We reached Dubai at 10.00 pm where we
were met by an excellent Maharba Personal
Guest Representative and a rather balmy 24
degrees. She fast-tracked us through
immigration and walked us straight to our
chauffeur. Our luggage was loaded into the
trunk of the gleaming Rolls Royce Silver
Seraph, and Leah finally admitted that this
holiday ‘might just be worth it after all’.
About ten minutes into our journey, Leah
asked what the ‘multi-coloured spaceship on
the horizon’ was. ‘That,’ I grinned, ‘is where
we are staying.’ She didn’t believe me until
we began to make our journey across the
300-metre private causeway to the hotel (a
causeway that non-residents are obliged to
pay $55 for the privilege of crossing). At my
request the chauffeur stopped so that we
could hop out and fully savour the approach
to the hotel.
were met by an excellent Maharba Personal
Guest Representative and a rather balmy 24
degrees. She fast-tracked us through
immigration and walked us straight to our
chauffeur. Our luggage was loaded into the
trunk of the gleaming Rolls Royce Silver
Seraph, and Leah finally admitted that this
holiday ‘might just be worth it after all’.
About ten minutes into our journey, Leah
asked what the ‘multi-coloured spaceship on
the horizon’ was. ‘That,’ I grinned, ‘is where
we are staying.’ She didn’t believe me until
we began to make our journey across the
300-metre private causeway to the hotel (a
causeway that non-residents are obliged to
pay $55 for the privilege of crossing). At my
request the chauffeur stopped so that we
could hop out and fully savour the approach
to the hotel.
I had expected to be impressed by the
321-metre-tall structure, but now, standing a
mere 250 metres from the hotel, I was in
awe. Its façade was aglow with wonderful
reds and oranges, fires roared in huge
Olympic-flame style basins at its base, and a
large fountain sent water jets some 100
metres into the air. An awesome approach
indeed, only surpassed, perhaps, by an arrival
into the hotel by helicopter. It might not be
the only hotel in the world with a helicopter
for its guests, but it is the only one where
you alight on a helipad suspended some 200
metres above the ocean! Maybe next time, I
mused.
321-metre-tall structure, but now, standing a
mere 250 metres from the hotel, I was in
awe. Its façade was aglow with wonderful
reds and oranges, fires roared in huge
Olympic-flame style basins at its base, and a
large fountain sent water jets some 100
metres into the air. An awesome approach
indeed, only surpassed, perhaps, by an arrival
into the hotel by helicopter. It might not be
the only hotel in the world with a helicopter
for its guests, but it is the only one where
you alight on a helipad suspended some 200
metres above the ocean! Maybe next time, I
mused.
