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Sep 14, 2023

Review: Burj Al Arab Dubai (What An Experience!)

To kick off our trip to Dubai and Florence, we spent one night at the iconic

To kick off our trip to Dubai and Florence, we spent one night at the iconic 202-room Burj Al Arab, which belongs to Emirati state-owned hotel group Jumeirah.

The Burj Al Arab is one of the world's most iconic hotels, and it's often referred to as the world's seven star hotel. The property is so exclusive that it's on a manmade island, and it's not open to the public (you need a reservation to even visit).

Having visited Dubai dozens of times over the years, I figured it was finally time to try out this famous hotel and report back. To be honest, I was expecting that the experience would be style over substance, and that the hotel would simply rely on its reputation. I figured this would be a "one and done" stay, and that I couldn't possibly in good conscience recommend this hotel.

So, how was my stay at the Burj Al Arab? Well, I have to say, it greatly exceeded my expectations. The hotel has horribly gaudy rooms, everything on property is offensively expensive, and the guests at this hotel make it the furthest thing from bespoke.

If you can get past all of that, this is a remarkably good hotel. All the staff are top notch, the base rooms are duplex suite, the hotel includes quite a few things for guests, and it's also such a quintessential Dubai experience. Honestly, as strange as this hotel is, I can't recommend it enough. If you can swing it, it needs to be experienced at least once.

In this post:

Rates for base rooms at the Burj Al Arab vary seasonally, and are typically in the range of $1,000-2,000 per night. For our stay, we paid a rate of $1,400 for the night, which we booked through Virtuoso.

Booking through Virtuoso comes with additional benefits, including an upgrade subject to availability, daily breakfast for two, a complimentary 50-minute massage for two, and early check-in and late check-out subject to availability.

This is a much better value than booking through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, which offers a $100 hotel credit as the special amenity, in lieu of the two massages (which are obviously worth much more). Ford and his team are happy to help with Virtuoso bookings, and can be reached at [email protected]

It goes without saying that the Burj Al Arab is expensive, but keep in mind that this is an all-suite property. Base rooms at the Burj Al Arab are 170 square meters (over 1,800 square feet). Yes, that's the interior space. There are Sheratons in Dubai that would charge the same rate for a suite that size.

Usually I talk about service at the end of my hotel reviews, though in the case of the Burj Al Arab, I think it makes sense to start with that. Service at the Burj Al Arab was the best I’ve experienced in Dubai, and that was the case across the board.

Every single employee we interacted with genuinely seemed like they wanted to make sure that each guest had a great stay. And while the public spaces of the hotel can get crowded, each employee does a great job making you feel like you’re the only guest.

Just to give a few examples:

The staff here are a huge asset to the property.

If you’re looking for a bespoke hospitality experience, the Burj Al Arab Dubai isn't for you. While I’d say that's usually a bad thing, in the case of the Burj Al Arab you just kind of have to lean into it. I didn't overhear any other guests with American accents, and I’d estimate that over 90% of the guests were either Chinese or Russian, two nationalities we haven't otherwise seen all that much of in the past couple of years.

I review hotels for a living, so usually I’m the guest taking the most pictures of a hotel. Well, at the Burj Al Arab, I almost felt uncomfortable with how few pictures I was taking. In particular, a vast majority of the Chinese guests seemed to be at the hotel exclusively to create social media content, from the moment they woke up until the moment they went to sleep.

That might sound annoying, but to be honest, it was kind of the most amusing thing I’ve seen in a long time. Like, they’d have someone choreograph the shoot, they’d take the same picture 100 times, they’d do a fashion show runway-style walk by the pool, etc. This isn't your typical luxury hotel, but if you embrace it, you’ll hopefully be as entertained as we were.

Burj Al Arab Dubai is located on a manmade island off Jumeirah Beach. It's just a short 10-15 minute drive from Palm Jumeirah and the Mall of the Emirates. Meanwhile it's more like 20-30 minutes from Dubai International Airport (DXB), DIFC, etc.

