My night in the billion dollar hotel

29.05.2020 09:35

Gold plated iPads in every room, a revolving bed in the Royal Suite and 17 types of pillow that can be selected from a menu - there is nothing modest about the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai.

Shaped like a sail to represent Dubai’s nautical heritage, the hotel's distinctive silhouette has become a symbol for the nation and an Instagram favourite for the tens of thousands of Britons who flock there.

MailOnline Travel was invited inside the luxurious hotel to see whether the hotel was blissfully refined or ridiculously brash.

Driven from the airport in my own white Rolls Royce, I stepped into the Burj's spectacular lobby. It's bedecked with fountains that shoot high into the air and draw the eye upward through the hotel's core to the top.

This is, I am told, where the hotel's helipad is located, with some guests opting to shun the Royce's in favour of arriving by air. Noted for next time.

I was led past rows upon rows of lavish expensive designer shops, some selling the ostentatious gold-plated iPads, others jewel-encrusted... well - everything.

I promptly abandoned all plans to bring back holiday souvenirs for friends at home.

The hotel manager introduced me to my room, which is definitely the wrong word to describe it.

All the accommodation in the hotel comprises duplex two-floor suites - 202 in total - that start at £900 per night.

Each suite housed everything one could ever need... for the rest of one's life.

From an office space with a Macbook computer, to Hermes toiletries and perfume - and a huge walk-in closet - this was no ordinary hotel room by a long way.

'Welcome to the most luxurious hotel in the world, Becky Pemberton,' I was modestly told from the TV screen that shot out from a mahogany desk when I pressed random buttons on a remote I found.

The same remote controlled the blinds and a number of other things I had no clue about, but had fun figuring out as various stuff moved and whizzed.

The full induction of the suite by my butler, yes each room comes with one, took a good while.

(I still managed to forget which button unlocked the front door later on.)

My helpful guide offered to unpack my suitcase for me which I politely declined. After all, it wasn't all Prada and Louboutin in that old thing.

Determined to take full advantage of the facilities in my treasure trove of a room I wasted no time in tucking into the complimentary gold leaf chocolates.

Lathered in over 2,000 square metres of golf leaf, the Burj Al Arab was created to represent the pinnacle of majestic Arabian culture.

Attracting the wealthiest and most illustrious members of society, the hotel has been graced with the likes of royalty, movie stars and celebrities.

Roger Federer has played tennis on the helipad, with Tiger Woods teeing off there too, and it-models Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner are rumoured to have spent last New Years Eve celebrating there.

It is no surprise, therefore, that there are 200 members of staff (out of a total 1,500) dedicated purely to customer service and meeting the most obscure of demands.

And of course their recruitment and training is rigorous. They even use episodes of Downton Abbey for training purposes.

Although the hotel manager proved tightlipped when I pressed for some of the most outlandish requests, rumours are that camels have been provided at the drop of a hat and someone once brought their own crocodile for the chefs to cook.

When my fellow guests arrived and had been inducted into their suites as well we headed to the aquarium-centred Al Maharba, one of Dubai's most iconic restaurants.

Luxurious and ethereal, all the tables are placed around a circular aquarium filled with multitudes of colourful fish and even some sharks.

I presume the food is equally as incredible as the restaurant, but I was too thoroughly transfixed by the view to notice.

It takes a team of seven to maintain the gigantic tank, including the expertise of a full-time marine biologist.

I was told that proposals are a regular fixture at the romantic underwater haven, unsurprisingly.

What is surprising was that one woman had recently refused a proposal (if she wanted something grander she will probably never get it).

The Burj boasts nine signature restaurants in total, each more elaborate than the last. It's best to let the time of day dictate which you try when.

The ocean-front Bab Al Yam was the most relaxed. Flip flops and children were clearly allowed and welcomed, which was a relief as I had envisaged everyone sweeping around the hotel intimidatingly in ball gowns from dawn until dusk.

The al fresco dining and pool area made it perfect for an early morning stint in the sun before the Middle Eastern heat set in.

(dailymail.co.uk)