Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi

This article is about the 5-star hotel located in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. For the presidential palace of the United Arab Emirates, see Qasr Al Watan.

24°27′43″N 54°19′00″E / 24.4619°N 54.3167°E / 24.4619; 54.3167

Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
قصر الإمارات
Emirates Palace as seen from Etihad Towers
Interactive map of the Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi
قصر الإمارات area
General information
LocationRas Al Akhdar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
OpeningFebruary 2005
Cost$3 billion[1]
OwnerThe Government of Abu Dhabi
ManagementMandarin Oriental
Design and construction
ArchitectsWimberly Allison Tong & Goo
Other information
Number of rooms394
Website
Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental

The Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, Abu Dhabi[2] (Arabic: قصر الإمارات) is a luxury five-star hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It has been operated by Mandarin Oriental as of 1 January 2020. The hotel project was launched in December 2001[3] and was initially operated by Kempinski from its opening in November 2005 until 1 January 2020.[4]

Due to the change in management, the Palace was renovated over the course of two years.[5]

Construction

The building was designed by WATG Architects, combining modern construction methods with Islamic architectural elements such as symmetry, geometric patterns, and hierarchical emphasis. The structure includes a central patterned dome and 114 smaller domes spread across the building, with an exterior color inspired by Arabian Desert sand. Construction by the Belgian company BESIX began in December 2001.[6] Interior works were completed by Depa Interiors, and the hotel opened in February 2005. At a cost of approximately US$3 billion (11.02 billion dirhams), it was the third most expensive hotel ever built, following the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Marina Bay Sands.[7]

Rooms and facilities

Emirates Palace includes 390 residences, with 92 suites and 22 residential suites distributed across two wings and a central building.[8] The interiors feature gold and marble decor, with the main building containing a gold-patterned dome. The penthouse floor houses six Rulers' Suites reserved for visiting dignitaries and royalty.[9]

Facilities include two spas, over 40 meeting rooms, a 1.3 km beach, a marina, and two helicopter pads. The venue also features a ballroom for up to 2,500 people, luxury shops, and international restaurants.[8]

Events

Musical performances at the venue have included Justin Timberlake in December 2007 and Christina Aguilera in October 2008.[10] The hotel has also served as a filming location for The Kingdom (2007), Fast and Furious 7 (2015), 6 Underground (2019), and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024).[11][12]

In January 2011, the hotel grounds hosted a 2010–11 LV Cup match between London Wasps and Harlequins, marking the first English domestic rugby match played abroad.[13]

Awards

In 2008, the hotel received the International Five Star Diamond Award for the Middle East.[14] From 2011 to 2018, it was awarded in various categories by the World Travel Awards and World Spa Awards, including those for beach facilities, conference services, and spa treatments.[15][16][17][18]

  • Dome above the lobby area
  • Restaurants and main lounge
  • Outdoor swimming pool of Emirate Palace Hotel

References

  1. ^ "Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates". Hotel Management Network. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  2. ^ "Abu Dhabi's Emirates Palace Hotel gets new name 18 years after opening".
  3. ^ "Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi". Hotelmanagement. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Emirates Palace – Al Hashimya". Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Mandarin Oriental to Manage Luxury Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi". Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  6. ^ "Belgium's Besix to build Emirates Cement plant infrastructure". wam. 16 September 2005. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  7. ^ "The 10 most expensive buildings in the world". Construction Global. 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Emirates Palace – Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates". Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi". Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
  10. ^ Natalie Long (7 December 2007). "Timberlake rocks the crowd in Abu Dhabi". GulfNews. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Abu Dhabi is buzzing with Fast & Furious 7 filming rumours - The National". Archived from the original on 22 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Feeling the heat". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  13. ^ "London Wasps take match with Harlequins to Abu Dhabi". Premiership Rugby. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Emirates Palace named finest hotel in Mideast". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  15. ^ "Emirates Palace's 24-carat gold facial voted best spa treatment in the world". Arabian Business. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  16. ^ "Emirates Palace wins 7 World Travel Awards". Al Bayan. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  17. ^ "Spa that offers 24-carat gold facial among big winners of World Spa Awards". Yahoo News. 15 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2026. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  18. ^ "UAE Business: Emirates Palace wins two WTA awards". GDN Online. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Emirates Palace.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.