The experience of staying at the Burj Al Arab really starts before you even enter the lobby. There's a gate to get onto the manmade island where the Burj Al Arab is located, and only those with reservations are allowed onto the island.

It's almost like there's paparazzi at the gate, as a bunch of tourists stand just outside the gate to get pictures of the hotel.

Our stay at the Burj Al Arab didn't exactly start on a great note. The hotel's driveway was packed, and we weren't immediately helped by the bellmen. Not because they weren't hustling, but rather because there were so many people arriving.

The reception area certainly leaves an impression in terms of design, as the entire hotel does. There's a desk at each end of the reception area, and then a bunch of seating. Would I want my home decorated this way? No. Do I kind of dig it for a stay in Dubai? Absolutely.

Unfortunately the above isn't what the reception area looked like when we checked in (I take most of my pictures at the crack of dawn). Rather there were dozens of people standing around, and there was barely any room to sit. The front desk associate asked us to have a seat — we had to sit pretty close together, as we had to share a couch with others.

A few minutes after sitting down, we were brought a packaged refreshing towel.

A few minutes after that we were brought massive dates, which were just kind of placed into our hands without any paper towels, or anything.

Lastly, we were given Arabic coffee.

The front desk staff took our passports and credit card, and returned around 20 minutes later. They were apologetic about the delay, but we were then escorted to our room. Fortunately the service got better from there.

From reception, we were brought up the famous escalator, where you can really appreciate how mesmerising the Burj Al Arab's lobby is.

The upper lobby level has plenty of seating, quite a bit of shopping, and also a couple of the hotel's dining outlets, which I’ll talk more about later.

We were assigned room 1601, a suite on the 16th floor. The Burj Al Arab has only 28 floors, though in reality these are all double floors, since each floor has duplex suites. The Burj Al Arab is over 1,000 feet tall, so the number of floors doesn't do justice to the size of the hotel.

Each floor has a butler desk, as there's a dedicated butler for each floor to take care of guests. The desk typically wasn't staffed, I imagine because the butler was busy taking care of requests.

While I had seen the view looking up the atrium many times, it was cool to have a view of the atrium looking down, for once. It's equally impressive, but in a different way.

Our room was the first one on the left — talk about an entrance!

At over 1,800 square feet, the rooms at the Burj Al Arab are quite something. They’re so big that you almost can't help but laugh. But then you look at the design, and you might just cry… just kidding. 😉 I’m not sure whether the rooms are just really outdated, the designer had awful taste, or both. But if you ask me, that's also part of the charm of this property.

When we entered our duplex suite, the staircase leading up a level was immediately there on the right, along with a big chandelier.

The main level of the suite had the living room. This isn't just some small living space, but rather it has a living area, a dining area, and even an office space.

There was a huge couch that could seat several people, a day bed, and two comfortable chairs for lounging.

Then there was a dining area with four chairs, a bar space, and a desk area with an office chair.

Waiting in the bar area was a welcome amenity, consisting of a lemon and mint drink, some canapés, and a handwritten card.

There were also eight bottles of complimentary water, including still Acqua Panna and sparkling San Pellegrino.

There was also a minibar with an in-room coffee machine, as well as a minibar with drinks and snacks for purchase.

Also on the main level of the suite was a half bathroom, with a sink and toilet.

The staircase then led up to the bedroom and main bathroom.

The bedroom had a plush king size bed, which was almost as comfortable as the Four Seasons bed (my favorite hotel bed). There was also a mirror on the ceiling above the bed, which is… an interesting choice.

The bedroom had another large living area, with two chairs and a daybed.

The TV in the bedroom can be raised or lowered, which is cool, so that it doesn't obstruct the view if you’re not using it.

Our room faced the water, as well as the new Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab development, which is still under construction. With the exception of a few specialty suites, all suites are the same size, so the only difference is the view. Given the views from all the public areas of the hotel, I don't think it's worth paying a premium for a better view.

