Stay at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai

“While one of the main reasons to stay at the Burj Al Arab is for the extravagance and entertainment, what positively delighted me was the level of service. Even though this hotel is a luxury factory in terms of the number of guests and behavior, service couldn’t have been better across the board. This hotel has an almost uncomfortably high staffing level, yet every single employee we interacted with was delightful. Despite this feeling like a “factory,” every employee managed to make us feel like we were the only guests there. [...] At the pool, they’d constantly refill our waters, offer to clean our sunglasses, and pass around complimentary treats.”

“But once I was there I kind of did. When we stepped into the vast lobby we were greeted by a queue of gracious staff members in exotic Arab-style uniforms who welcomed us and handed over chilled towels and drinks. The thing was that it seemed really genuine, they all appeared pleased to see us. Clearly they’re chosen by some rigorous selection process and intensively trained to give that impression. But still, when it works so well it doesn’t half make you feel special. And it wasn’t just the welcoming party, all the staff were like that throughout both stays.”

“One small thing I really got a kick out of in the suite was a clock that was projected on the wall behind the stairs so you could see the time each time you were heading downstairs or upstairs. It was a random, cute feature that was much more creative than just putting a plain old clock in. [...] Overall, the room was impressive. While it wasn't our style, it was fun to be in a place so unique and colorful.”