Tom Wright, architect of WS Atkins of London, designed the Burj Al Arab in 1993 with construction starting one year later. According to the hotel's homepage, doors officially opened on December 1, 1999.
Burj Al Arab is one of the Jumeirah group's signature hotels. As the world's tallest completed hotel building it is only about 197 feet shorter than the Empire State Building (1250 feet). It is also home to one of the world's tallest atriums.
There are 202 spacious duplex suites with floor to ceiling windows and the latest technology that make up the Burj Al Arab. The suites range in size from 1830 to 8396 square feet and come with private business facilities, plasma screens, a rain shower and a Jacuzzi. Six telephones (minimum) in each suite allow for a perfect connection to the outside world.
Eight food venues are part of the Burj Al Arab. Among them the Al Mahara, which was rated one of the best top 50 restaurants in the world by "Restaurant" magazine and one of the best top 10 restaurants in the United Arab Emirates by Grumpy Gourmet in 2004. Food choices include Arabic, seafood, contemporary European cuisine, international, Asian and Mediterranean.
Luxury is what this self-described seven-star-hotel is all about. In-suite check-in, a private reception desk on every floor, private shoppers and highly trained butlers are at guest disposal. Guest transfer is done in Rolls Royces and on the twenty-eighth floor guests can arrive in style on the hotel's helipad.