Next to the bedroom was the closet space and vanity, which in and of itself was the size of a small hotel room.

Then there was the main bathroom, which full-on made me feel like I was in Las Vegas. It had double sinks, a toilet and bidet, a huge jacuzzi tub, and a walk-in shower.

While the Burj Al Arab isn't cheap, the hotel also isn't stingy with guests. The hotel has full size Hermes toiletries, and on top of that provides Hermes gifts that guests can take home with them.

The bathrobes were pretty extravagant as well (though you can't take those with you for free).

While the room's decor was outdated, it wasn't nearly as outdated as the phone and safe. It's kind of funny how everything in the room is gold plated, but then you have a $10 phone that seems like it's 20 years old.

It's not just the Hermes toiletries where the Burj Al Arab is generous with guests. There's also a nightly in-room happy hour provided by the butler, from 5:30PM until 8PM. This included some canapés consisting of ricotta balls with caviar and some gold flakes… yum!

There's then a selection of alcohol to choose from, including a white wine, a red wine, whiskey, gin, vodka, or rum. There are even refills, so you can just message the butler through WhatsApp, and they’ll bring you more drinks. Given the price of drinks at the hotel, this is a nice amenity that we certainly maximized.

Turndown service was provided later in the evening, and included some Aigner amenities.

The Burj Al Arab's spa and indoor pool are located on the 18th floor, and are open daily from 8AM until 9PM. As you’d expect, it's a rather over-the-top space.

This is where the hotel's ridiculously beautiful indoor pool and jacuzzi are located. We swam here in the afternoon, and it was so cool to have the entire area to ourselves.

Beyond the indoor pool, there's also a larger spa complex, with a steam room, sauna, and more.

Since we booked through Virtuoso, our rate also included two complimentary massages. While the spa rooms weren't all that luxurious, the treatments were excellent. You can find all the details about the Burj Al Arab's Talise Spa here.

The Burj Al Arab gym is also on the 18th floor, and is open daily from 6AM until 10PM. The gym is huge, there are multiple trainers on staff, and there were no other guests there when I used it.

The Burj Al Arab has an incredible pool space, which is modern and chic, and gives off a very different vibe than the interior of the hotel. The pool area consists of two huge pools, with one being an infinity-edge pool right on the sea. There are even some jacuzzis located inside one of the pools. These pools are not only beautiful to look at, but also nice to swim in, given how big they are.

There's also endless seating around the pools, with options ranging from daybeds to couches.

It's also fun to be at the pool, because you get a different view of the Burj Al Arab, which most people never get to see. It looks quite different from the back.

The Burj Al Arab not only has a beautiful pool area, but also has a beach club. Summersalt Beach Club is shared between the Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah, so it's located on the beach just off the manmade island. You can be driven there in a golf cart, or alternatively it's a short walk away.

Much like the pool area, the beach club is chic, and the vibe will make you feel like you’re in the Mediterranean, or something. I didn't have the chance to spend much time here (after all, we only visited for a night), but it's definitely worth checking out if you have the time.

The nice thing about Dubai is that the water is warm and calm, though the sand isn't going to be as picturesque as in some other places.

As is the case at most hotels in Dubai, the Burj Al Arab has endless dining options (that's because alcohol is generally only allowed in hotels, so that's also where most restaurants for tourists are). The Burj Al Arab has some well regarded dining outlets, ranging from the fish tank restaurant at the very bottom of the hotel, to the bar at the very top of the hotel.

You can see all the Burj Al Arab Dining options here, though below I’ll cover the ones we visited.

Let me say upfront that if you’re going to eat and drink at the Burj Al Arab, I’d highly recommend just convincing yourself that the conversion rate between your home currency and the Emirati Dirham is different than it actually is. We spent our 24 hours here agreeing we wouldn't look at prices of what we ordered, because otherwise you may lose your appetite and thirst. 😉 And after all, I want to fully review the Burj Al Arab experience.

