Wednesday, 22 February 2012 - 01:40 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Gulf States / Golfstaaten Category/Kategorie: General, HotelsReading Time: 3minutes
The building was designed by renowned architect, John Elliott RIBA, who was Senior Vice President at Wimberly, Allison, Tong and Goo, an international firm specialising in Luxury Hotels. It opened in November 2005 but certain restaurants and spas did not open until 2006. The hotel was built by and is owned by the Abu Dhabi government, and is currently managed by the Kempinski Group.
The costs to build the hotel were 1.9 billion GBP or 11.02 billion AED. The Emirates Palace occupies 850,000m² of floor space. Underground parking allows housing for 2,500 vehicles. There are two swimming pools and spas. The hotel has its own marina and helipad. The Emirates Palace is the second most expensive hotel ever built, only surpassed by Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Emirates Palace, located on 1.3 km of private white sandy beach and surrounded by 85 hectares of beautifully landscaped gardens, with 114 domes that are 80 meters high. It is only 30 min drive from Abu Dhabi airport. Emirates Palace offers two swimming pools, one designed for adventure and one for relaxation, tennis courts, cricket, a rugby pitch and soccer facilities, fitness suites and a spa, besides water sports.
Many of the suites offered are furnished in gold and marble. The main central area houses an expansive marble floor, balconies and a large patterned dome above, picked out in gold. The topmost floor has six Rulers’ Suites which are reserved solely for Emirati royalty and dignitaries. The hotel also contains a large conference centre. In December 2010, it boasted the world’s most expensive Christmas tree, valued at over 11 million dollars.
Overall, the hotel has 302 rooms and 92 suites. But, the hotel has 16 Palace Suites on the sixth and seventh floors. 22 three-bedroom suites are reserved for hosting Heads of State or Government, recently for example, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Angela Merkel. The cost of staying begins at $400 per night for the Coral Room (floor space of 592 square feet) in the low season; and The Palace Grand Suite (7319 square feet) is the most expensive at $11,500 per night.
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