Burj Khalifa, Dubai

I've visited some of the tallest, and most famous skyscrapers in the world - Willis Tower in Chicago, the twin Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, and the Empire State Building. All are impressive, some beautiful, but none are like the Burj Khalifa. It is a stunning building for sure - a graceful spire with a shimmering surface which blends the reflected sand and blue skies into an Arabian metaphor. But more than that it feels the entire Downtown district, possibly even the entire city, was built to make the Burj Khalifa look amazing.

From every angle in the Burj Park a lazy photographer like myself can look up and find an impressive shot. From all over the city the near kilometer high spire can be seen far above the skyline of an already sky high city. Whether you see the Burj Khalifa under the burning orb of the midday sun, the glowing embers of a desert sunset, or lit up at night with a million watts of electrical energy, it looks incredible. Even if they build something taller, it's unlikely anything will look this dramatic.

Climbing the tower is not quite as breathtaking as looking at it from beneath, mostly because Dubai just isn't that interesting a city and with an observation tower over half a kilometer up, everything just looks small. It's worth doing, just for the accomplishment, and it's relatively cheap compared to other towers in the world. It's also pretty well organised, making the inevitable queues a little more bearable. Buy your tickets online and turn up at your allotted hour. Just give yourself plenty of time because it's a long walk from the metro stop and the mall is a big and confusing place.

I had to get a ticket to the Burj Khalifa open-air observatory on level 124. At 828m it is the tallest man-made structure to date. However you would not be that high on the public observatory.

Advance purchase tickets online cost 100 AED plus 5 AED fee, walk-in fees are 400 AED! You must have photo ID to collect your prepaid tickets.

The building has 57 elevators and 8 escalators, but to reach L124 you go straight up in one elevator. The ride is smooth, with the only indication you are moving being the digital floor counter changing rapidly!

Your 'At The Top', Burj Khalifa visit begins in the reception area on the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall. Here you will be entertained and informed by a multi-media presentation that chronicles Dubai’s exotic history and the fascinating story of Burj Khalifa.

Leave the reception area aboard the 65-metre-long travelator on a trip that transports you through time, from the earliest days of Dubai to the present. Pause briefly at a unique viewing point for your first close-up view of the soaring Burj Khalifa, seen through a skylight framing its awe-inspiring height.

Begin your vertical ascent to the observation deck in a high-speed elevator, travelling at 10 metres per second. As the doors open, floor-to-ceiling glass walls provide a breath-taking unobstructed 360-degree view of the city, desert and ocean. By night, sparkling lights and stars compete for your attention.

Special telescopes provide virtual time-travel visions of the scenes beyond and below. You’ll see close-up real-time views as well as the past and the future, by day and by night. You can also walk the entire perimeter for the most comprehensive views. If you wish, adventure outside onto the open-air terrace to enjoy another perspective of the sweeping views below.

It was quite an experience to feel how windy it was in the open-air terrace & hence pretty cool temperature-wise!

In just 1,325 days since excavation work started in January, 2004, Burj Khalifa became the tallest free-standing structure in the world. Excavation started in January 2004 and January 2010 saw the Official launch ceremony.

It has just been announced that the Dubai Tower is now the tallest building on earth [152.1 m. . I first saw it when it had reached 20 storeys, and now it has 141 , I think. It is still under construction and has scaffolding over it. It catches the eye as you drive through Dubai. Depending on the angle it looks sometimes tall, and sometimes only a bit taller than its neighbours.

To see what stage it is now and a plan of the finished building see the website at burjdubai.com

2014 The complex is magnificent . There is a display of dancing fountain in the evening, a huge aquarium, a traditional style suq as well as modern shops.

Burj meaning Tower and Khalifa is the name of the President of the U.A.E. -- is the name given to the tallest tower in the world. It is 829.8 m tall, 2722 feet!,One can visit the 124 th floor of this towering building for a fee. If booked online the entrance fee is 130 aed per person, but if you book without a prior booking directly then it is as high as 450 aed. It is best to book for a 5 p.m. Visit so that you get to see the view from atop both in day light as well as in the night when the whole city is lit up.
There is a souvenir shop selling all kinds of memorabilia which are quite expensive. There are also plenty of opportunities to take pictures. There are professional photographers who will click pictures of you in various poses that they suggest for a fee of course !! You can view the city though a telescope that is kept there.
On New Year's Eve this building is lit up and water fountains from the towers are opened which make it a very attractive sight.
There are locker facilities at the entrance of the towers to keep your belongings safe. They do not allow you to carry eatables. Water is allowed.
Lifts that are claimed to be the fastest in the world take you up in a jiffy. The air pressure might hurt your ears and you are advised to talk or chew I order to release the pressure in the ears.
This is an exciting thing to do in Dubai no doubt!

