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Standing on an artificial island and with its curved façade built to resemble the sail of a dhow ship, Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel became an emblem for the city (and its unrestrained approach to architecture) when it opened in late 1999. This year the landmark is to be redefined, with the addition of a new “North Deck”, a 10,000sq metre outdoor space that spreads fan-like to a distance of 100 metres over the Persian Gulf.
Radically altering its silhouette, the immense addition to the building will provide space for two curved swimming pools (one salt water, one fresh water), 32 cabanas and a new restaurant and bar. Made from steel and weighing about 5,000 tonnes the deck was constructed in a shipyard in Finland and is currently being transported by sea in six separate sections to Dubai. It is due to arrive by mid-February and after some finishing touches are put in place it is expected to open to guests of the hotel by late spring.  
Guests at the all-suite hotel, part of the Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts portfolio, already have access to four swimming pools, a private beach and nine on-site restaurant and bars, and are served by 1,600 staff (meaning there is a staff-to-suite ratio of 8:1) but the debut of the deck should go some way towards reasserting Burj Al Arab’s as one of the best hotels in the emirates, and worldwide.
Though a bold Arabian colour scheme – think vivid blue carpets, bright greens and gold leaf – may not be to the taste of all foreign guests, the hotel is a multiple winner of Telegraph Ultratravel’s “best hotel in the world” awardand was recently named one of the world’s 50 best hotels by Telegraph Travel writers.
The hotel is also a focal point for celebrations in Dubai, with extravagant fireworks displays at the site a highlight of annual New Year’s Eve celebrations and the building providing a base for major celebrations and events. To mark the 100 anniversary of Aston Martin, a new Aston Martin Vanquish was hoisted by helicopter onto the hotel’s cantilevered helipad; that same helipad was also notably transformed into a tennis court for a one-off match between Andre Agassi and Roger Federer.
Some 11.6 million tourists visited Dubai in 2014 (2015 figures have yet to be confirmed) and luxury travellers are particularly well catered to here. Recent luxury hotel openings in the emirate include Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Taj Dubai and the St. Regis Dubai. The top end of the market looks set to become even more competitive in the years to come, with highly anticipated openings in 2016 including the Yabu Pushelberg-designed Viceroy Dubai Palm Jumeirah, complete with a 100-metre-long pool that will stretch from the lobby to the beach, and the Zaha Hadid-designed ME Dubai, another sinuous landmark property that will include four penthouse suites with private roof terraces.


telegraph.co.uk

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