While room rates here represent a fairly good deal (given the size of the rooms), you’re definitely paying a premium for dining here. A big reason for this is that outside guests can only visit the Burj Al Arab if they have a reservation at a restaurant or are staying, so almost think of outlet prices as having some sort of a built-in experience fee. Of course as a hotel guest, you’re being double taxed there.

Since we only stayed for one night, let me share the outlets we visited in chronological order.

Sahn Eddar (Arabic for "reception of the house") is the Burj Al Arab's lobby lounge, with the best views of the atrium. Nowadays it's the only place where afternoon tea is served (it used to be served at the iconic Skyview Bar, but not anymore), though you can also come here for a drink or snack. You can find the menu here.

While we were being escorted to our room upon check-in, the front desk associate recommended coming here for a gold cappuccino, because "it's very popular for Instagram." And while I didn't post it on Instagram, I figured we had to check it out. Besides, we had just gotten off a long haul flight, so we needed our caffeine fix.

We ordered the Burj Al Arab 24 karat gold cappuccinos, which were pretty good, if you can forget for a moment that they cost $30+. 😉

At the top of the Burj Al Arab is Skyview Bar, located on the 27th floor. This is the hotel's bar with incredible views of Dubai and the sea. You can find the menu here.

We came here for a pre-dinner drink, and both ordered different martinis. These were probably the strongest cocktails I’ve ever been served in Dubai, as they even came with a sidecar, so it was almost a two-for-one.

There were also bar snacks, including olives and almonds.

On the same level as the Skyview Bar is Al Muntaha (Arabic for "the ultimate"), the hotel's one Michelin star Italian and French restaurant. We didn't have the chance to eat here, but you can find the dinner menu here.

We decided to have dinner at L’Olivo at Al Mahara, which is the restaurant located inside the Burj Al Arab's famous fish tank, just off the lobby. This restaurant is fairly new for the hotel, and it's based on Chef Andrea Migliaccio's two Michelin star restaurant in Capri.

Honestly, everything about this experience exceeded my expectations. For one, the aquarium is legitimately very cool… I’ll let the pictures speak mostly for themselves.

Upon arrival we were offered a complimentary welcome drink, and were then escorted to our table, right by the tank.

Talk about dinner with a view!

Even beyond the view, everything about the dining experience was sublime. Just about the entire staff were from Capri, and they couldn't have been more professional or charming. You can find the dinner menu here.

The meal started with some breadsticks and an amuse bouche.

We were then offered a selection of bread, plus our choice of roughly a dozen different olive oils.

At the recommendation of the server, I started with the lemon tagliolini, with red prawns and burrata cheese.

Ford had the red tuna tartare, with avocado, salmon roe, basil, and mozzarella cream.

For our main courses, I had the gilthead with stewed vegetables and Mediterranean sauce.

Ford had the blue crab ravioli, with ricotta cheese, thyme, broccoli, and caviar.

Then there was a palate cleanser.

Lastly, for dessert we split the chocolate souffle, which was beyond decadent. We wouldn't have usually ordered dessert as we were already full, but we were enjoying the ambiance so much.

At the conclusion of the meal we were brought some petit fours.

What a meal!

Bab Al Yam is the Burj Al Arab's breakfast restaurant, located off the pool. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. Since the weather was nice in the morning, we sat outside.

Breakfast was included in our Virtuoso rate, and consisted of both a buffet and a menu, and you could mix and match as much as you wanted. The breakfast buffet was really impressive, with everything from freshly baked sweets, to a chocolate fountain, to Middle Eastern and Indian specialties, to fresh fruit, to cereal and yogurt, and a lot more.

The coffee selection was also very good, with exquisite cappuccinos (ironically much better than the 24 carat gold one I had the previous afternoon).

Each table was also served a breadbasket.

