THERE’S a certain romance about palaces. And hotels around the world are captalising on that and wooing one and all by recreating ancient palaces and transporting guests back in time even as they wallow in the lap of modern-day luxuries.

The Middle East is no exception. In August this year, residents of the UAE got their first ‘real’ taste of a truly royal experience with the opening of Jumeirah International’s Al Qasr (The Palace), the second grand boutique hotel at Madinat Jumeirah, The Arabian Resort.
And now, Emirates Palace Hotel is set to open its doors in Abu Dhabi next month giving guests another chance to indulge in their fantasies.
Situated on the picturesque west end of the Corniche, near Marina Mall, it is billed as the most impressive hotel and conference venue ever to be built in the UAE and promises to showcase the beauty of traditional Arabian culture like no other property. Rising from the sand, Emirates Palace is an architectural marvel which has been built in the style of an Oriental palace – the colours of the facade of the grand property representing different nuances of the sands of the Arabian desert.
The government of Abu Dhabi-owned property will be managed by Kempinski Hotels & Resorts, the oldest European luxury hotel group with a vast experience in managing legendary properties such as the Adlon in Berlin (Germany), Ciragan Palace in Istanbul (Turkey), Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg (Russia) and the Leela Palaces in India, to name a few.
The majestic Emirates Palace is a luxurious retreat spread over one million square metres of beautifully-landscaped park with several open lawns exotic park – the palace itself will be 700 m long, while the rest consists of the 1.3 km beach, the landscaped park, the marina and the 7,000 sq m conference centre. (It is approximately a 2.5 km walk around Emirates Palace.)
Designed by Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) the hotel’s exterior, which incorporates traditional Arabian elements, is beautified with 114 distinctive domes – each  covered in blue mosaic glass tiles topped with gold finials. The largest dome, the Grand Atrium dome, is 42 m wide with a surface finish of silver and gold-coloured glass mosaic tiles. On the apex sits a gold finial. The gazebo and main auditorium both have domes measuring 17m in diameter; the smaller domes range from 12 m to 7 m in diameter, with the smallest measuring 2.9m.
The magnificent interior design of the Palace is done by KY&A, which specialises in hotel, resort and spa interiors and, among others, has done the interior design of major five-star hotels including the Shangri-La, Dusit, Radisson, Sheraton and the Taj in locations such as Thailand, Malaysia, China, Singapore, India and Nepal.
This majestic Arabian palace, which promises to redefine the concept of a luxury hotel, promises to be its crowning glory.
The decoration includes acres of gold leaf and the finest marble throughout the building and is elegant and opulent in a contemporary Arabian style. With two wings spreading out from each side of the central Palace, the hotel offers 302 deluxe luxury rooms and 92 grand suites – which come equipped with plasma TVs in each room, a wireless Internet network that covers the entire property, a fully-interactive TV system and electronic programming guides. The various types of accommodation include coral, pearl and diamond rooms and park view and ocean view rooms, with tranquil colour combinations of light blue, gold and creme in silk upholstery, brightened up by honey brown wooden veneer and marble floorings.
Besides 20 food and beverage outlets (to be open in phases), two landscaped pools, two ultra-luxurious spas, huge landscaped parks, Emirates Palace boasts the region’s most sophisticated meeting and conference facilities. The Emirates Palace Conference Centre houses some of the largest, most luxurious and technologically-advanced meeting facilities in the region – its total meeting and conference space exceeds 7,000 sq m, including a state-of-the-art auditorium for 1,300 people, the country’s largest ballroom, a high-tech media centre and 30 additional meeting rooms.
Additionally, six large terraces and a number of pre-function areas will provide plenty of possibilities for cocktail receptions and banquets. The meeting rooms will boast of equipment such as plasma screen, wireless microphones, portable touch screens, wireless and fixed Internet access, plus portable equipment.
The ballroom alone features 12 plasma screens, projectors, special stage with sub-woofer and special sound systems, broadcast connectivity, camera connectivity and special lighting.
With landmark conference facilities, Emirates Palace is largely targeting the MICE market. However, as it gets ready to roll out the red carpet, every discerning guest who wants to be whisked into a world worthy of royalty and experience the finest service and Arab hospitality, can now mark a grand new address.