Stepping into the high-speed elevators of the Burj Al Arab means leaving the familiar desert heat behind. Beyond the height and floor counts, this gorgeous megastructure holds architectural anomalies, Swarovski crystals and two-floor suites that you wouldn’t even think about.
After 25 long years, this hotel is closing for an 18-month long renovation and we’re so excited to see what is updating. Here’s what is inside the Burj Al Arab in Dubai right now.
The History Behind This Marvel
The gorgeous Burj Al Arab was built on a man-made island just so it doesn’t cast a shadow on the beach. There was so much planning and effort that went into making. The beginning wasn’t that glamourous though. Architect Tom Wright originally doodled the design on a restaurant napkin. Little did he know it was going to be one of the most iconic buildings in the world – Burj Al Arab.
Inside this marvellous hotel is 20,000 square feet of 24-karat gold and 86,000 hand-fixed Swarovski crystals in the walls. There are absolutely no standard rooms in the hotel. Every room is a two-floor suite – totally casual, right?
The Hotel’s Own Weather System
The scale of the tower is so massive that it generates a distinct microclimate. Temperatures at the peak drop up to 6 degrees cooler than the ground-level streets. This altitude-driven cooling effect is just the first structural quirk.
Deep within the upper corridors sits a dedicated mosque, officially recognized as one of the highest in the world. It provides a quiet spiritual space suspended above the clouds, entirely removed from the busy pavements below.
A Last-Minute Identity Crisis
The building’s famous title was actually a late addition to the project. Throughout the extensive construction phase, the tower was officially known as Chicago Beach Hotel. This was because the hotel was built on reclaimed land off the coast of the former Chicago Beach Hotel site, which was demolished to make way for this hotel.
The sudden renaming to Burj Al Arab right around its completion altered its historical identity, shifting from a city-centric moniker to a broader global tribute. The renaming was done by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Visiting the Burj Al Arab
Once the hotel reopens, you can tour the inside of the hotel. Since it is a private hotel, it is not open to public visitors.
The visitor access for the hotel is exclusively through ticketing platforms. The entrance for the ticketing tour is via the Ticket Lounge, located at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. A buggy takes the confirmed ticket holders across the bridge to the entrance of Burj Al Arab. The visiting hours have tours from 10AM to 7PM across the day.
- Standard Tour: 249 AED per adult
- Tour with Gold Cappuccino/Beverage: 399 AED
- Family Packages: Starting from 4,500 AED
Booking online in advance is highly recommended to secure a preferred entry slot.