One good thing upon being at the At The Top Observation Deck in the burj Khalifa Tower is that they have free Augmented Reality Monitors at several areas around the Deck that you can point on a particular area and then it will be shown to you in good quality.

according to wikipedia:

The observation deck also features the Behold Telescope, an augmented reality device developed by gsmprjct° of Montréal, which allows visitors to view the surrounding landscape in real-time, and to view previously saved images such as those taken at different times of day or under different weather conditions.[

Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality.[1] By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one.[2][3] Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally manipulable. Artificial information about the environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world.[4][5][6][7]

You Can buy tickets in advance online via their website but only the general admission (date and timed) and you must be there 30 minutes before the scheduled date and time of entry or they will forfeit your ticket. Admission price is AED 125 for adults and AED 85 for children below 4 years old and you can print you online ticket with the date and time of the entrance in it and show it to the ticket counter.

You can also buy general admission tickets at their ticket counter at the dubai mall but you would end up getting tickets that are too late (example is arriving at 9:00 am and then trying to buy tickets for 10:00 am but the available ones will be 5:00 pm and above as many people buy thei tickets online in advance). If you don't want to wait for a good timed ticket, you can get ahea of line by buying the Immediate Entry Ticket but it will cost you 400 AED! (more than 3x times the regular price! both for adults and children admission prices.

There is a long, winding line from the ticket booth up to the elevator going up the observation deck and average waiting time is 30 minutes to 50 minutes before you can be at the top of the observation deck.

There is no time limit for staying at the Observation Deck, however, it is crammed with people and 30 minutes is enough as there is not much to do at the observation deck than taking pictures, videos, buying souvenirs and using augmented reality telescopes in the observation deck.

Upon exiting the elevator, you are now inside the Dubai Mall near the Waterfront Promenade so you can watch the Dubai Fountain Show or hang out at the cafes or go to the Dubai Mall inside or across the lake to Souk Al Bahar Mall.

If you are at the At the Top Observation Deck in the Burj Khalifa and even if you use the augmented reality telescopes provided for free at the tower to see distant landmarks from the Tower, like the world palm islands or the jumeirah beaches or the burj al arab or even the palm islands and Atlantis or the Dubai International Airport and Dubai Creek, then you must have a powerful optical zoom camera! not the bulky telephoto DSLR camera ok! that's where the Canon powershot SX 50 camera and the pocket ultrazoom cameras come in! so you can take photos and videos from far away. i know, the quality of DLSR is better, but are you willing to bring a large luggage to tag along the observation deck so that you can have a 400 to 600 mm telephoto DLSR lens to take pictures or videos? I don't think so!

You Can buy tickets in advance online via their website but only the general admission (date and timed) and you must be there 30 minutes before the scheduled date and time of entry or they will forfeit your ticket. Admission price is AED 125 for adults and AED 85 for children below 4 years old and you can print you online ticket with the date and time of the entrance in it and show it to the ticket counter.

You can also buy general admission tickets at their ticket counter at the dubai mall but you would end up getting tickets that are too late (example is arriving at 9:00 am and then trying to buy tickets for 10:00 am but the available ones will be 5:00 pm and above as many people buy thei tickets online in advance). If you don't want to wait for a good timed ticket, you can get ahea of line by buying the Immediate Entry Ticket but it will cost you 400 AED! (more than 3x times the regular price! both for adults and children admission prices.

There is a long, winding line from the ticket booth up to the elevator going up the observation deck and average waiting time is 30 minutes to 50 minutes before you can be at the top of the observation deck.

There is no time limit for staying at the Observation Deck, however, it is crammed with people and 30 minutes is enough as there is not much to do at the observation deck than taking pictures, videos, buying souvenirs and using augmented reality telescopes in the observation deck.

Upon exiting the elevator, you are now inside the Dubai Mall near the Waterfront Promenade so you can watch the Dubai Fountain Show or hang out at the cafes or go to the Dubai Mall inside or across the lake to Souk Al Bahar Mall.

