Golden Hogwarts
Abu Dhabi's latest mega-hotel, the "seven-star" Emirates Palace, is breathtakingly grandiose from the exterior. Inside, it is a bizarre labyrinth of passages, atria, winding stairways and escalators, vaulted ceilings and cloisters, all bathed in an unnatural, yellow-beige-gold light.
Everything is in the same tones of gold and beige and pale brown and cream: there is no contrast at all. The problem is that some truly beautiful details: a gold mosaic, or a moulded ceiling like the inside of a golden shell, are lost in the all-pervasive beigeness. There is also a dearth of natural light.
The staff is excellent, the rooms lovely (bar the buggy remote entertainment/ambience control system), the food superb: but the overall interior effect is Hogwarts converted into the world's largest airport lounge.
Everything is in the same tones of gold and beige and pale brown and cream: there is no contrast at all. The problem is that some truly beautiful details: a gold mosaic, or a moulded ceiling like the inside of a golden shell, are lost in the all-pervasive beigeness. There is also a dearth of natural light.
The staff is excellent, the rooms lovely (bar the buggy remote entertainment/ambience control system), the food superb: but the overall interior effect is Hogwarts converted into the world's largest airport lounge.
Labels: abu dhabi, emirates palace, hotels
7 Comments:
It looks like we can't win. We either have the Burj Al Arab that looks like it was designed by Salvadore Dali and built by King Midas, or we get bland beige monotones.
However, it does nicely illustrate the differences between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. One is brash and outlandish, the other conservative and traditional.
Actually, seeing Emirates Palace has given me a new appreciation for the Burj. OK - it is "Versace on acid" - but the big gold pillars are nicely contrasted with bright colours, there is a heap of natural light, and interesting and spectacular features like the fish tanks and interior fountain.
It is truly unique.
There is also no way with such an original, space-age exterior and structure that you could fit out the interior to match any genre of traditional decor. So I have a better understanding now of why they did it like they did it.
As for Al Muntaha and its bizarre decor - well we all know why that was kitted out that way - *nudge* *wink* at a good-old expat legend...
Anyway if you visit Emirates Palace, let me know what you think. The breakfast restaurant (Le Vencome?) was actually lovely, with vaulted ceilings - but it enjoyed masses of natural light as well. Much of the rest is really bland though.
Speaking of bland. I was in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago, and whilst stopped at traffic lights I realised that out of the forty or so cars that were queued up, mine was the only one that wasn't white.
White must be the new black in Abu Dhabi.
Apparently something called KYA did the interior design, but I can't find a website for them.
I also noticed that they would ring the doorbell, barely wait two seconds, then start turning the handle. I didn't say anything, but that is TOTALLY unacceptable - I cannot imagine why they are doing it. Wait until a male staff member walks in to a local lady coming out of the bathroom, for example.
I would like hotels to introduce a system where on arrival, you can tick a box for service to be "relaxed" or "attentive".
Interestingly, a Saudi female journo I know who stayed at the Burj on a press trip (to review it) had exactly the same complaint. She was literally disturbed every quarter of an hour by room service. When she stopped answering the door, they started phoning her: "Madam - is everything ok? Don't you want your fruit bowl!"
I was interested in staying at these two hotels (Burj and Emirate Palace) so these were good information! Well, grand service and privacy are usually not synonymous. My friend once stayed at a hotel in Korea and was so annoyed by the butler who was standing 24 hours right outside the door.
But is it not a good feeling that everything is taken cared by the service? Did you not actually feel like a king or queen? You end up learning to be very lazy, though.
For example, another friend who stayed in Indonesia with large help ended up even forgetting how to wipe the kitchen table.
For absolute sheer opulence and a really bizarre, unique experience, the Burj might be your best bet. But AD is definitely worth visiting, and there may well be some good restaurants open now at Emirates Palace (it wasn't fully open when I stayed there).
The main complaint I hear from people staying at the Burj is that they are "overserved" - they can't get any peace because there is too much attention.
It's led me to think that it would be a good idea for hotels to ask guests what level of attention they would like when they arrive: "relaxed" or "attentive". If the former, endless doorknocks with complementary drinks, fruit bowls, bed-turn-downs, bath-pourers etc etc could be reduced/omitted, along with the lengthy introductory tour of the in-room entertainment system and facilities (when all you want to do after a long flight is shower and sleep). These things could easily be done on request only.
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