Emirates palace, Abu Dhabi

The Emirates Palace Hotel has the distinction of being only the second seven-star hotel in the world, next to Burj Al Arab in Dubai. At a cost of $3bn, the hotel is certainly the most expensive ever built.On November 2005, the Emirates Palace opened its doors for the first time. The hotel is operated by the Kempinski Hotel Group and owned by the government of Abu Dhabi. Emirates Palace employs approximately 2,600 staff, representing about 50 nationalities, with an average of three staff members for every guest.The hotel was built as a superlative for national prestige and not as a profit-making concern, although next to oil, tourism is the largest money spinner in Abu Dhabi. The hotel was constructed to the highest possible standards of luxury and technology.

The Emirates Palace hotel is set in 1,000ha of beautifully landscaped park with palms and fountains, with the architecture reflecting the different landscapes of the desert. There is a 1.3km private beach attached to the hotel. The external architecture boasts 114 impressive domes that rise up to 60m and glisten in the sun, resembling pure gold.The hotel has a total floor space of 850,000m², with the western and eastern wings containing the guest rooms. It is traditionally raditional decorated inside the hotel, dominated by gold and marble combined with state-of-the-art technology.Four restaurants, three bars, lounges and cafes provide a wide range of refreshments and culinary delights – altogether there are 20 different places to eat in the hotel.

The complex offers two swimming pools and spas, underground parking for 2,500 vehicles, a marina and a two-helicopter helipad.The Emirates Palace has 302 grand rooms and 92 suites. The guestrooms include 20 Khaleej suites (110m²), 20 Khaleej deluxe suites (165m²), four Royal Khaleej suites (110m²) and 16 three-bedroom palace suites (680m²). There are three types of Palace suites: Coral (110m²), Pearl (140m²) and Diamond (220m²). The Palace suites can be divided into 48 single-bedroom suites. All of the spacious elegant rooms are furnished to the highest levels of comfort and decorated in warm tones to create a welcoming atmosphere.This level of comfort is matched by the high standard of service, for example, the 24-hour butler service.The Emirates Palace is also the official guest palace of the government of Abu Dhabi, with 22 three-bedroom suites capable of hosting as many heads of state and their entourages. The highest floor has six rulers' suites, which are out of bounds to all except members of UAE royal families.

The Emirates Palace also features luxuries such as 'bath caviar'; $15,000 cognacs; Kobe beef in its Japanese restaurant Mizona; real Albino caviar (only 6kg produced per year at £30,000 per kilo, of which the hotel has two kilos); and 52in plasma screens in each room; and a 61in LCD in all suites with a touch-screen pad that controls services, from air conditioning to wake-up calls. Rooms are priced from $5,989 to $12,251 a night.The hotel also features the Anantara spa, which has seven treatment suites. The hotel has 1.3km private beach, which offers water sport activities and leisure and recreational facilities.