Welcome to the world's most iconic hotel...
“Everything is huge, everything is opulent, and everything that you see here is in gold, marble from Roma, from Ireland… so the most expensive sources of products...”
These few words said by Oscar the Australian concierge, resumed very well our first impression when we began the visit of this incredible hotel. Indeed, on Tuesday, March 17th, we had the great opportunity to enter in one of the most original hotel establishments of the city: the Burj Al Arab, just offshore from the beach on an artificial island, and which looks like a sail.
Due to its original aspect, its finest services offered, and while everything in this place exudes luxury and excessiveness, this hotel is considered as the most luxurious hotel in the world and being as a symbol of the modern Dubai.
This hotel belongs to the chain Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, the most luxurious and innovative in the world, which has been proven by its various international travel and tourism awards, as for exemple: the World Travel Awards 2015 - Middle East's Leading All Suite Hotel or the Daily Telegraph Ultimate Luxury Travel Awards 2015 - Best Hotel in the World.
As soon as you cross the entrance hall, you understand right after that you are finding yourself as in another world by the amazing architecture of walls, the game of colors, and the concept of the water fountains inspired by the city of Las Vegas.
Furthermore, all staff is used to receive some members of the Royal Family from the GCC, delegation, and the most fortunate clienteles which come from whole world.
Rooms
There are 202 luxurious duplex suites, 8 different categories of rooms and the set is distributed on 27 floors. The Burj Al Arab has the chance to have also 2 Royal Suites, very few hotel in Dubai are able to offer this type of accommodation.
All the rooms do have marble and some furniture are covered with gold. Besides, accommodation has been designed in a very luxurious and colored style, which represents excessive exuberance, but this is exactly what the rich clients are expecting for when they go to his hotel, they are looking for luxury, luxury and luxury…
The Burj Al Arab also provides one personal desk with its personal agent on each floor, to answer the slightest requests of the guests who are treated as VIP. As exemple, you’ll find in each room several Hermes Welcome gifts.
Rates vary according to the category of Suite and the season, but it could begin from 900 euros, which could reach until 10 000 euros.
Little Anecdote
Oscar the concierge explained to us how he does to recruit his staff: French culture, intellectual skills, diploma or leadership are very important to work in the hospitality, but this is not all. Indeed, he will care also about what you know about the industry of the luxury, not you know about Pullman or Crowne Plaza standards, but what you know about Louis Vuitton, what you know about Champaign, or how does the person to describe his favorite restaurant, the cuisine, the ambiance… because emotion and experience means a lot in this unique place. Furthermore, a good candidate to him has to be very artistic because he deals with international market, travel agent who are looking for the best services.
Facilities
The Burl Al Arab also offers four swimming pools (two outdoor, two indoor) with its private beach, a Fitness & Spa area, a Sinbad's Kids Club, nine world-class restaurants and bars which propose Arabic cuisine, Far East Asian and Modern European dishes, and a
The Al Mahara, Seafood restaurant
Another way to experiment something like no other is to have a dinner in the Al Mahara of the Burj Al Arab. The aquarium inside the restaurant just offers an amazing view. We were able to discuss with the Food & Beverage Manager who is French, and desired to share with us his course. He told us how he began his carrier in Dubai and how he manages the restaurant for one year now. The team is about 38 waiters and there are 18 person working in the kitchen.
It was really interesting to understand that everything in this restaurant is unique; Mathieu feels himself very lucky to work each day with materials and excellent products. Whatever the hotel or the restaurant wants to have, it’s possible to get it thanks to its notoriety. For example, he was telling us that he had just received at the moment the candles which cost 800 dollars.
The only inconvenience in it’s probably that the client is expecting much more than if he would be in a five stars hotel. To be a seven star hotel is very challenging and it requires some more of requirement.
Regarding the activity of the restaurant, more than 30% of the clients are Chinese but the Russian are the ones who spend most money, even that’s right they begin now to watch their budget. Likewise, the majority of the customers come from outside.
Furthermore, the hotel focuses more on the leisure market, but its activity depends very strongly on the economic current events.
At the time of the opening, some journalists could deny the profitability of the hotel, but Mathieu asserted us with a very wide smile: “Don’t worry, if we stay here, business is good”. Oscar and Mathieu insisted also on the point that this hotel is like a real destination for the clients. If they don’t come, there is something missing.
To conclude this visit, the Burj Al Arab was described as the only hotel where everything is possible to accomplish. There are no limits and everything must be realized in the purpose the client feels and leaves a real strong guest experience, as he will never know somewhere else.
Sky has no limit… Dubai never stop
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Article written by Anne-Sophie D.
