Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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. The hotel is certainly the most expensive ever built at a cost of US$3bn. In 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 around 2,600 staff members, representing approximately 50 nationalities (an average of three staff members for every guest).

The hotel was built as a superlative for national prestige and not really as a profit making concern. Next to oil, however, tourism is the largest money spinner in Abu Dhabi, so this hotel is really the jewel in the crown. The hotel has been constructed to the highest possible standards of luxury and technology with no detail left to chance.

FEATURES OF THE HOTEL

The hotel is set in 1,000 hectares of beautifully landscaped park with palms and fountains; the architecture reflects 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 in the air and glisten in the sun, resembling pure gold.

The hotel has a total of 850,000m² of floor space. The western and eastern wings of the palace contain the guest rooms. There are four restaurants, three bars, various lounges and cafes to 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.

Traditional décor is used inside the hotel, dominated by gold and marble but combined with state-of-the-art technology. There are 302 rooms, each with a floor area of 55m² in Coral, Pearl and Diamond categories, and 92 suites so hotel guests can relax in total luxury. 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 level of service, such as the 24-hour butler service. There are 16 Palace Suites on the sixth and seventh floors. These are private palaces within the Palace, each offering floor space of 680m².

It 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 the royal families of the UAE.

The hotel also features little 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 bought two kilos) and 50-inch plasma screens in each room, with a touch-screen pad that controls everything from air conditioning to wake-up calls. Rooms are priced from $5,989 to $12,251 a night at the Palace.

EMIRATES PALACE ATRIUM

The Emirates Palace atrium is 60m high, 42m wide and topped with the largest dome in the world. It is decorated with 13 colours of marble, ranging from sunrise yellow to sunset red – to reflect the many different hues of the desert. Over 22-carat gold leaf covers the inside of the dome making it the greatest gilded expanse ever created in one building. The whole interior of the hotel is covered with 86,114ft² (6,000m²) of 22-carat gold leaf.

CONTRACTORS, SUPPLIERS AND CONSTRUCTION

Construction of the Palace began in December 2001. Over 250,000m³ of concrete was used, and it took a work force of approximately 20,000 people working for three years to complete all phases of the construction. The owner of the hotel is the Abu Dhabi Municipality.

The architects for the project were Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo. The construction was undertaken by the Arabian Construction Company (ACC); Arabien Construction, Belhasa Construction and Actor Electromech. Project management was the responsibility of Projacs and Turner Construction. Lighting planning was carried out by Wimberley, Allison, Tong & Goo and the DEPA Group, while the lighting (luminares) were supplied by Bin Moosa Debbas.

Control gear was supplied by TridonicAtco. Al Naesar Trading, local partner of Fischer, delivered the resign anchor, the ceiling nails, the bolt anchor and nail plugs for the construction. All staircases in the building were established by FitWell.

LIGHTING SYSTEMS

The lighting was designed by Wimberly, Allison, Tong & Goo. Elegant chandeliers, floor-standing lights and table lights are used in the guest rooms and suites to create the right atmosphere, while the corridors and stairways are lit by functional downlights.

Apart from design considerations, a major factor in the choice of lighting was its innovative technology. The use of compact fluorescent lamps and PC PRO electronic control gear from TridonicAtco ensures long lamp life and energy efficiency.

The luminaires were supplied by Bin Moosa Debbas/Emirates Lighting, a valued customer of Atco Controls Dubai who supplied the PC PRO control gear. A further 3,500 PC PRO units from TridonicAtco were installed for tubular fluorescent lamps in the offices, kitchens and garages.

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

The design of the hotel incorporates the beauty of traditional Arabian elements such as the 42m diameter Grand Atrium dome finished in silver and gold glass mosaic tiles, and is topped by a 20kg solid golden finial. The colour mirrors the russet, orange and yellow shades of the desert. The building is 1km in length and includes the following:

• 114 domes, of which the Grand Atrium is higher than the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome
• The Emirates Palace Archway, covered in Italian stone, and bigger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, containing a museum
• 1,002 Swarovski crystal chandeliers, including some of the world’s largest
• Over one million ft² of marble, imported from Italy, Spain, China, and India
• 200 fountains amid 600 acres of exotic park grounds, home to over 8,000 trees, and the hotel’s private heliport
• 128 kitchens and pantries and 140 elevators
• The overall site area covers in excess of 222.4 acres

Throughout the entire palace, roses abound: in the rooms, in the public areas, in the private spaces – some 20,000 are used every day. Two extensive landscaped pools are located on the grounds, and two spas opened in mid-2006.

PALACE CONFERENCE CENTRE

The central section of the hotel houses the Palace Conference Centre, which will also be used by the government. One of the primary functions of the hotel is to serve as the host venue for the GCC summits as they rotate to the UAE once every six years. Other Arab state meetings will also be hosted by the hotel.

The Conference Centre is the most luxurious and technologically advanced meeting facility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is also the largest with a floor area of 7,000m² and includes an ultra-modern media centre. The ballroom itself can accommodate 2,800 people and can be divided into three separate areas.

The 20m-high auditorium has a stage and seating for 1,200 people, making it ideal for a wide range of events. There are 48 separate conference rooms in the hotel.

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