Burj Al Arab (Towers to Scale)

The Burj Al Arab hotel, designed to evoke the grace of sails in the wind, is the pride of the United Arab Emirates. Built on an island 200 meters from the shore, there it rests on enormous pillars which plunge 40 meters under the sea. At 321 meters high, it is without doubt one of the biggest and most luxurious hotels in the world, costing more than 200 million American dollars to build. Its 60 floors house 202 sumptuous suites and boast unbeatable views of the Dubai coastline. The interior of the hotel is just as stunning as the building itself: more than 9,000 m2 of gold leaf, marble, crystal and granite help create its lavish decor, inspired by traditional Arabic design. The atrium is 180 meters high and is so vast that the Statue of Liberty could stand unhindered in its centre. From the moment they step off the plane, guests at the Burj Al Arab hotel are provided with a limousine, Rolls Royce or Helicopter to take them to their suite. Once settled, guests are taken by submarine to Al Mahara, a restaurant designed to give the impression of being 20 thousand leagues under the sea. The huge aquariums which surround it also house a coral reef, which is home to more than 40 species of fish and sea creatures.