You can then find the a la carte selection here. I ordered the avocado toast with a poached egg, while Ford ordered the shakshuka.

We sat at breakfast for quite some time, and the servers couldn't have been better. They offered several drink refills, and even tried to get us to order dessert (which we couldn't bring ourselves to do… sorry!).

Last but not least, we had lunch at Sal just before check-out, which is the hotel's poolside Mediterranean restaurant. There's both plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. We chose to sit inside, since it was pretty hot in the middle of the day. You can find the menu here.

At the start of the meal, we were offered some freshly baked bread and tomato gazpacho.

We then decided to share the Mediterranean salad and the eggplant pizza, both of which we enjoyed.

We were offered some tasty custard tarts after our meal.

Staying at the Burj Al Arab is an experience, plain and simple. This has to be one of the most interesting hotels I’ve ever stayed at. I can't recommend this hotel enough, but not because it's my favorite hotel in the world, or because it's necessarily an experience I’d be looking to constantly repeat.

Rather staying at this hotel is such an adventure. This is one of the world's most famous hotels, and actually staying here and experiencing it firsthand was immensely enjoyable.

There are some potential downsides to this property — the guest profile is a bit different than your typical luxury hotel, the suites are (in my opinion) hideous, and the dining outlets are all really expensive.

But there's also a lot I love this hotel, beyond just the thrill of staying at such a unique property. The service was uniformly excellent, the hotel has massive standard rooms (which are duplex suites), all the dining outlets we visited were spectacularly good (even if expensive), the pool and beach club are top notch, and the hotel is quite generous (with everything from Hermes gifts to a happy hour).

If this hotel is within your price range, I definitely think it's worth experiencing. And personally I’d recommend staying at least two or three nights, because I felt like there was so much we didn't have time to experience.

What do you make of the Burj Al Arab Dubai?

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Tacky - many other properties to stay at in Dubai with more class and sophistication.

@Lucky - Were you comp'd your meals? This is one of the few times you have not included prices of what you paid.

Great post as always.

Thanks for the review. Yes, the prices are definitely above the UAE average, and I would probably just have to force myself to ignore them, but I agree that this would be worth it, as the experience appears top-notch. If I had to chose between Burj Al Arab and the Bulgari hotel, which is at a similar price point, I would absolutely chose this over the Bulgari.

Regards the interior design: I find it...

Thanks for the review. Yes, the prices are definitely above the UAE average, and I would probably just have to force myself to ignore them, but I agree that this would be worth it, as the experience appears top-notch. If I had to chose between Burj Al Arab and the Bulgari hotel, which is at a similar price point, I would absolutely chose this over the Bulgari.

Regards the interior design: I find it unique in a positive way. If I want a cookie cutter Park Hyatt, I'll go there. What I would be interested in is how comfortable the couches and the seating in general are. In most places I found hotel room seating oddly designed to be uncomfortable.

Given how good and personalized the service was, I find it interesting that you got so many "his and hers" amenities. Any idea what happened there? Surely they knew the reservation was for two men, but did they just assume you guys would fight over who got to bring the pour femme stuff home to your wife? lol

Did you really order a 40$ pizza in Dubai just a few hours before flying to Firenze? LOL

Lucent, now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time.

You mentioned the Chinese taking pictures and that is exactly what I am experiencing in Europe right now. It is so annoying!! They dress like they are going to the prom and take a million selfies a day just for the sake of social media. You see them on the streets and they basically don't enjoy anything since in front of their eyes is a cell phone that they trigger the photo button non stop...

You mentioned the Chinese taking pictures and that is exactly what I am experiencing in Europe right now. It is so annoying!! They dress like they are going to the prom and take a million selfies a day just for the sake of social media. You see them on the streets and they basically don't enjoy anything since in front of their eyes is a cell phone that they trigger the photo button non stop making all sorts of faces and gestures. They also take pictures of the most stupid things they see no matter what. They just take pictures of absolutely everything. What a stupid way of live life.

