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What is an 8 star hotel and does this actually exist? All is revealed in this article, read on to find out more…
Is there such thing as an 8 star hotel?
Yes – there is. But there’s only one, and that’s the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, UAE.
The Burj Al Arab oozes luxury and glamour, and comes with a hefty price tag per night. The hotel is one of the most photographed buildings in Dubai, and is firmly lodged on the bucket lists of many travellers. For most, that’s where it will stay.- the price makes it super exclusive, the kind of place where only high-class celebrities and royalty can afford to stay.
What makes this hotel worthy of an 8-star rating – if it even is worth that? Read on to find out what makes the Burj Al Arab so special!
Where is the Burj Al Arab?
The hotel is located on an artificial island around 280 metres out from Jumeirah Beach in Dubai. Instantly recognisable, it is built in the shape of a ship’s sails. The hotel is connected to mainland Dubai via a private curving bridge, meaning the luxuriousness starts before you even reach the building itself!
Dubai is known for being glamorous. The city, located in the United Arab Emirates, is ultra-modern and filled with luxury touches. The nightlife scene is plentiful, and the soft white beaches are party-centric too. Skyscrapers dominate the skyline, and they are crowned by the Burj Khalifa. This is an 830-metre tall tower, with Dubai Fountain at the bottom. The fountain has jets and lights, which go off in time with music.
The whole city is recognised as being pricey. It’s generally somewhere visited by the upper echelons of society, although there are deals to be had on flights – and you might be likely to stop over here on a long haul flight from Europe to somewhere like Australia or New Zealand. If you’re just staying for one night, for example, a visit to Dubai can be done on a budget. Generally it is an expensive city – so it’s no wonder that Dubai is home to the world’s only 8 star hotel!
What amenities does an 8 star hotel have?
The Burj Al Arab has everything you need. From its helipad to the highly trained butlers, you’ll want for nothing during a stay at this 8 star hotel. Here are just some of the incredible amenities on offer here…
- Sea views
- Rolls Royce chauffeur service
- Helicopter transfer service/private helipad
- 9 signature restaurants
- 32 luxury cabanas
- Floor to ceiling windows
- iPad, iMac, widescreen TV, WiFi & docking station in every suite
- Floor to ceiling windows
- Talise Spa – infinity pools, hot tub, treatment rooms, steam rooms, plunge pools and sauna
- Summersalt Beach Club access
- Private beach access
- Wild Wadi Waterpark access
- Concierge service
- Private reception on every floor
- Extra long beds
- Electric vehicle charging
There are many more amenities available here from free toiletries to pool and beach towels meaning you don’t have to pack your own. Everything about the hotel is fancy, luxurious and planned to perfection. Guest satisfaction is high on the list of priorities here!
How much does it cost to stay at an 8 star hotel?
As you can imagine, staying at the Burj Al Arab does not come cheap. Rooms start at around £1000 (GBP) per night, and that’s during off-peak dates. There are various rooms, increasing in price. For example, below you can see the prices per night for a 3-night stay at this 8 star hotel at the time of writing…
Deluxe Marina Suite
- £1050.04
- King or twin beds
- Sea view
- 170m2
- Sleeps up to 4
Deluxe Palm Suite
- £1100.64
- King or twin beds
- Palm Jumeirah view
- 170m2
- Sleeps up to 4
Sky Marina Suite
- £1,173.38
- King or twin beds
- Sweeping sea views
- 170m2
- Sleeps up to 4
Sky Palm Suite
- £1224.09
- King or twin beds
- Sweeping Palm Jumeirah views
- 170m2
- Sleeps up to 4
Panoramic One Bedroom Suite
- £1342.00
- King sized bed
- Sea & city views
- Work desk
- Guest bathroom
- 225m2
- Sleeps up to 4
Club One Bedroom Suite
- £2678.37
- King sized bed
- Panoramic ocean views
- Private bar/snooker table (in suite)
- 330m2
- Sleeps up to 4
Deluxe Two Bedroom Suite
- £3518.54
- King and twin beds
- Sea view
- Private living room
- Separate guest bathroom
- Staff entrance
- 335m2
- Sleeps up to 6
Burj Two Bedroom Family Suite
- £3688.11
- King and twin beds
- Sea view
- In-suite play area
- Private living room
- Staff entrance and private kitchen
- 335m2
- Sleeps up to 6
Burj Three Bedroom Family Suite
- £6301.09
- King and twin beds
- Sea view
- In-suite play area
- In-suite bar
- Two master bathrooms
- Private living room
- Private dining room
- Staff entrance & private butler’s kitchen
- 670m2
- Sleeps up to 8
Diplomatic Three Bedroom Suite
- £6657.30
- Three bedrooms
- Three living rooms
- Three master bathrooms
- AED 2000 resort credit
- Complimentary luxury airport transfers
- In-suite bar
- Private dining room
- Staff entrance & private butler’s kitchen
- 670m2
- Sleeps up to 8
What do the reviews say about the Burj Al Arab?
