Case Study: Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai

Case study: Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai

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Overview

Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai was opened in 1999 and recognises itself as a seven star deluxe hotel. It proclaims to be the most luxurious hotel in the World. Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based in the Middle East. Dubai itself has seen phenomenal growth over the last decade with mass construction and urbanisation of the landscape. The Burj Al Arab, which when translated from Arabic stands for ‘Tower of the Arabs’, is seen as an iconic symbol that reflects the growing International status of Dubai as a premium hospitality and tourism destination. This is in keeping with Dubai’scrown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, whose vision has been to diversify the country’s economy from oil to service-related industries such as hospitality

Corporate Owner

The hotel is part of Jumeirah, an international hotel group that has representation in destinations across the globe including London, New York, Bermuda, Spain, Thailand and China. Founded in 1997, the focus of Jumeirah was to become a leader in the hospitality industry by developing a portfolio of world class hotels and resorts. Jumeirah distinguishes itself by describing its core philosophy as to STAY Different. This includes providing guests with unique, innovative and personalised experiences. The Jumeirah Group portfolio of businesses is not exclusively hotels but also includes a water park, an academic institution, a restau rant division, luxury serviced residences and retail stores amenities. The executive and presidential suites have private cinemas and full size bars. The service that is provided in suites is highly personalised with the use of private butlers. The hotel has nine different restaurants. This includes the Al Muntaha, a ‘floating’ restaurant that literally hangs in the air and the Al Mahara which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage and contains an extensive aquarium. In terms of transportation to and from the hotel, all guests have access to chauffeur-driven cars including Rolls Royces and BMWs. The hotel has its own helipad and provides its own private beach which is for the exclusive use of Burj Al Arab guests only. At night the hotel is lit up by an alternating light show that conveys its grandiose exterior to onlookers

Design and Construction

The Burj Al Arab was designed by a British architect, Tom Wright. The design of the hotel is in the shape of a sail and took five years to build at a cost of $650 million. Standing 321 metres high it was one of the World’s tallest hotels. The hotel is built on an artificial island that is located a short distance from the beach off the Persian Gulf and is accessible via a private land bridge. The construction of the hotel was extensive and had to be built within a giant fabric wall. This was to protect the outside of hotel from the high temperatures and heat in Dubai during construction. The hotel was also designed with the World’s tallest atrium, which is a large open space that is built up over a number of floors