burj al arab royal suite price

I went inside the most luxurious hotel suite in Dubai, and it was the most extra place I've ever seen

Burj Al Arab Jumeirah 60 — Making myself at home in the Burj Al Arab's Royal Suite.

The Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai bills itself as "the world's most luxurious hotel."
It was labelled the world's first seven-star hotel by a travel journalist after opening back in 1999, and the name has stuck, despite no official classification existing.
The most expensive "room" in the hotel is the Royal Suite, an incredible duplex that costs up to $12,341 per night.
I went to look around the suite, and had never seen anything like it.
The opulent style wasn't to my taste (it was verging on tacky in my eyes) and the layout seemed slightly odd, but I'd still love to stay there given the chance.
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The Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai bills itself as "the world's most luxurious hotel."

It's quite the claim, but if any city in the world was going to be home to such a hotel, it's Dubai.

Positioned on a man-made island off the coast, the Burj Al Arab is known as the world's first seven-star hotel — but the management doesn't actually use that term.

The hotel was described as "seven-star" by a travel writer two decades ago and the label stuck, a spokesperson told Insider.

Seven-star or not, it's undeniably luxurious — the Burj Al Arab doesn't have rooms, it has suites. Just 202 of them in fact, which isn't very many considering the size of the hotel.

And the jewel in the crown is the Royal Suite, which has hosted everyone from royalty to Justin Bieber and costs up to $12,341 per night.

While visiting Dubai last month, I was granted access to the suite — not to stay in, but to look around — and it was even more lavish, opulent, and extra than I'd imagined.

Here's what it's like.

The city of Dubai is split up into two main hubs, Downtown and the Marina. The Burj Al Arab is actually a little on its own, in the middle of those two areas. It's still an iconic symbol of the city though, having opened in 1999.

When you enter the hotel and go past the reception, you take an escalator up to the main lobby which, complete with a fountain and shops, felt like a fancy shopping mall. People were, predictably, taking selfies.

It's the highest hotel atrium in the world, and you can see all the way up to the top of the hotel.

There's a cafe area where you can order one of the hotel's gold-topped cappuccinos, and all the gold certainly set the tone for what was to come.

I went to the elevator, which featured even more gold and took me on up to the 25th floor, where two Royal Suites take up the whole level.

The suite had its own lobby area, which was overwhelmingly marble, tiled, and, yes, golden. Straight in front of me sat an elaborate staircase lined with a leopard-print carpet, and there were huge gold star sculptures on either side.

Pretty much the whole two-floor suite had floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking view. After admiring the Dubai coastline for a moment, I set off to explore my palatial surroundings.

First up I ventured into this dining room, with a huge mahogany table and throne-like chairs in rich shades of red, orange, yellow, and hot pink. It made me think of the Knights of the Round Table, aside from all the leopard-print, the chandelier, and the multiple flower bouquets.

The dining room led on to this equally lavish study area, which featured a particularly jazzy carpet. The whole room was a bit of an assault on the eyes, but I soon learned this was the theme of the suite, and to be fair I'd acclimatized by the time I left.

Again, there were beautiful views over the ocean.

A huge globe sat in the corner, presumably for plotting world domination. Arabic books lined the walls, there was a mirror on the ceiling, and the armchairs had wild cat heads as armrests. It was a lot.

A sizeable desk offered plenty of space for conducting business affairs — or editing your selfies for Instagram.

The study led on to a little dressing area (complete with a Dyson hairdryer) which seemed random until I realized the next room was ...

... the bathroom. Well, one bathroom. Of so very many.

Both the walls and floor were covered in mosaic tiles and marble, and there were multiple fluffy bath mats to sink your feet into.

There were marble columns ...

... an intricate mosaic on the wall of the shower ...

... a sizeable tub if you're more of a bath person ...

... and plenty of Hermès toiletries for all your pampering needs.

It seemed slightly odd to me to have the bathroom just off the study, but I was soon to realize this was actually only a minor washroom in the suite. I'd barely seen anything yet.

I walked back through to the Camelot — sorry, dining — room and spotted the fake sky ceiling. Not to my taste, but sure.

I then found the kitchen, which seemed so bleak, dull, and simple in comparison to the rest of the suite. But I soon realized this kitchen was not for the guests, it was for the staff. And then it made sense.

Still, the fridge was well-stocked with soft drinks, there were all sorts of teas on offer, and even a branded Burj Al Arab coffee machine — gold, of course.