The reviews (pulled from TripAdvisor) are overwhelmingly positive. With a hotel that offers so many amenities, it is no surprise that those who stay here love it. Guests are treated like royalty, whether they actually are or not. There are some negative reviews, of course, but on the whole you can mostly find positive words about this 8 star hotel…
Good 8 star hotel reviews
“The service received at The Burj Al Arab was exceptional. We have never received such extraordinary service. Iryna was amazing she booked us a cabana at Sal pool within seconds of realizing our room wasn’t ready which was perfect. We were able to begin unwinding immediately without feeling like we had to kill time waiting for our room to be ready. Iryna made sure our special occasion was memorable. She notified the restaurant of the occasion and upon returning to the room we had another lovely surprise. Everyone should experience the magnificence of the Burj Al Arab.”
“Thank you to Julia and Iryna, the Guest Relations managers who went out if their way to make me feel extra special during my stay.
A special thanks to the warmth and kindness of Mercy who also made my stay extra special. I felt like a princess!
Thank you for a memorable mini treat just for me!”
“I would recommend for any travellers.We will be back again. wonderful stay . friendly staff.hospitality 100%
Food delicious various choices breakfast / lunch / Dinner.
No hesitation every single day we had awesome. what you pay what you will get definitely. Thanks!”
Bad reviews of this 8 star hotel
“In hospitality field there are touch points between the firm and customers one of these is reception ( check in ) took a while to find a room in excuse that the reservation made lately which was disappointing!!! During COVID-19 most hotels respect the rule of last customer check out the room should be out of service for minimum 1 day which mean rooms should be available otherwise no need to give the green light to do reservation through the website. Check out was another story and I confirm if I had the chance to use all services in Burj alarab I will be disappointed more , unfortunately you pay just for the building while the service quality is RIP, this is jumeirah unique icon hotel which should reflect the luxury hospitality but even the motel hospitality wouldn’t be as what I had in Burj alarab.”
“We stay 4 nights and it was far from meeting our expectation:
– room were never clean on time and not at all in one of the day we stayed there
– Butler was always confused and unhelpfull to the point we were simply not using him as everytime we requested something they either forget about it or not deliver on the request.
– we found the overall staff miss knowledge or lag of training in guest services
On a positive note, Ibrahim the phantom driver was very good and helpfull. If there is anything, this guys should be promoted to butler, he was by far the best staff we meet during our stay and he was very knowleageable of the city, activities, etc.”
As with any hotel, reviews are bound to be mixed. It comes down to personal experience at any given time. Generally, though, guests love the Burj Al Arab.
Is it worth the money?
Whether an 8 star hotel experience is worth the money is entirely relative. If you have the money to burn and want to be pampered in an abundance of space with luxury oozing out of every step, then you would probably think the Burj Al Arab is worth the money. For the average traveller, though, it likely isn’t. Dubai has many more affordable hotels if you are thinking of booking a trip!
8 star hotel- further reading
If you liked this article you may also be interested in-
- The truth about 7 star hotels
- The best 7 star hotels in India
- Hotel star rating system: A SIMPLE explanation
- The history of the hotel industry | Understanding tourism
- Types of hotels | Understanding tourism
