The Only 7 Star Hotel in the World

from afar, across the jumeirah beach, you'll see a dhow, or an arabian vessel seemed to be docking in at the beach. it seemed to have blue sails, and stood very tall.

it's actually the only 7 star hotel in the world, dubbed the most luxurious, and one of the tallest buildings used exclusively as a hotel, built to look like the sail of a boat.

the burj al-arab.

me & azot in front of the burj

opened in 1999, you can stay at the 'cheapest' room for 2k dollars per night. a rolls royce picks you up, driven by your own chauffeur, then a private reception desk on every floor and a troupe of highly trained butlers who provide around-the-clock attention - truly an exclusive expensive experience!

yah, it's so exclusive that, noone can simply walk in if you don't have reservations to stay as guests or to dine at its posh 'under the sea' and 'high up in the sky' restaurants. believe me, this is as far as we can get to the awesome hotel!

but you can't go to dubai without 'visiting' this hotel. setakat sampai depan ni pun jadilah!


the hotel is built on a small man-made island, and connected to the mainland by a private curve road - only accessible to guests. so kalo nak saje-saje amik gamba kat lobby dia, sorry ye encik.

at night, the burj has external lighting schemes that is visible on the white area of the building. from white light to a multicolored one, it changes from one to another every 30 minutes. everytime we pass by, khaleef enjoyed naming the colors - coz it's different everytime!

it can be yellow and purple, or entirely blue. or entirely white! or green and orange!

* * *

yesterday we went to 'souk madinat jumeirah', a gorgeous looking mall that was built to resemble the buildings of the old classic bastakiya - with brown color and wind towers.


it tries to re-create the ambiance of old middle eastern market place, with narrow lanes, arabic awning and high ceiling. the items are so mahal to me, so to me it's just an eye-candy place to take pictures! hihi.


the souk madinat jumeirah stays true to the mid east marketplace ambiance that it feels just like you're transported in the disney animation, aladdin!

* * *

here's us with against the burj al-arab

it has many waterfront cafes and restaurant, which includes the meat & co, where i had my birthday dinner.

it also has one of the best views of the burj al-arab, and patrons can dine, or lunch and munch while admiring the pretty sight of the blue-white dhow-like hotel.

visit the souk, if only for the ambiance, and you can bask in the glory of dubai past-architecture while being able to view the burj al-arab from a nice distance.