I then found myself in another gold bathroom. Sure.

I went back to the lobby to explore the other side of the staircase.

I walked into another living room, this one in deeper, reddish tones but equally grand in style. There were so many different places to sit, with even more cushions.

It was huge, and I couldn't help but think if you were actually sitting on the sofa or any of the armchairs, you wouldn't be able to reach snacks on the coffee table (which says a lot about what I do when on a sofa).

Next up I found myself in ANOTHER BATHROOM. I go to the toilet more than the average person but this really seemed excessive to me. And I'd only looked around half the suite. This one is just a toilet, but it was still huge, with a landscape painted on the wall (again, not my idea of interior style).

But still, the bathroom featured lots of gold (my skirt color was genuinely an accidental choice) and more Hermès toiletries.

I then wandered into ... yet another lounge.

This room was a little smaller and felt nice and cozy — the TV certainly wasn't lacking in size, though. Upon inspecting the remote control, I realized there was a button to call a butler.

Next, I climbed up the incredibly grand staircase to the upper floor.

There wasn't much in the hallway area, just more gold, leopard-print rugs, and a plush bench.

To one side of the landing was what must be considered the master bedroom. I actually laughed when I saw the bed: Four-poster, raised up off the floor. It seemed like it could be a kid's toy for playing princes and princesses.

A TV comes down from the ceiling, but if I was lying in that bed I think I'd get distracted by the gorgeous views (and the ridiculous candelabras). The room also had a huge mahogany armoire and lots of seating options.

On one of the side tables, I noticed three menus: Breakfast, floral arrangements, and "Sweet Dreams."

And the floral menu offered guests everything from a single red rose for their beloved ($42) to the "Diamond Package:" A floral bouquet, chocolates, "dashing" bed linen, and "special gifts for the couple," all for just $700. The flowers in the hotel are mainly shipped from Holland, Kenya, South Africa, and Colombia.

Naturally, the bedroom had an en-suite bathroom, and this one was truly next level, centering around a jacuzzi bathtub complete with marble pillars.

It was so big it felt like a spa.

The shower had jets coming out from the walls as well as the ceiling, the toilet lid opened as I approached (a bit creepy), and the bidet had its own remote control with more settings than I think could ever possibly be necessary. There were also phones everywhere, which I thought was a little odd.

Also off the main bedroom was this dressing area, which was about the size of my whole apartment. Sometimes trying on outfits gets exhausting, or maybe you want someone to give you a second opinion on what to wear, so I appreciated the addition of the armchair and footrest.

There was an obscene amount of storage space considering people are likely only staying in the suite for a short amount of time, not actually living there.

On the other side of the upstairs hallway, I wandered into what was actually my favorite room in the whole suite. It was another huge living room, but I was into the pale pink, peach, and orange vibes. What can I say? I was getting a taste for the "more is more" style.

It felt more feminine in style and I decided it would be a great place to host a huge slumber party.

Off that living room was the other bedroom in the suite — yes, there were only two double beds, despite there seemingly being seating for hundreds.

It was as grand as the first bedroom but with a sweet golden bumblebee-print wallpaper, and a leopard-print chaise-longue by the window, which I imagine would be a lovely reading spot.

The most amusing (to me) part of the room was the mirror above the bed (apparently guests can ask to have it covered though, in case that's not your thing).

Again, there was another dressing room that was completely covered in the bumblebee wallpaper.

And of course, there was yet another huge bathroom.

This one was more feminine in style with even more marble.

This bathroom also had the quite frankly terrifying bidet remote.

About an hour later I'd finally finished looking around the suite, and I'd never seen anything like it.

Making myself at home in the Burj Al Arab's Royal Suite.

The suite is, undeniably, ridiculous on many levels.

Why are there so many bathrooms? Why only two double beds despite having enough sofa space to seat dozens? Why are there phones everywhere?

So many questions, so few answers.

And then there's the style. Now, I am what people call "extra." I am and always have been a "more is more" kind of person. I do not do understated, minimalist, or low-key. But this suite was too much even for me.

I found all the gold, prints, and fabrics so overwhelming and showy that it's verging on tacky.

But hey, style is a personal thing, and clearly there are people who want this level of lavishness in a hotel.

And despite it not being to my taste, I would of course jump at the chance to stay in the suite if someone incredibly wealthy happened to invite me — it would be so much fun with a group of friends.

But at over $12,000 a night, sadly I don't think I'm going to be invited any time soon.

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