Breakfast at the Burj

Rising majestically from the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Burj al Arab looks like a massive sail boat anchored just offshore of the coast of Dubai, UAE.  It's the world's only 7-star hotel and their cheapest rooms are over 1,800 square feet and cost over $1,700 USD.  As a travel snob, I knew i had to visit this hotel during my stay in Dubai.  However, my bank account is a bit too small to keep up with my expensive taste, so I had to settle for a breakfast reservation instead of a room reservation.

Our taxi was stopped at the gate and we had to show our reservation number to even get onto the road that connects mainland Dubai to the artificial island the Burj al Arab is situated on.  We felt a bit like rock stars as our taxi passed by dozens of tourists taking pictures from the gate.  We pulled up to the door and hopped out.  It was only 10am and we were eager to escape the already oppressive Middle Eastern heat.

We walked into the lobby and were greeted by a young man wearing a traditional white robe and headdress. He showed us to the escalators and gave us directions to the restaurant.  We spent a few moments wandering around the atrium, gaping at the colors and the shapes that occupied every inch of the hotel.  The breakfast restaurant is in the main atrium, which meant the elevators were off-limits for us.  If you eat at any of the other restaurants, you have to take the elevators up and are able to wander around the upper level of the hotel.

You know you're at a fancy place when they have Hermes lotion in the bathroom.

We were greeted and taken to our table next to a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the water and the resort and water park across the street.  

As a part of breakfast, you can order juice and coffee/tea/hot chocolate, then you get a platter of yogurt, muesli, little bagels and assorted fruit.  After you finish that, your main course comes out.  There were about 7 choices and I chose the eggs and hash browns.  To finish off the breakfast you have your choice of pastries, but we were too full to eat them.  Of course, the breakfast was much prettier than what you'd get at IHOP or Denny's and much, much more expensive.

It was tasty, but not $70 tasty, but we knew we were paying more for the location than the food.  How many times in your life can you say you ate breakfast at the Burj al Arab? 

(ps-the answer to that question: not many.  You couldn't afford to do it again!)