Dubai’s Atlantis hotel opens with $20 million party
The Atlantis Hotel on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai opened last Thursday with a multimillion-dollar star-spangled party, and a spectacular display of lighting and pyrotechnics.
Having spent $1.5 billion, the owners of the Atlantis hotel, which they hope will become the new symbol of excess in a region already replete with towering statements of wealth, splashed out $20 million on its opening.
In the lobby of the Atlantis about 2,000 guests sipped Dom Pérignon. Outside, A-list celebrities from Robert De Niro to Lindsay Lohan walked the red carpet.
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The World’s 10 Most Expensive Hotel Suites - 2008
Demand for the top end of the luxury hotel market has been unaffected by the credit crunch, keeping prices for the best rooms at very high levels : the superrich are still willing to spend huge sums on staying at the best hotel rooms in the world, paying as much as $34,000 a night to lodge at the most luxurious suites, according Wealth-Bulletin’s survey of the Top Ten Most Expensive Hotel Rooms in the World.
Also worth noting is the appearance of Dubai (the Burj Al Arab’s Royal Suite, above) and Moscow hotels on the list, which would have been unheard of just a couple years ago. Here are the Top 10:
1.The Warner PentHouse, Four Seasons;
New York, $34,000 per night.
2. Royal Penthouse suite, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva,
$33,000 per night.
3. The Presidential Suite, Hotel Cala Di Volpe, Costa
Smeralda, Italy $21,000 per night.
4. Royal Suite, Burj-Al-Arab, $18,000 per night.
5. Royal Armleder Suite, Le Richmond, Geneva, $17,500 per
night.
6. The Ritz Carlton Suite, The Ritz
Carlton, Moscow; 16,500 per night
7. The Royal Suite, Four Seasons George V, Paris; $15,500
per night
8. The Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt Vendome, Paris; 15,500 per
night
9. Brook Penthouse, Claridges, London, $10,000 per night
10. Penthouse Suite, Hotel Martinez, Cannes, $9,300 per
night (During the Cannes film festival week in May the price
rockets to $48,000 a night).
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Top 10 hotels showcasing Bangkok’s
amazing views
Already a tourist hot spot Bangkok is now unlike any time in the past, as the readers of Travel and Leisure just acknowledged by voting Bangkok the “World’s Best City, 2008″. Being a city so rich in sights and sounds, seemingly everywhere, Bangkok can feel overwhelming at times. Luckily Bangkok hotels have made enjoying the city’s wonderful madness a little easier, by creating outstanding viewpoints to enjoy this vast city. Agoda.com salutes Bangkok and proposes top 10 hotels to check out some of Bangkok’s amazing views.
Today, Bangkok sprawls in every direction, extending beyond the horizon. Still a massive network of
streets and sois, the city now bristles with skyscrapers, mega malls, elevated expressways and sky trains.
The ubiquitous food stalls, markets, world class shopping and nightlife still attract tourists in droves, but it’s
the elegance and modernity of the city that consistently surprises.
Michael Kenny, CEO of Agoda.com says “Bangkok is a city full of energy and beauty. It’s also a city with an eclectic mix of contradictions. The food stalls, markets, shopping and culture; all this activity happens in
surroundings that are both classically Thai and ultra-modern. The churning Chao Phraya River lined with ancient temples set against a modern skyline is truly a unique sight. Bangkok hotels have embraced the city’s diverse nature, creating rooftop bars, restaurants and viewpoints that rival anyplace in the world. Those who get to live in Bangkok experience all its delights on a daily basis. It looks like the rest of the world has finally started to take notice. Bangkok deserves this award.”
Agoda.com is an Asia-based, worldwide online hotel bookings company, renowned for its expertise in the
Bangkok marketplace and offers hotel reservations with 300 Bangkok hotels to choose from. The staff at Agoda has chosen the top 10 hotels where tourists can indulge in some amazing views of Thailand’s “City of Angels”.
Agoda’s Top 10 hotels showcasing Bangkok’s amazing views are:
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1. Lebua at State Tower, Sirocco-Located on the 63 rdfloor of The Dome at the Lebua at State Tower, Sirocco is the world’s highest al fresco restaurant. Also one of Bangkok’s most coveted dining choices, the experience never fails to leave one mesmerized. This award-winning restaurant offers breathtaking views of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River.
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