Monday - December 01, 2008

Tea at the Burj

The only access point to the Burj al Arab is via a narrow causeway, and the only way to get past security and gain entrance is if you are either a guest of the hotel or you have a reservation with one of the bars or restaurants. 

This is not the type of hotel where you can waltz in and use the lobby bathroom! I have always wanted to see the interior of this hotel, so afternoon tea seemed like just the ticket. Before we left Ann Arbor, I booked two tables for four on the 27th floor of the hotel in the Skyline Bar. I was then emailed a confirmation page with rules about how to dress, etc. and was told that we absolutely must bring the reservation confirmation with us or we would not get past the "Welcome Desk" at the entrance to the hotel causeway. As you might expect, I was quite paranoid about remembering to bring that sheet. 

We were all quite excited as our driver drove through the security gate and dropped us at the main entrance. And my jaw dropped as we swept through the doors and entered the tallest atrium in the world at 590 ft. The sweeping staircase up to the main lobby is lined with floor to ceiling aquariums on both sides. There is also a waterfall, a couple of dancing fountains, and some of the most eye-boggling color combinations you have ever seen! All the gold fittings are made from 22-karat gold leaf. Subtle it is not. 

One can take an interior elevator to the top floor, or the more adventurous can choose to ride the glass outside elevator that goes almost directly to the 27th floor. Once you get up there, the views over Dubai are incredible! 

We were shown to our tables and presented with a glass of champagne each, while we perused a menu of teas to choose from. Once we had done that, we were presented with a 4-level rack shaped like the Burj itself that held sandwiches, bunwiches, cakes, and pastries. 

After we had eaten all that, we were given English scones with cream and jam. And amazingly enough, we still had a bit of room to cram in some truffles and petit fours that were served before the bill was presented. All this, interspersed with numerous walks around the floor to admire the views and a few visits to the Ladies room to admire the bouquets of dazzlingly white lilies and mountains of hand towels, took about 2 hours to consume. 

We then spent a bit of time looking in the shops, admiring the brilliantly colored fish in the aquariums, watching the dancing fountains, and just gawking at the other guests. And who should I see in the lobby but the Cockney fellow and his wife from our dining room! I wondered if he had spent his time there trying to teach the locals some of his English sayings. 

We had a terrific time at the hotel and everyone was glad we had made the visit and spent the money. We actually got more bang for our buck than we expected because we were so full after all that lovely food that we never did find space for dinner that evening. So if one divides the cost over two meals, it was real bargain!!!