It's a free country. They can do what they like. Annoying? Of course, the western way of life is the ONLY way right? Lol or are you upset why "uncivilized" people have so much money to travel and shop?

What would you say about those YouTubers who record themselves for the duration of the entire flights? Many of them even talk loudly to the camera while the other passengers are sleeping.

Stayed at the Burj once (someone else was paying) and have had several meals and drinks meetings as well over the years. Over the top doesn't even begin to describe it (and not in a good way), it's the most gaudy and pretentious place I’ve ever been to. It's not even a great Dubai experience if you have to have that, and I say that having lived there. It's what you get if you have unlimited money and a burning desire to show off, so it pretty much fits in Dubai.

Thank you for the review, Ben. I was wondering if you ever considered making a booking under Ford's name and reviewing property anonymously? I am sure hotel googled you prior to arrival and rolled out VVIP service. I travel regularly and stay at luxury properties. Not once I had a front desk manager stop by and ask me how my stay was

@Robert Smith - you bring up a very good point and something that all readers of this blog need to take into consideration and a point I've made before. All of Lucky's reviews (which are excellent) are somewhat biased in the sense that he's getting treatment that the rest of us don't normally get. Like you, I've travelled extensively - meaning flying in F or Biz and have stayed at fabulous properties around the world...

@Robert Smith - you bring up a very good point and something that all readers of this blog need to take into consideration and a point I've made before. All of Lucky's reviews (which are excellent) are somewhat biased in the sense that he's getting treatment that the rest of us don't normally get. Like you, I've travelled extensively - meaning flying in F or Biz and have stayed at fabulous properties around the world - many of the same ones reviewed on this blog. I NEVER get the same treatment or experience that Lucky seems to get and I am overly polite and friendly almost to a fault. Do I get bad service - no, not necessarily but I don't get the attentive detailed service that Lucky seems to get on either the airplane or at the hotel. Without a doubt the airlines and the hotels know who he is and what he's doing. I mean, have you ever noticed how he always manages to get empty cabin shots of aircraft? I'm sure he's clearing it somehow with the airline beforehand in most cases and thus, they know who he is. The hotels know who he is as well.

I in no way mean for this to be a criticism of Lucky's reviews. As I stated earlier, all his reviews are excellent and a lot can be learned from his reviews. My point is simply to warn the readers of this blog to not unrealistically expect the same treatment and perks that Lucky gets on either the airlines or hotels - unless you write a travel blog and have a wide-reaching audience.

Good point, but I'm not sure booking under Ford would help as he's a travel advisor and also likely to get "upgraded" service.

If this hotel was based in Paris or Venice, the same commentators on this thread would be praising it for its "timeless old-world charm". To an untrained eye, the Palace of Versailles can also be "gawdy".

Its amazing how triggered people can get when the word "Dubai" flashes on their screens.

It may not be on your visit lists, but the millions of people that visited last year will disagree. Face it, the...

If this hotel was based in Paris or Venice, the same commentators on this thread would be praising it for its "timeless old-world charm".To an untrained eye, the Palace of Versailles can also be "gawdy".

Its amazing how triggered people can get when the word "Dubai" flashes on their screens.

It may not be on your visit lists, but the millions of people that visited last year will disagree. Face it, the world is now multi-polar. The West have had their excesses in the past, and they have no moral right to lecture the East when the same natural progression of capitalism occurs.

If this hotel was based in Paris or Venice, the decor wouldn't be like this, it would be classy.

There are lots of nice opulent places in the East that are classy. This place isn't one of them.

Some elements of this place are—while not understated—certainly beautiful and awe-inspiring. Many more elements look like they were purchased from a Cheesecake Factory liquidation sale.

Bad design choices are bad design choices, whether it's Paris, Dubai, or Des Moines.

The review and the images are contradictory to the five stars awarded to the property. Dubai is one of the few places not on my travel list due to the city's vulgarity and tackiness, albeit based on hearsay from friends and associates. I think the Burj sums up well everything that is wrong with Dubai.

