Bling on Abu Dhabi! The Emirates Palace Hotel has changed hands and is even more luxurious than before

When first impressions count, the concierge who greets guests at the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi makes a big impression. At 6ft 8″, Abdul Jabbar cuts an imposing figure as he towers over everyone – including me at 5ft 60″.

Named the third tallest man alive by Guinness World Records in 2009, he’s a fitting first step into a place where size is everything, cost is no object and bling is king.

The hotel, which just threw a lavish party to celebrate the transition from Emirates Palace to Mandarin Oriental, doesn’t do things by halves.

Inaugurated in 2005 on a plot of land half the size of Monaco, it was the third most expensive hotel built in the world at $3 billion.

First impressions are of a Gulf Grand Hotel, but it is more than that. It is located on almost a kilometer of private beach front made of imported white sand (proving you can sell sand to the Arabs), although hardly anyone in the sea and it doesn’t feel like a beach resort either.

The hotel sits on almost a kilometer of private beachfront made of imported white sand, but it doesn’t feel like a beach resort, notes Andrew.

A dangerous marine life sign with pictures of sea snakes and sharks was not exactly encouraging. No, this gigantic structure is exactly what it promises: a palace.

Further in, the 240 meter high central dome is one of the largest interior spaces in the world. With selfie-clicking tourists squealing excitedly over the polished stone floor, it’s less of a reception room and more like Rome’s St. Peter’s suddenly embraced hospitality.

There are still 113 domes with geometric patterns, 1,000 chandeliers made of Swarovski crystals, 200 fountains, 93,000 square meters of marble and 26,000 meters of 22k gold leaf. It is the only hotel with an in-house gold leaf specialist.

At one kilometer wide, the hotel (centre) is larger than Buckingham Palace

The hotel is decorated with 1,000 Swarovski crystal chandeliers, 200 fountains and 93,000 square meters of marble. Pictured right is Andrew with Abdul Jabbar, the hotel’s 7ft 6in tall doorman, who was named the 3rd tallest man in the world in 2009 by Guinness World Records

At a mile wide, it’s taller than Buckingham Palace, has 128 kitchens, a secret two-lane underground highway, and golf carts that shuttle people around.

At the rebranding party, where Ruinart champagne flowed as if it came from a very exclusive garden hose that no one could pour, a fellow guest who also attended the 2005 opening claimed that it was all “significantly bigger than my hotel. ” Her boast was a response to Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab.

Whatever the case, Dubai’s unstoppable journey to the furthest reaches of the blingosphere puts clear water between these two fast-developing neighbors.

Rooms and suites have undergone a “subtle, stylish makeover,” reveals Andrew. One of the “vegan rooms” is located on the top floor, which does not contain any animal products

“This is the only hotel with its own gold leaf specialist,” reveals Andrew. Upstairs is the bathroom in the hotel’s Royal Suite

However, Abu Dhabi has settled into a quieter travel direction; His testimonies are increasingly covered with a veneer of cultural respectability. An outpost of the Louvre in a beautiful building designed by Jean Nouvel, it occupies the purpose-built Saadiyat cultural district, which will be connected by a branch of the Guggenheim Museum and a natural history museum in 2025.

The handover of management of Abu Dhabi’s signature hotel to Mandarin Oriental is perhaps indicative of this more moderate pace of progress, although transforming such a hotel giant is no easy task.

The Mandarin, with its clique of famous “fans” from Helen Mirren to Morgan Freeman, exudes an image of understated sophistication that makes for a curious bedfellow at first glance.

I’ve definitely been a fan since being seduced by the colonial charm of Bangkok’s Oriental Hotel, from which the brand takes its name.

Stripped of any tendencies towards the Neapolitan godfather look, the rooms and suites have been repurposed with a subtle, stylish redesign.

There are two large outdoor pools and a lavish renovation of the Moroccan-inspired spa, due to be unveiled later this year

There are even six “vegan rooms”. You can’t eat the pillows, but travelers can now stay in an environment completely free of animal products, from toiletries to down-free bedding. There are two large outdoor pools and a lavish renovation of the Moroccan-inspired spa, which will be unveiled later this year.

Of the ten dining options, award-winning Chinese restaurant Hakkasan and Talea, acclaimed chef Antonio Guida’s first non-Italian outpost, each received one of the three stars awarded in Abu Dhabi’s first 2023 Michelin guide.

But it was people-watching on the expansive balconies of the Vendome restaurant, with a warm breeze blowing in from the gently shimmering Arabian Gulf, where Abu Dhabi’s grande dame cast a spell. It’s big, it’s busy, it’s all pretty amazing – just don’t take it too seriously.

The famous golden cappuccino with a 24-carat gold plate is served. It’s strange why anyone would eat gold for breakfast, but it’s clear that a Mandarin Oriental injection of sophistication isn’t going to change everything.

And why should it? In this part of the world, if it doesn’t have that bling, it just doesn’t mean anything.