Saturday, November 22, 2008

$2 Billion Hotel Atlantis Dubai Opens (Photos)

The Hotel Atlantis opened last night in Dubai. Costing $2 billion and fours years to build, the five-star island resort is impressive even in the emirate that hosts the Burj Al Arab, the tallest hotel in the world, with over 1500 suites, 3000 staff, the largest water park in the Middle East, and 27 spa rooms. At the $20 million opening ceremony last night, a million fireworks were lit to celebrate its grand opening with a multitude of celebrities, sports stars, and business tycoons on hand, seemingly oblivious to the deepening global recession.

Collecting $2 million for a 40 minute concert, Kylie Minogue entertained a crowd of 2000 guests, including Lindsay Lohan, Michael Jordan, Charlize Theron, Denzel Washington, and Mischa Barton. An open-air aquarium with 65,000 types of marine creatures, including a whale shark and even 24 bottlenose dolphins, provided a cool backdrop.

The high-powered guests at the hotel opening also consumed two tons of lobsters, 4000 oysters, and 300 kilograms of smoked salmon. Chefs like Nobu Matsuhisa and Santi Santamaria worked with a crew of 500 cooks to prepare the feast.

Naturally, rooms at the Hotel Atlantis are not cheap, starting at $1000 a night.