dubai – the home of “The Most Luxurious Hotel In The World” and “The World’s Only 7* Hotel”
This iconic hotel with its distinctive sail-shaped silhouette make this an absolute must do on my bucket list. Built on a triangular man-made island reclaimed from the sea, the hotel and its billowing sail-like structure rise 321 metres above the sea, offering panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates.
Gold interiors, lush suites, the finest delicacies, eat in an underwater aquarium restaurant reached through a simulated submarine voyage, heralded by famed and award winning chef Nathan Outlaw, a fleet of Rolls-Royces on the forecourt and the famous helipad that has hosted the likes of Tiger Woods, Anthony Joshua and Roger Federer.
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