Burj Al Arab, Dubai

If there's one thing Dubai excels at it's building magnificent hotels. The Burj Al Arab exemplifies this talent. It is ideally situated to take advantage of the natural beauty of the area by providing spectacular views in nearly every direction. Nature returns the gesture by lighting up its glass exterior with awe-inspiring sunset reflections. Inside, the views are just as spectacular with gold leaf, extravagant art, and sumptuous marble at every turn. As if building a spectacularly beautiful hotel wasn't enough, the Burj Al Arab rests on its own man-made island. The effect is to surround its visitors with the sea, and from a distance to make the building's arched form seem like a sail, allowing the hotel to break away from the land and take voyages through the Arabian Gulf on its own. For those who choose to travel by air, a helipad projects from the building 200 meters off the ground. The people of Dubai are proud of their creation. Proud enough that at one time its image adorned the emirate's license plates.
The atrium is 180 meters tall.
One of the restaurants is accessed via submarine.