United Arab Emirates – December 2015

Dubai’s Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs) is often called the world’s only seven-star hotel. However, the star rating for hotels officially only goes up to five. Going by the official rating, it would still need to go above five. One of the tallest hotels in the world, the Burj Al Arab has 28 double-story floors that accommodate a total of 202 suites, the smallest of which is larger than my first house.

The hotel offers a Rolls-Royce shuttle service and a helicopter. It is home to six restaurants, one of which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage. Suites start around $2,000 a night and go up to $24,000, though this includes a butler and a private chef.


Though Chinese, my wife was raised in London and has acquired a love for high tea. As my mother’s side of the family is British, I enjoy it as well, though I find the American version lacking and overpriced. High tea is meant to be a treat of tea, sandwiches, scones, and cake, while American high tea tends to skip the sandwiches or replace them with salads. No high tea should ever be served with salad.

We have had some exceptional high teas in London, and I have started seeking them out when we travel. When I found out that Burj Al Arab offers high tea, I was quick to book, as it should be both remarkable and the only way we’d ever be allowed in the place.


Clearly, we’re not the only ones into high tea, as the group we’ve joined is rather large and international. Our bus is stopped before the turn to the artificial island that holds the hotel, and our guide has to show a rather hefty folder to a security guard. Across the bridge, and it’s the same on the other side.

Once inside the hotel, he’s off with his folder to speak with someone at the front desk. The hotel’s lobby is grand and ornate, with long pillars of gold shooting up the sail-like structure of the building. I take a few photos while trying not to look too much like a tourist. Then again, half the people in the lobby seem to be taking photos, so it’s not like I’ll stick out. 


After a short wait, our group is escorted up very long escalators to the elevators. We’re broken into smaller groups and escorted up to the top floor, where our restaurant is located. We’re asked to stay on this floor until our tea is over, and we’re summoned back down. I suppose if I were spending thousands a night, I wouldn’t want commoners wandering the floors either. From the top-floor restaurant, one can look straight down into a sea of deep blue carpets and ornate wooden doors.


As we’ve only just met, everyone in our group is somewhat reserved. Still, we’re in such a beautiful location that my wife offers to take photos of couples and groups with their elegant tea settings. I use this time to explore a bit of the floor we’re on, trying to get in a few photos before our minder comes back to escort us down to the lobby and out of the hotel. As I get near the elevators, an attendant is keeping an eye on me. No worries, I return to our tea and pretend we belong.

This travel tale is included in my collection, Can’t Get Here from There: Fifty Tales of Travel. Buy it on Amazon.

Back to Travel Tales | Middle East