➊ Burj Al Arab means “Arab Tower”. The iconic 5-star hotel was built in the shape of the sail of an Arabian dhow.
➋ Construction began in 1994 and was opened to visitors on December 1, 1999. About 2,000 people participated in the construction.
➌ It took 3 years to build an artificial island 280 meters from the coast and another 2.5 years to build the building itself.
➍ The hotel reaches 321 meters in height, surpassing the Eiffel Tower by 14 meters. It boasts the highest atrium in the world, reaching 180 meters.
➎ The project was developed by the consulting firm Atkins, led by architect Tom Wright.
➏ Around 8,000 m² of 24-carat gold leaf adorns the interior. The exact cost of the construction was not disclosed.
➐ At an altitude of 210 m there is a helipad, while on the opposite side is the starred restaurant Al Muntaha (in Arabic “The highest”).
➑ The restaurant on the ground floor, L’Olivo at Al Mahara (Arabic for “Oyster”), has a huge saltwater aquarium with a capacity of over 1 million liters and 18 cm thick plexiglass walls.
➒ Managed by the Jumeirah Group, the hotel offers 202 luxurious rooms on 1.2 floors. The smallest room occupies 169 m² and the largest 780 m². Prices start at $1,024 per night, while the Royal Suite can cost around $24k
➓ The Burj Al Arab is often considered “the only 7-star hotel in the world”. However, the management never officially defined it that way. The term originates