Maybe you should visit, as it seems you have decided that it's vulgar (really not) and tacky without seeing it ever. I visited numerous times, and was sceptical at the begging but it is actually a different, but cool and fun place.

Also, Abu Dhabi is worth a visit

Pretty cool. A perfectly preserved and maintained time capsule of the idea of ultimate luxury from 20 years ago!

This seems like another in a long line of reviews where the star rating bears seemingly no relation to the content of the article.

You visited Florence, one of the greatest historical cities over 2000 years old and then this gaudy, tasteless carbuncle.

Went to the afternoon tea there back in 2019- a great experience and much less expensive way to experience the property!

I stayed in a 2 bedroom suite in 2007. The rooms are gaudy but they were designed for Arabs. Not Western people. Did you pay for this? Or was it complimentary? Obviously you don't appreciate it. Stick to your "western style hotels MORON.

Why so negative? He gave a glowing review of nearly every part of the hotel and loved the rooms. Cheer up!

Who peed in your coffee?

"we paid a rate of $1,400 for the night, which we booked through Virtuoso."

He said he paid for it. If you're gonna call someone a moron, please at least learn to read.

Schlapping? - on the handwritten card.

This place looks incredible. I actually love the decor. Great review!

Proof that money doesn't buy class. Am sure the Kardashian's would be at home here.

How garish! It looks like cruise ship decor from the 90s.

While I also love to travel and explore new places, I also have a budget, and therefore, when I rate places, I consider the cost. So based on all of the things that have been mentioned in the review, while I might give it 5 stars for a rate of 140 USD per night, I can not fathom paying 1400 USD and then having to wait more than 20 minutes to check in. For the...

While I also love to travel and explore new places, I also have a budget, and therefore, when I rate places, I consider the cost. So based on all of the things that have been mentioned in the review, while I might give it 5 stars for a rate of 140 USD per night, I can not fathom paying 1400 USD and then having to wait more than 20 minutes to check in. For the rates they charge and in a place where labour is so cheap, there is no excuse for them not to have more employees. I can count on one hand the times that I have had to wait more than 5 minutes to check in to a hotel. And to specifically say that it is not a personalised experience? And I don't really understand the appeal of big outdated rooms. I mean, do you really use all of that space? Especially for a one night stay... If this were New York City I might understand the pricing a bit more, but you can stay in 5 star hotels in Dubai for about 50 EUR depending on the dates. A month in those hotels would come to about the same price as one night in this room. It is incredibly difficult to imagine, especially based on what you have said, that it represents any level of value for money...

Could you please share where you found 5 star hotels for 50 euros? (No offence intended, I am genuinely interested and I cannot find any rooms that cheap).

This hotel was built in the 90s. So, yes, the decor is 30 years old. And it hasn't been updated. Middle Eastern interior decorating also tends to be gawdy. (I speak from experience, here.)

Great review Ben. One (bit of an odd) question. Do you have to pay a deposit (as is the case in most hotels) for accidentals at the Burj? As someone considering staying there for a night, I'm just wondering for how much they put a hold on your card. Thanks

Hard to imagine that someone who considers this a great deal 5 out of 5 stars at 1400 USD per night would have noticed something as trivial as a deposit.

Ugh, sure looks like it was designed to appeal to rich Chinese and Russians. To me, that hotel (especially filled with rich Chinese and Russians) is just one more reason why I have no desire to visit any of the Gulf states. That buffet does get a thumbs up, though.

"the Burj Al Arab has endless dining options"

There has to be a better way of saying "quite a lot" than "endless".

As for the hotel itself...it seems like a nice time warp if you're into the whole tacky late 1990s excess vibe.

And they aren't endless. Not more than in other 5-star hotels.

Yay - avocado toast!! Again!

