Gerrod Allen

Review of Burj Al Arab Hotel

The whole experience was magical from start to fin...

The whole experience was magical from start to finish.

First, you have to pass through two security gates before getting to the hotel's private road leading to its entrance. As we pulled up, the hotel's valet made quick work of our luggage, and an ambassador led us through the doors. Once inside, a row of staff offered us hot towels, dates, and some tea. Since this was a special occasion, my partner was handed a beautiful bouqet of roses from the reception manager, which was completely unexpected (and, notably, hidden very well behind her back), and then we were introduced to our ambassador to escort us to our room.

We were shown to the 7th floor, and once inside our room, she sat us at the desk in the office area of our suite, and we completed our check in from our room. No need to wait in line at a counter, which is nice after the 16 hour flight from Texas, and all while our luggage was being brought up and stowed away for us.

After this, we were introduced to our personal butler, who's available around the clock, at a moment's notice. He demonstrated the exhaustive list of the features of our suite, and brought us a vase for my partner's roses, and gave us two glasses of delicious lemon kiwi juice. At that point, we were finally able to unwind and relax.

The room is completely sound proof; almost too quiet. It's sort of hard to get used to, but once you do, it's wonderful, and feels like you're in a giant hotel all by yourself. The opulence is immediately obvious, from the moment you enter the room. The marble floors, the winding staircase, the gold trim, and wood carvings, all illuminated by a beautiful chandelier... It just serves to remind you that while you're here, your supposed to feel like royalty. And it works. Features like remote controlled everything (door, lock, curtains, etc.) add to the experience.

We had a great dinner at Al Iwan (one of nine restaurants inside the hotel), a drink at the Sky bar, and were treated to a layered chocolate cake to celebrate our occasion. When we returned to our room, we realized our butler and crew snuck into our room, put hundreds of rose petals, and dozens of pink and red roses all over the bathroom, and bedroom area, including in and around the jacuzzi. It was such a nice gesture, and we thoroughly appreciated it.

Other than a couple of very minor issues that were addressed very quickly (multi-room music aux cable/Bluetooth briefly wasn't working, and shower at certain temperatures made noise), the stay was flawless.

The best part of our stay was the staff. Every member we had contact with, waiters, butlers, reception, managers, valets, I literally mean everyone, had a genuine, kind, and helpful demeanor and attitude. This was the most refreshing part about the stay, because they truly made us feel as though they were there to make our stay the best it could be. It was strikingly unique, and other luxury hotels should take note.

I could go on and on, but I'll let some photos say the rest.

If you are willing to pay a premium, it would be hard to find a better hotel, anywhere, to spend your money on. Simply amazing!