Breakfast at the Burj Al Arab
You probably have heard or seen pictures of this hotel located in Dubai. The Burj Al Arab claims to be the first 7 star hotel in the world. There is no such classification; they created it for their hotel.
Recently I spent a few days in Dubai on my way to India. I love architecture and decoration and this hotel is a landmark in Dubai; I had to see it. My research indicated that in order to go to the hotel I needed to have a reservation in one of the bars or restaurants. You need to show the reservation at the gate in order to enter.
I read all the menus and I decided that breakfast was my best option, because my time was limited. I was not sure what to expect, at least the Ritz Carlton service, I thought.
The building has a gorgeous exterior and it looks absolutely beautiful against the clear sky and the pristine beach of this part of Dubai (Jumeira Beach). Its unique shape is truly impressive. It can be seen from a lot of places in Dubai and it is worth taking a close look, if not going to the hotel a good spot to see it is the Madinat Jumeirah mall posing as a traditional shouk (market) next door.
As I arrived I was asked for my confirmation number. As I entered the building I was offered dates after we were greeted. I read that at the time I take the escalator to go to the café I will have the WOW moment. It is a very interesting building inside, very ornate, a lot of attention to detail, it has aquariums on the walls going to the second floor and once you reach the second floor you can see the grand atrium. It is magnificent, but I did not have a big WOW, although unique, it reminded me of Vegas.
My breakfast was good, service was good, everything was good. Excellent and memorable… not really. Dirty dishes lingered on my table, I asked for more juice and it only came at the end when I asked again and the coffee we requested at the beginning of the meal came at the end. I have gotten better service at many other places. My favorite parts were the bathroom that offered Hermes hand cream and of course the view. The cafeteria overlooks the wonderful beach and a small part of the turquoise sea.
I have no doubt that the hotel offered great accommodations and good service. I saw one of the restaurants; the decoration was interesting (like a theme restaurant) and probably the food is good, my experience is only mine, there are a lot of people saying good things about the Burj. I will not give seven stars to the breakfast; not even four and half.
In the Delhi airport I saw a shopping bag from this hotel it said “Burj Al Arab, the worlds most luxurious hotel.” It probably is, because not only it has a lot of gold leaves, but also it only has big suites, not a combination of rooms at different prices as other hotels do.
The breakfast has a fixed price of about US$55.00 per person. It includes: a cute tray with yogurt, muesli, a little bit of fruits, two bite side bagels, one with smoked salmon, the other with turkey, tiny pastries, toasts, tea or any type of coffee, fresh juice and a main entrée: I had eggs. It is plenty of food, it is nicely presented and it tasted good. Was it worthy? That is relative, the breakfast for me was OK, I wanted to see the hotel and I am pleased. Do I think this was the best breakfast ever? No, it was a nice breakfast not a feast.
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