Burj Al Arab - Definition and Overview

The Burj al-Arab Hotel

The Burj al-Arab is a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At 321 meters (1,053 feet), it is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel and one of the most distinctive structures for a hotel building in the world. It stands in the sea on an artificial island 280 meters (919 feet) away from the beach, and has the shape of a giant sail. It has been placed in such a way that its shadow does not cover the beach. The top of the hotel is cut off and is used as a helipad.

Its construction began in 1994, and it opened its doors to guests on December 1st, 1999. It doesn't have rooms, but rather 202 duplex suites. The smallest one occupies an area of 196 square meters (2,110 square feet), and the largest one 780 square meters (8,396 square feet). It has the tallest atrium lobby in the world (180 meters, or 590 feet), and the volume of the atrium can accommodate the Dubai World Trade Center building, which (at 38 stories) was the tallest building in Dubai from the late 1970's to the late 1990's.

Other facts

• Contrary to a common belief, the Burj al-Arab is not rated as a 7-star, but as a 5-star deluxe hotel (given that the maximum possible rating for a hotel is five stars).
• The hotel was built by South African construction company Murray & Roberts.

External links

• http://www.burj-al-arab.com/