Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse Yacht

Since it was first mooted, we have followed Roman Abramovich’s superyacht Eclipse with interest. It was billed as the biggest yacht in the world by a distance, but after a recent independent grading it appears the yacht is indeed number one – but only just. The figure that has been espoused by the press and has been in general circulation ranked the vessel at 557 feet (169m).

Judging by Camper & Nicholsons’ newly-released Super Yachting Index a certain Russian oligarch has been exaggerating the size of his new gigayacht. Camper & Nicholsons, the leading international yacht broker established in 1782, has come out with its annual Super Yachting Index evaluating the state of superyachting for the previous year. And according to the their 2010 Super Yacht Index, Abramovich’s behemoth built by Blohm + Voss actually measures 533 feet (162,5m), a full 24 feet (7m) shorter than what was previously thought.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jumeirah Beach Hotel – Dubai

The view from the top of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel has been ranked the best hotel rooftop view in the world by users of price comparison website Trivago.

Two roof terraces offer guests stunning vistas: From the 360-Bar on the roof of the Marina-Restaurant, guests overlook the coast of the Persian Gulf while enjoying a Shisha and light lounge music. A similarly spectacular sight awaits the guests visiting the elegant Uptown Bar on the 24th floor of the hotel, where the twinkling lights of the city and the soaring heights of the Burj Al Arab hotel can be seen.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hard Rock Cafe Dubai

You’ve heard of Dubai’s record breaking Burj Khalifa, the tallest free-standing structure in the world at 828 metres tall. Dubai could soon have another entry in the Guinness Book of World Records when Hard Rock Cafe installs the World’s Tallest Guitar to mark its own re-entry to a new location at Dubai Festival City (DFC).

The new 26,400-square-foot Dubai cafe will include spacious seating for more than 300 guests, a vibrant bar, a convertible live music space, a 2,500-square-foot Rock Shop featuring Hard Rock’s limited-edition merchandise and rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia from Hard Rock’s legendary collection.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bentley Continental Flying Spur Arabia

Bentley says that the Middle East accounts for 10% of its global sales. So apart from opening up nine new dealerships in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar, the Flying B has released two special edition Continental models, designed exclusively for the Middle East market.

Called the Bentley Continental Flying Spur Arabia and Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed Arabia, the two new models exhibit more power, more elegance and more style. The Flying Spur Arabia boasts of the standard 6.0 liter twin turbo W12 engine with 552 bhp (412kW) and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque while the Flying spur Speed Arabia gets that engine tuned upwards to 600 bhp (449 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm), allowing it to speed from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds and adding 10 km/h to the top speed, now at 322 km/h (200 mph).

Read the rest of this entry »

Gold Plated Audi R8

What’s hotter than a matte black wrap? Well, to some owners, it would be the rich color of gold. The last sports car featuring this new trend was the Audi R8 Gold spotted in Moscow, Russia, suggesting that Dubai is no longer the hot spot to spot such eye sores.

The Audi R8 features a mid-mounted V8 FSI engine, quattro permanent four-wheel drive, and Audi Space Frame aluminum body. The engine delivers a total of 420 HP and sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 187 mph.

Read the rest of this entry »

Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa, Dubai Home to World's First In-Hotel Armani Spa

Now the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, will not only have the privilege of having the first Armani Hotel on its premises but it will also be home to the world’s first In-hotel Armani Spa. The spa will be located on the third floor of the hotel and provide you with special treatments to suit your style. Open from 9am to 9pm, Armani Spa offers a fully-tailored sensory experience to suit individual needs. Each unique space provides the context for personalized treatments, personal fitness, sequential thermal bathing as well as private and social relaxation. Based on the concept of Spa Time, guests can simply reserve and design a personalised spa session combining unique therapies and services.

Read the rest of this entry »

Armani Hotel Dubai in Burj Khalifa

The opening of the Armani Hotel Dubai, in the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, has been delayed to April 27, as ash from volcanic eruptions in Iceland forced extensive flight cancellations from Europe.

Covering areas across the concourse, ground floor and floors 1 to 8 and 38 and 39 of the Burj Khalifa, Armani Hotel Dubai will have 160 rooms.The hotel will house eight restaurants. It will also include Armani Prive, an upscale lounge, and Armani SPA, where guests can enjoy treatment rooms, thermal suites, a fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel will be home to the Armani Dolci chocolates store, Armani Fiori, a florist and Armani Galleria, which showcases select couture accessories.

Read the rest of this entry »