If you are at the At the Top Observation Deck in the Burj Khalifa and even if you use the augmented reality telescopes provided for free at the tower to see distant landmarks from the Tower, like the world palm islands or the jumeirah beaches or the burj al arab or even the palm islands and Atlantis or the Dubai International Airport and Dubai Creek, then you must have a powerful optical zoom camera! not the bulky telephoto DSLR camera ok! that's where the Canon powershot SX 50 camera and the pocket ultrazoom cameras come in! so you can take photos and videos from far away. i know, the quality of DLSR is better, but are you willing to bring a large luggage to tag along the observation deck so that you can have a 400 to 600 mm telephoto DLSR lens to take pictures or videos? I don't think so!

You Can buy tickets in advance online via their website but only the general admission (date and timed) and you must be there 30 minutes before the scheduled date and time of entry or they will forfeit your ticket. Admission price is AED 125 for adults and AED 85 for children below 4 years old and you can print you online ticket with the date and time of the entrance in it and show it to the ticket counter.

You can also buy general admission tickets at their ticket counter at the dubai mall but you would end up getting tickets that are too late (example is arriving at 9:00 am and then trying to buy tickets for 10:00 am but the available ones will be 5:00 pm and above as many people buy thei tickets online in advance). If you don't want to wait for a good timed ticket, you can get ahea of line by buying the Immediate Entry Ticket but it will cost you 400 AED! (more than 3x times the regular price! both for adults and children admission prices.

There is a long, winding line from the ticket booth up to the elevator going up the observation deck and average waiting time is 30 minutes to 50 minutes before you can be at the top of the observation deck.

There is no time limit for staying at the Observation Deck, however, it is crammed with people and 30 minutes is enough as there is not much to do at the observation deck than taking pictures, videos, buying souvenirs and using augmented reality telescopes in the observation deck.

Upon exiting the elevator, you are now inside the Dubai Mall near the Waterfront Promenade so you can watch the Dubai Fountain Show or hang out at the cafes or go to the Dubai Mall inside or across the lake to Souk Al Bahar Mall.

Part four of my Multi Tip pictures, this one on the Inside Viewing Deck

Again, like what I've said, the only access to the Burj Khalifa Tower for tourists is via the luxe Armani Hotel if you are a registered guest or is a guest of one of the rich owners of a unit of the Armani Condominium Units and Burk Khalifa Units or via the At The Top Observation Deck, which is located at the 124rth floor and is accessed via the Dubai Mall Entrance where you can buy tickets and then fall in line to the 1 minute elevator ride via 2 elevators going up and down the observation deck.

The Observation deck is only the second highest even though the Burj Khalifa is the World's Highest Tower since the deck is located lower thant the higher observation deck of the CN Tower in Toronto (they have 2 levels in CN Tower and the 2nd level is higher than the single observation deck of the Burj Khalifa Tower.

Tips:

You Can buy tickets in advance online via their website but only the general admission (date and timed) and you must be there 30 minutes before the scheduled date and time of entry or they will forfeit your ticket. Admission price is AED 125 for adults and AED 85 for children below 4 years old and you can print you online ticket with the date and time of the entrance in it and show it to the ticket counter.

You can also buy general admission tickets at their ticket counter at the dubai mall but you would end up getting tickets that are too late (example is arriving at 9:00 am and then trying to buy tickets for 10:00 am but the available ones will be 5:00 pm and above as many people buy thei tickets online in advance). If you don't want to wait for a good timed ticket, you can get ahea of line by buying the Immediate Entry Ticket but it will cost you 400 AED! (more than 3x times the regular price! both for adults and children admission prices.

There is a long, winding line from the ticket booth up to the elevator going up the observation deck and average waiting time is 30 minutes to 50 minutes before you can be at the top of the observation deck.

There is no time limit for staying at the Observation Deck, however, it is crammed with people and 30 minutes is enough as there is not much to do at the observation deck than taking pictures, videos, buying souvenirs and using augmented reality telescopes in the observation deck.

Upon exiting the elevator, you are now inside the Dubai Mall near the Waterfront Promenade so you can watch the Dubai Fountain Show or hang out at the cafes or go to the Dubai Mall inside or across the lake to Souk Al Bahar Mall.

according to their website:

'At The Top' - Burj Khalifa's Observation Deck

The high point of any Khalifa experience is the view from At The Top, Burj Khalifa's observation deck. Located on level 124 of the world's tallest tower, this observatory is destined to be the highlight of any visit to the Middle East.

