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Located on the shores of the Arabian Gulf in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, the Emirates Palace is a favorite destination for the world's wealthy. Its stunning location, impeccable architecture, opulent interiors, and unparalleled luxury services truly make it a palace fit for royalty – as its name suggests.
The Emirates Palace, owned by the UAE government and royal family, was designed by British architects and construction began in December 2001. Its construction cost of approximately $3 billion made it the third most expensive hotel ever built. It was only surpassed by The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas ($3.9 billion) and Marina Bay in Singapore ($5.5 billion), but the luxurious amenities offered by the Emirates Palace are arguably unmatched.
As a masterpiece of the affluent Middle Eastern region, the design of the Emirates Palace is a superb blend of Islamic architectural elements such as balance, geometry, proportion, rhythm, and hierarchical emphasis, creating a unified whole. The grand dome is inspired by intricate geometric patterns, which are also evident in the 114 smaller domes spread throughout the building. The building's color scheme aims to reflect the various shades of sand found in the Arabian desert.
Emirates Palace is an 8-story building comprising 394 guest rooms of various types, with a total floor area of approximately 850,000 m².2(larger than Buckingham Palace in London, which is only 77,000 m2); floors 6 to 8 are reserved for relaxation and enjoyment for members of the UAE royal family. Emirates Palace boasts a stunning 1,000-hectare green park, home to 8,000 palm trees and many other plant species, and adorned with over 100 fountains of various shapes and sizes.
More specifically, the hotel boasts a private beach with fine white sand stretching 1.3 km; a 6.4 km jogging track; two enormous outdoor swimming pools; outdoor concert halls with a capacity of over 20,000 people; and an underground parking garage that can accommodate 2,500 cars of all types.
Speaking of interiors, the Emirates Palace is a true world of opulent splendor, from the decorative lighting fixtures to the gold-plated and marble-encrusted domes. Approximately 40 tons of gold were used to decorate some of the hotel's features. For example, the entire dome system of the Emirates Palace (including the central dome, approximately 72.6 meters high from the ground, and 114 smaller domes) is covered in gold. It is estimated that over 6,000 square meters are gilded.2Gold leaf adorns the objects in the hotel. Even more extravagant is the presence of 1,002 chandeliers made of extremely precious Swarovski crystals, weighing a total of 2.5 tons.
The bedrooms at Emirates Palace blend Arabian architectural lines with the world's most modern amenities. The walls are clad in extremely precious marble imported from 13 different countries around the world. The total marble cladding area in the hotel reaches 93,000 square meters.2.
One unusual and striking feature here is the presence of an automated gold vending machine called Gold To Go, and of course, this unique ATM is also plated with gold.
Furthermore, gold is an indispensable ingredient in Emirates Palace's culinary offerings. Each year, the hotel's restaurants use approximately 5 kg of finely ground (edible) gold leaf to decorate desserts across its 12 restaurants.
The menu also includes extremely expensive items such as: caviar harvested from Albino sturgeon in Iran - each kilogram of caviar costs approximately $50,000 (equivalent to one billion VND), premium Kobe beef imported fresh from Japan, and a bottle of cognac served here costs around $15,000 (equivalent to 300 million VND).
Since its opening in November 2005, the Emirates Palace Hotel has been operated by the world-renowned Kempinski group, but this management was transferred to Mandarin Oriental on January 1, 2020. Due to this change, the Emirates Palace will undergo a two-year renovation, including upgrades to rooms and entertainment facilities, as well as the introduction of new restaurants and bars. Afterward, it will be renamed and fully managed by Mandarin Oriental. The hotel will remain open to guests during this period.
