Heretofore only residences such as those in Florida or New York or even Hawaii and Lake Como could command instant curb appeal turned “G5 appeal”. Dubai, with its international tennis stars playing a game on the helipad almost a mile up or dovetailing “palm tree” shaped island resorts or even a city of the Continent of Old Europe such as London or Paris could be considered the ne plus ultra of modern residence.
But the fantasy realms glimpsed in future science fiction or literary dreams made cinematic reality can barely approach the awe-inspiring setting of what the gods have drawn from the sea in Dubai: Nothing less a project than the World has sprung from the water on the shores of that desert province.
The World in Dubai can be found offshore. An island enclave rivaling Venice in scope (and somewhat more fragrant), the World is an island resort in the shape of the map of the World. Yet real estate in the World does not have the risks of a sinking city of old.
The World is hardly a drop in the ocean, however. One of the world’s most beautiful hotels, the Burj-al -Arab, floats nearby like a graceful Olympian ship sailing the wine dark seas. Words cannot describe the impact of this structure, which blends into the seascape as if it were merely a ship anchored offshore.
Rising from the formerly lateral coast of sand and water, this Dubai topography is newly awash in shiny towers of landmark design has been admired globally as one of the most photographed new silhouettes in modern architecture.
But the Burj-al-Arab is not alone. Many landmark towers have recently grown up into the salt air sky. The Jumeirah Towers name may soon be a familiar a part of the upper class culture as once names like the Ritz or the Georges V. But many investors enviously watching the international real estate capital market in Dubai have asked: who will be allowed to invest there?
Fit for a Caliph, the hotels boast sumptuous interiors that would suit a Sultan. Far from the cheesy, Westernized concepts the luxury traveler has seen too many times to count, these hotels have eye-widening brilliant schemes of interior decoration that make the visitor’s experience at once memorable and unforgettable.
Written by Page Howe. Page Howe bears no affliation with Dubai Select. The views expressed are purely his own.