The journey begins in the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall. Throughout the journey to the top, visitors are entertained by a multi-media presentation of the exotic history of Dubai and the marvel of Burj Khalifa.

Take home a lasting memento of your At The Top experience. Shop at either of two At The Top boutiques: on Level 124 for ticket holders, or the publicly accessible boutique on the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall.

Opens: 10:00 am to 1:00 am everyday

Part three of my Multi Tip pictures, this one on the Outside Viewing Deck

Again, like what I've said, the only access to the Burj Khalifa Tower for tourists is via the luxe Armani Hotel if you are a registered guest or is a guest of one of the rich owners of a unit of the Armani Condominium Units and Burk Khalifa Units or via the At The Top Observation Deck, which is located at the 124rth floor and is accessed via the Dubai Mall Entrance where you can buy tickets and then fall in line to the 1 minute elevator ride via 2 elevators going up and down the observation deck.

The Observation deck is only the second highest even though the Burj Khalifa is the World's Highest Tower since the deck is located lower thant the higher observation deck of the CN Tower in Toronto (they have 2 levels in CN Tower and the 2nd level is higher than the single observation deck of the Burj Khalifa Tower.

Tips:

You Can buy tickets in advance online via their website but only the general admission (date and timed) and you must be there 30 minutes before the scheduled date and time of entry or they will forfeit your ticket. Admission price is AED 125 for adults and AED 85 for children below 4 years old and you can print you online ticket with the date and time of the entrance in it and show it to the ticket counter.

You can also buy general admission tickets at their ticket counter at the dubai mall but you would end up getting tickets that are too late (example is arriving at 9:00 am and then trying to buy tickets for 10:00 am but the available ones will be 5:00 pm and above as many people buy thei tickets online in advance). If you don't want to wait for a good timed ticket, you can get ahea of line by buying the Immediate Entry Ticket but it will cost you 400 AED! (more than 3x times the regular price! both for adults and children admission prices.

There is a long, winding line from the ticket booth up to the elevator going up the observation deck and average waiting time is 30 minutes to 50 minutes before you can be at the top of the observation deck.

There is no time limit for staying at the Observation Deck, however, it is crammed with people and 30 minutes is enough as there is not much to do at the observation deck than taking pictures, videos, buying souvenirs and using augmented reality telescopes in the observation deck.

Upon exiting the elevator, you are now inside the Dubai Mall near the Waterfront Promenade so you can watch the Dubai Fountain Show or hang out at the cafes or go to the Dubai Mall inside or across the lake to Souk Al Bahar Mall.

according to their website:

'At The Top' - Burj Khalifa's Observation Deck

The high point of any Khalifa experience is the view from At The Top, Burj Khalifa's observation deck. Located on level 124 of the world's tallest tower, this observatory is destined to be the highlight of any visit to the Middle East.

The journey begins in the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall. Throughout the journey to the top, visitors are entertained by a multi-media presentation of the exotic history of Dubai and the marvel of Burj Khalifa.

Take home a lasting memento of your At The Top experience. Shop at either of two At The Top boutiques: on Level 124 for ticket holders, or the publicly accessible boutique on the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall.

Opens: 10:00 am to 1:00 am everyday

Part two of my Multi Tip pictures, this one on the waiting line and elevator ride.

Again, like what I've said, the only access to the Burj Khalifa Tower for tourists is via the luxe Armani Hotel if you are a registered guest or is a guest of one of the rich owners of a unit of the Armani Condominium Units and Burk Khalifa Units or via the At The Top Observation Deck, which is located at the 124rth floor and is accessed via the Dubai Mall Entrance where you can buy tickets and then fall in line to the 1 minute elevator ride via 2 elevators going up and down the observation deck.

The Observation deck is only the second highest even though the Burj Khalifa is the World's Highest Tower since the deck is located lower thant the higher observation deck of the CN Tower in Toronto (they have 2 levels in CN Tower and the 2nd level is higher than the single observation deck of the Burj Khalifa Tower.

Tips:

You Can buy tickets in advance online via their website but only the general admission (date and timed) and you must be there 30 minutes before the scheduled date and time of entry or they will forfeit your ticket. Admission price is AED 125 for adults and AED 85 for children below 4 years old and you can print you online ticket with the date and time of the entrance in it and show it to the ticket counter.