"This is a much better value than booking through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts". Obviously this is your opinion and you have a financial interest in your husband's business, but for me the $100 credit from Amex and the guaranteed 4:00pm checkout represent a better value than a 50 minute massage

+1 I don't like strangers touching me, so I'd take the $100 credit every time.

The "gaudy city in the middle of the desert" experience, like Las Vegas, but with a slight Middle-Eastern influence.

While the Americans have Vegas and the Chinese have Macau, I guess the Russians don't have many other options.

Incredible! I was lucky to visit there 23 years ago, just after it had opened. It seems that nothing has changed. Not even the phones. I guess have cheap taste since my favourite restaurant was the Arabic buffet, which seems now to be the favourite non-staying tourist hotspot.

I think we paid abt $800 some years ago with the Rolls Royce to the airport

Last trip to Dubai in 2019 we saw MANY Chinese tourists doing that at AL Maha

Dubai food prices in general are just exorbitant, its not the Maldives

If I liked eating fish, I'd be a little reluctant to do so while surrounded by a fish tank but whatever.

Great write up. Your reviews really are the best. That's much more than I normally spend even for a splurge hotel. I never thought I'd break the bank for this one, but after reading your review, I'd at least consider it . . . before likely coming to my senses.

Great review Ben

The good thing about a hotel with all Chinese tourists, they don't use the pool so you can get good pics.

"I’m not sure whether the rooms are just really outdated, the designer had awful taste, or both. But if you ask me, that's also part of the charm of this property."

These photos were incredible. And of course underscore why 90% of the guests are mainland Chinese and Russian — they love gaudy, over-the-top stuff like this, and even moreso when spending ill-gotten gains.

This comment is a big yikesTime to logoff grandpa

You realize once the population count is high enough, you'll see a lot of gaudiness from any nationality right?

America has an entire CITY of gaudiness, built in the middle of a desert, called Las Vegas.

"Ill-gotten gains". You mean like virtually all of the US and Canada, which were basically stolen from the native peoples? Both of those countries are based on ill-gotten gains. Pot, meet kettle.

These reviews are why I read your blog

Any comments on the happy hour drink quality?

They're basic, not bad but not top shelf. Even basic cocktails aren't possible but only like 'vodka orange juice'Which is fine, it's free, but these are a level below the proper alcoholic drinks at the other hotel venues.

Good write up and pics to be sure..but after a crappy, crowded checkin process, the weird date-in-the-hand service, the outmoded room, the ghastly decor, influencers all around taking photos all the time, and the pricing...it's disappointing to read that it basically got a pass from you on everything because, I guess, reasons. Just another example of oil states not creating, not innovating, just waving their proverbial blinged-out d***ks around.

$1400/nt for that (with the Virtuoso breakfast/spa) is not at all a bad deal if you think about it, considering what other hotels there cost.

well, it does depends on the season though. I am currently staying at Park Hyatt Dubai for $140/nt..I really want to try burj, but 10 times? ummm

Go and have the tour and Arabic buffet dinner for $200.

if you look at the prices Dubai hotels are probably among cheapest for the quality they offer, like JW Marriott at $60...

Great write up!

Not sure I’ll ever stay there, but it's fun to read about it! Thanks!

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If this hotel was based in Paris or Venice, the same commentators on this thread would be praising it for its "timeless old-world charm".To an untrained eye, the Palace of Versailles can also be "gawdy".Its amazing how triggered people can get when the word "Dubai" flashes on their screens.It may not be on your visit lists, but the millions of people that visited last year will disagree. Face it, the world is now multi-polar. The West have had their excesses in the past, and they have no moral right to lecture the East when the same natural progression of capitalism occurs.

Could you please share where you found 5 star hotels for 50 euros? (No offence intended, I am genuinely interested and I cannot find any rooms that cheap).

Who peed in your coffee?"we paid a rate of $1,400 for the night, which we booked through Virtuoso."He said he paid for it. If you're gonna call someone a moron, please at least learn to read.