{"id":1397,"date":"2018-03-24T21:00:21","date_gmt":"2018-03-24T21:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelwithanda.com\/?p=1397"},"modified":"2025-04-23T17:46:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T17:46:53","slug":"day-visit-to-burj-al-arab-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelwithanda.com\/index.php\/2018\/03\/24\/day-visit-to-burj-al-arab-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"A day visit to Burj Al Arab hotel (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)"},"content":{"rendered":"

If I asked you to name 3 the most famous hotels in the world<\/strong>, which ones would you pick? And if I mention Dubai<\/strong>, what name comes to your mind first? I believe it goes without saying that even if not the tallest, the biggest or the most expensive in the world, Burj Al Arab<\/strong> is definitely the icon among the hotels. But is it worth paying over 100 EUR for a day visit to Burj Al Arab<\/strong> with an afternoon tea just to say \u201cI\u2019ve been there\u201d?<\/p>\n

Honestly, I never thought I would visit Burj Al Arab because I am not prepared to pay so much money (or any money for that matter) to see where rich people do whatever it is they do. Nor was I ever even close to book a room there (they start from around 1300 USD if you run into a \u201cgenius\u201d opportunity at Booking.com), although I have to admit the temptation has always been present because I am usually in Dubai on business, so our company could have paid the bill. And probably fire me instantly after coming home. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n

Until one day when I was waiting for a meeting confirmation, I got this message on WhatsApp: \u201cWe will meet in Burj al Arab. Bring your passport.\u201d My heart stopped for a second and my first thought was \u201cOMG what should I wear!?\u201d After that, a lot of other questions came into my mind, but it was too late to search for the answers on the internet. So I improvised. And survived \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

How to access and visit Burj Al Arab<\/strong><\/h5>\n

You have 2 options to enter Burj Al Arab<\/strong> if you are not a guest of the hotel. First, you can stay at one of the nearby Jumeirah group owned hotels (like Jumeirah Beach Hotel) and take a free guided tour. Or, you can make a dining reservation, starting from around 100 EUR per person for an \u201cafternoon tea\u201d and up to\u2026 well, a lot, considering that Burj Al Arab hosts some of the finest world class restaurants.<\/p>\n

When you reach the main gate in front of the bridge, which leads to the hotel, you need to have a receipt<\/strong> of something pre-booked<\/strong>. You show it to the security staff and the taxi or Uber can take you straight to the hotel. Or I guess you can walk there as well.<\/p>\n

What does the afternoon tea include?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The cheapest tour option is to book an afternoon tea in one of the three bars. The most popular is Skyview bar<\/strong> which offers spectacular views of the beach, Palm Jumeirah, the World islands and the city. The \u201cSky tea\u201d costs around 150$ (add 25$ for a window seat) and it includes a selection of teas and coffee, sandwiches, pastries, cakes and some other sweets. So let\u2019s be honest:<\/strong> it\u2019s not just tea<\/strong> – you can actually have a decent snack for your money. Other 2 restaurants are a bit cheaper but don\u2019t have that awesome views. Which can also be a good thing, since they are not full of selfie sticks and cheesy smiles\u2026 Keep in mind there are only 2 seatings per day<\/strong>: at 1 pm and 4 pm; and you have to be 21 to enter the Skyview bar.\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/h5>\n
The interior<\/strong><\/h5>\n

I must admit I was a bit disappointed about what I saw in the lobby. The carpets and furniture reminded me a lot of Las Vegas<\/a> hotels & casinos \u2013 very kitschy, colourful and a bit oldish<\/strong>. What is impressive is the 180 meters tall atrium<\/strong> which is quite photogenic, especially if you look up. There is also a nice waterfall, leading all the way to the 1st<\/sup> floor with bars and shops. I didn\u2019t see any of the suites but I was told first hand that they are huge and coloured in blue, red and yellow like the lobby. There are 18 lifts<\/strong> and despite its height, the hotel only offers 28 double-story floors<\/strong> (which means that the suites are double-story as well, oh my).<\/p>\n

I will not bore you with other details (you can easily find them in the official\u00a0hotel description<\/a>), but you can check some of them in my very short photo-video clip:<\/p>\n