You can also buy general admission tickets at their ticket counter at the dubai mall but you would end up getting tickets that are too late (example is arriving at 9:00 am and then trying to buy tickets for 10:00 am but the available ones will be 5:00 pm and above as many people buy thei tickets online in advance). If you don't want to wait for a good timed ticket, you can get ahea of line by buying the Immediate Entry Ticket but it will cost you 400 AED! (more than 3x times the regular price! both for adults and children admission prices.

There is a long, winding line from the ticket booth up to the elevator going up the observation deck and average waiting time is 30 minutes to 50 minutes before you can be at the top of the observation deck.

There is no time limit for staying at the Observation Deck, however, it is crammed with people and 30 minutes is enough as there is not much to do at the observation deck than taking pictures, videos, buying souvenirs and using augmented reality telescopes in the observation deck.

Upon exiting the elevator, you are now inside the Dubai Mall near the Waterfront Promenade so you can watch the Dubai Fountain Show or hang out at the cafes or go to the Dubai Mall inside or across the lake to Souk Al Bahar Mall.

according to their website:

'At The Top' - Burj Khalifa's Observation Deck

The high point of any Khalifa experience is the view from At The Top, Burj Khalifa's observation deck. Located on level 124 of the world's tallest tower, this observatory is destined to be the highlight of any visit to the Middle East.

The journey begins in the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall. Throughout the journey to the top, visitors are entertained by a multi-media presentation of the exotic history of Dubai and the marvel of Burj Khalifa.

Take home a lasting memento of your At The Top experience. Shop at either of two At The Top boutiques: on Level 124 for ticket holders, or the publicly accessible boutique on the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall.

Opens: 10:00 am to 1:00 am everyday

This will be a multi part tip with assorted pictures of the Observation Deck, Ticket, lines, etc.

Again, like what I've said, the only access to the Burj Khalifa Tower for tourists is via the luxe Armani Hotel if you are a registered guest or is a guest of one of the rich owners of a unit of the Armani Condominium Units and Burk Khalifa Units or via the At The Top Observation Deck, which is located at the 124rth floor and is accessed via the Dubai Mall Entrance where you can buy tickets and then fall in line to the 1 minute elevator ride via 2 elevators going up and down the observation deck.

The Observation deck is only the second highest even though the Burj Khalifa is the World's Highest Tower since the deck is located lower thant the higher observation deck of the CN Tower in Toronto (they have 2 levels in CN Tower and the 2nd level is higher than the single observation deck of the Burj Khalifa Tower.

Tips:

You Can buy tickets in advance online via their website but only the general admission (date and timed) and you must be there 30 minutes before the scheduled date and time of entry or they will forfeit your ticket. Admission price is AED 125 for adults and AED 85 for children below 4 years old and you can print you online ticket with the date and time of the entrance in it and show it to the ticket counter.

You can also buy general admission tickets at their ticket counter at the dubai mall but you would end up getting tickets that are too late (example is arriving at 9:00 am and then trying to buy tickets for 10:00 am but the available ones will be 5:00 pm and above as many people buy thei tickets online in advance). If you don't want to wait for a good timed ticket, you can get ahea of line by buying the Immediate Entry Ticket but it will cost you 400 AED! (more than 3x times the regular price! both for adults and children admission prices.

There is a long, winding line from the ticket booth up to the elevator going up the observation deck and average waiting time is 30 minutes to 50 minutes before you can be at the top of the observation deck.

There is no time limit for staying at the Observation Deck, however, it is crammed with people and 30 minutes is enough as there is not much to do at the observation deck than taking pictures, videos, buying souvenirs and using augmented reality telescopes in the observation deck.

Upon exiting the elevator, you are now inside the Dubai Mall near the Waterfront Promenade so you can watch the Dubai Fountain Show or hang out at the cafes or go to the Dubai Mall inside or across the lake to Souk Al Bahar Mall.

according to their website:

'At The Top' - Burj Khalifa's Observation Deck

The high point of any Khalifa experience is the view from At The Top, Burj Khalifa's observation deck. Located on level 124 of the world's tallest tower, this observatory is destined to be the highlight of any visit to the Middle East.

The journey begins in the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall. Throughout the journey to the top, visitors are entertained by a multi-media presentation of the exotic history of Dubai and the marvel of Burj Khalifa.

