Dubai's "7-star hotel" enjoys bustling business

David Chang, Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Dubai

Burj al-Arab (the Arab Tower), which some have termed the "world's only seven-star hotel," is enjoyed growing popularity and 90 percent occupancy rate six years after it opened in Dubai.

Since it opened in 1999, this sail-shaped hotel rising from the Arabian Gulf has been shrouded in mystery because few people have entered it. This is not surprising because Burj Al-Arab charges a minimum US$1,000 per night and bars non-hotel guests from entering it.

People who want to visit the hotel must make a reservation for a meal or an afternoon tea.

Standing 321 metres high, Burj al-Arab is the world's tallest hotel. It has 28 stories comprising 202 suites. For $1,000 per night you get a one-bedroom deluxe suite, and the rate goes up to $10,000 for a royal suite.

The hotel boasts the world's "best" service, and continues to attract guests from all over the world despite the emergence of more luxurious hotels, like the $3-billion Emirates Palace which opened in March, also in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Who are the people who can afford to stay at Burj al-Arab? And how come they have so much money?

"We also wonder where they get the money," a hotel public relations officer said in an interview with Deutsche Presse- Agentur.

"But not all our customers are rich people. There are ordinary people from abroad or the UAE who book one night just for the experience or to celebrate their wedding or something," she said on condition of anonymity in line with hotel policy.

She denied Burj Al-Arab has given itself the seven-star ranking.

"We don't know who spread the rumor that we are the world's only seven-star hotel. We advertise as a five-star hotel," she said.

The hotel's brochure calls Burj al-Arab "the world's most luxurious hotel".

"Burj Al-Arab does not have rooms, it has suites. There are 202 of them, each arranged over two floors and all with floor-to- ceiling, wall-to-wall windows and a view of the sea."

It offers some luxuries other five-star hotels don't have: guests can check in after they have entered their rooms. Butlers stand on call on each floor around the clock. The hotel helicopter can transport VIP guests from the airport to the hotel's helipad, or take the guests on an aerial tour of Dubai, for a price.

The hotel has two royal suites, each with its own private elevator and 29 telephones. The royal suites' bathrooms are paved with statuario marble, the same stone used by Michelangelo to create his masterpieces.

Burj al-Arab ties to provide an international atmosphere to make guests from all nationalities feel comfortable. Its staff come from many countries and speak 15 languages.

But although Burj Al-Arab has an exclusive beach, marble floor and gold-plated columns, it looks cramped because the hotel has no open space for hotel guests to wander and associate with one another.

The first and second floor have dozens of sofas, but the remaining space is taken up by brand name shops, restaurants, a band space and a cafeteria.

Many foreigners agree that Burj Al-Arab is a beautiful hotel, but its charge is unreasonably high.

"It is worthwhile for a visit, but I won't spend $1,000 to stay here for one night. I have seen many good hotels and this is a very good hotel, but not that unique," Milka Jovanovic, a Yugoslav Airlines stewardess, said while snapping pictures in front of Burj al-Arab.

Regular hotel guests defend Burj Al-Arab's fame, but cannot say why it is so special other than that it is "comfortable" and "provides personalized service".

"I visit Dubai four times a year and always stay at Burj al- Arab because it has the best service. The hotel staff remember my name and treat me like their family," Breda McCarthy, 55, a British accountant, told dpa.

She did not think Burj Al-Arab was expensive but she made her reservation through a travel agent, costing her only $870 for one night.

Burj Al-Arab is satisfied with its performance: its occupancy rate has been rising since 2004, from 80 percent that year to 90 percent in the first quarter this year. Its average occupancy rate is 90-94 percent this year.

"In the past we had low and high seasons because of the hot summer weather in Dubai when temperatures can rise to 45 degrees Celsius, but now foreigners come throughout the year. There is a long waiting list.

"If you want to make bookings for the Christmas season, you had better make a reservation now," a hotel PR officer