Take home a lasting memento of your At The Top experience. Shop at either of two At The Top boutiques: on Level 124 for ticket holders, or the publicly accessible boutique on the lower ground level of The Dubai Mall.

Opens: 10:00 am to 1:00 am everyday

This tip will be on the different views of the Burj Khalifa from different photos with many angles.

We All know that the Burj Khalifa is the Tallest Building in the world, but the only public access for the tourists like us is only the At The Top Observatory at the 124rth floor or at the Armani Hotel, located at the other side. Unless you are invited by a rich friend owning one of the different condominium units in the tower or you have official business on one of the Offices of the Emaar Properties Group in the Tower, then you can not enter other areas of the Burj Khalifa Tower.

according to their website:

Bringing Burj Khalifa to life required a combination of visionary ideals and solid science. In the process, the project amassed an awe-inspiring number of facts, figures, and statistics.

World Records

At over 828 metres (2,716.5 feet) and more than 160 stories, Burj Khalifa holds the following records:

•
Tallest building in the world

•
Tallest free-standing structure in the world

•
Highest number of stories in the world

•
Highest occupied floor in the world

•
Highest outdoor observation deck in the world

•
Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world

•
Tallest service elevator in the world

Tallest of the Supertall

Not only is Burj Khalifa the world’s tallest building, it has also broken two other impressive records: tallest structure, previously held by the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, and tallest free-standing structure, previously held by Toronto’s CN Tower. The Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has established 3 criteria to determine what makes a tall building tall. Burj Khalifa wins by far in all three categories.

Height to architectural top
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building. This includes spires, but does not include antennae, signage, flagpoles or other functional-technical equipment. This measurement is the most widely used and is used to define the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat rankings of the Tallest Buildings in the World.

Highest occupied floor
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest continually occupied floor within the building. Maintenance areas are not included.

Height to tip
Height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the highest point of the building, irrespective of material or function of the highest element. This includes antennae, flagpoles, signage and other functional-technical equipment.

The Armani Hotel was the site of the Dubai escapade of Ethan Hawke (Tom Cruise) in Dubai if you watched Mission Impossible 4. The Armani Hotel Entrance is located differently from the At The Top Observation Deck entrance in Dubai Mall. You have to walk across the street for 800 meters (1/2 mile) to the other side of the Burj Khalifa Tower to enter the armani hotel and our taxi driver dropped us off there instead of the Obvervation Deck Entrance at the Other side, hence we have picture of the front of it but is not allowed to enter the luxe hotel as ony check in guests are allowed to enter there.

according to their website:

Soaring high above Downtown Dubai in the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, Armani Hotel Dubai is the world’s first hotel designed and developed by Giorgio Armani. Reflecting the pure elegance, simplicity and sophisticated comfort that define Armani’s signature style, the hotel is the realisation of the designer’s long-held dream to bring his sophisticated style to life in the most complete way and offer his customers a Stay with Armani experience. Every detail in the hotel bears the Armani signature, beginning with the warm Italian-style hospitality and moving to each element of the design from the Eramosa stone floors to the zebrawood panels, bespoke furnishings and personally designed hotel amenities.

Sophisticated colors, clean lines and unique textures blend together seamlessly with the tower’s stunning architecture and natural light to create an atmosphere of calm serenity where guests can retreat into a world of minimalist elegance.

Nestled in the world’s tallest tower, occupying the concourse level to level 8 and levels 38 and 39, Armani Hotel Dubai offers sweeping views of the city. With its own dedicated entrance to the tower, it is easily accessible within walking distance to the world’s largest mall and some of the region’s most exclusive leisure and business outlets.

The hotel features:
•24 Armani Studio rooms
•54 Armani Classic rooms
•26 Armani Premiere rooms
•4 Armani Premiere rooms with Balcony
•26 Armani Suites
•2 Armani Suites with Balcony
•12 Armani Executive Suites
•3 Armani Ambassador Suites
•3 Armani Ambassador Suites with Balcony
•5 Armani Signature Suites
•1 Armani Dubai Suite

Dine:
Armani Hotel features eight restaurants offering a wide choice of world cuisines ranging from Japanese and Indian to Mediterranean and authentic fine-dining Italian. The impressive culinary options reflect the cosmopolitan nature of the city.

Shop:
Armani Hotel guests can take home part of the Armani lifestyle experience with carefully selected products from the designers’ unique in-house retail outlets.

ARMANI / DOLCI:
Armani/Dolci offers a sweet selection of biscuits and chocolates, petits fours, biscotti and more, all bearing the unmistakable Armani signature.

ARMANI / FIORI:
Armani/Fiori features fresh flower arrangements and exclusively designed vases by Giorgio Armani. The vases’ quintessential designs follow the fluid shapes of the flowers themselves. Delight in the signature flower: a simple yet elegant white rose.

ARMANI / Galleria:
Armani/Galleria presents haute-couture fashion accessories from the Giorgio Armani Prive’ collection. It’s the first and only place in Dubai where the exclusive collection is available.

Relax:
An oasis of peace and tranquility in the heart of a bustling city, the 12,000 square feet Armani/SPA reflects the Armani lifestyle and design philosophies, offering beautiful unique spaces and outstanding service for individually personalized treatments, personal fitness, sequential thermal bathing, creative spa cuisine, or simply private and social relaxation.

ARMANI / Events:
Whether a once-in-a-lifetime occasion or high-profile business conference, events at the Armani Hotel provide an elegant and tasteful setting. The hotel offers a luxurious ballroom seating up to 450 people; a stunning outdoor pavilion area overlooking The Dubai Fountain; a charming Majlis offering an Arabic style meeting room, and several meeting lounges and boardrooms.

The Burj Khalifa lake straddles the Downtown Dubai Area and on a part of it facing the Dubai mall sits the Dubai Fountain, The World's Largest cheorographed fountain system, in keeping with Dubai's Tradtion of wanting the World's larges and Firsts tags on Architecture and landmarks.

The Burj Khalifa Lake is a man made lake which was done by the Developer of Downtown Dubai, The Emaar Group as a multi-activity setting and it has an area of 12 hectares and there is even a boat ride around it that costs AED 65 per 30 minutes ride. The lake lies in between the dubai mall waterfront promenade, souk al bahar, burj khalifa tower, the armani hotel, the condominiums and villas of the old quarter.

for a better view of the Burj Khalifa Lake, you can see the panorama from both sides at the Observatory of the Burj Khalifa Tower in the 124rth floor.

This will be my Tips with pictures of the Shiekh Zayed Road (E-11) with photos from the 12rth floor of the Burj Khalifa Tower with really powerful opical zoom cameras.

E-11 Road is the longest road of the United Arab Emirates and it stretches from The Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah Emirate. It has several names, depending on the emirate that it straddles through like the Shiekh Maktoum Road in Abu Dhabi and Shiekh Zayed Road in Dubai Emirate.

This tip is one the Shiekh Zayed Road Section of the E-11 Road. The Shiekh Zayed Road section of the E-11 road is the main road of Dubai and it's starts at the Trade Center Roundabout in Bur Dubai to Jebel Ali District at the Border of Abu Dhabi (where it becomes the Shiekh Maktoum Road) and in this road you will see many of the Different Architectural Sky Scrapers of Dubai, like the Burj Khalifa, Emirates Towers, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Batuta Mall, Dubai Metro Overground Tracks and more. this road section in Dubai stretches for 34 miles from (55 kilometers) from end to end.

According to wikipedia:

The Sheikh Zayed Road is home to most of Dubai's skyscrapers, including the Emirates Towers and the Burj Khalifa. The highway also connects other new developments such as the Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Waterfront. The road has most of the Red Line of Dubai Metro running alongside it.

Interchanges[edit]

Sheikh Zayed Road has several interchanges to enable traffic to go on and off the highway. These interchanges commonly lead to roundabouts (rotaries) to enable traffic to exit or to go to the other side of the highway. There are many other exits although they are not as well equipped. As of 2007, the interchanges are:
World Trade Centre Roundabout: Towards Union House, BurJuman, Zabeel Park
Interchange 1: Financial Centre Road Street interchange towards Downtown Dubai, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall
Interchange 2: Towards Hadiqa Rd, Safa Park and Jumeirah on the west; and Meydan Rd towards Meydan on east.
Interchange 3: Towards Al Quoz through Manara Rd on east.
Interchange 4: Towards Mall of the Emirates, Gold & Diamond Park, Madinat Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab, Wild Wadi Water Park, Jumeirah Beach Hotel through Umm Suqeim Rd.
Interchange 5: Towards Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills, Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City