CNN
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In 2018, the 356-meter (1,168 feet) Gevora Hotel in Dubai became the tallest hotel in the world, complete with certification as a Guinness World Record.
But the Gevora’s reign will be short-lived. The 75-story tower is to be eclipsed by a slender glass skyscraper under construction just a short drive away in Dubai’s Marina district.
The Ciel Tower will reach 360.4 meters upon completion, developer The First Group has confirmed, featuring 1,042 rooms and suites spread across 82 floors.
The design from architects NORR, creators of the Atlantis, the Palm hotel, seeks to maximize the value of such altitude.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe
Ciel Tower comes from the architecture firm that created Dubai's iconic Atlantis, the Palm hotel on the man-made island of Palm Jumeirah.
A glass observation deck will offer 360-degree views of the city. Visitors can also take in the sights from a rooftop swimming pool and restaurants.
Guests will experience “panoramic views of the coastline and iconic landmarks including the Palm Jumeirah (man-made island),” a spokesperson for The First Group said.
The design won three prizes at the International Property Awards in December, for Best International Hotel Architecture, Best Hotel Architecture Arabia, and Best High-rise Architecture Arabia.
Ciel Tower will also feature a spa, business facilities, and “multiple award-winning restaurants” which will be announced in the coming months, the spokesperson said.
Construction work has been ongoing since 2016 at the building site in Dubai Marina, a major hub of development featuring a cluster of supertall skyscrapers including the 306-meter (1,004 feet) Cayan Tower and 425-meter (1,394 feet) Marina 101 building.
Ciel Tower is scheduled to open in late 2022 or early 2023.
Courtesy Burj Al Arab
Burj Al Arab -- We're still unsure why one might need a revolving four poster bed, but at $24,000 a night you can deliberate for yourself in the Burj Al Arab's Royal Suite. Located in the world's first seven-star hotel and decadently furnished across 8,400 square feet, it's still perhaps the most coveted place to lay your head in Dubai. And with a choice of 14 types of pillow, you'd expect a restful night's sleep.
Courtesy Burj Al Arab
The Royal Suite's most extravagant touch? The 24 carat gold iPad guests are given to contact the concierge. A useful backup should all 27 phones dotting the suite happen to go down.
Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates
Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates -- You can stay in Dubai and largely avoid the desert heat. But staying at the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates takes cool to a different level. The hotel has installed new "Aspen Chalets" backing on to the indoor artificial slopes of Ski Dubai.
Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates
Ski Dubai has became a symbol of the city's geography-defying ambition. Its piste is 279 feet high and 1,312 feet long, but it's about to be trumped by the
Meydan One project -- also in Dubai -- featuring a 3,937 feet long ski slope.
Courtesy Atlantis, The Palm
The Underwater Suite at Atlantis, The Palm -- The Underwater Suite at Atlantis, The Palm is not the first hotel room in the world to give you a fish eye view. And if you want a real ocean experience in Dubai, there's
the Floating Seahorse villa coming to The World archipelago. But the suites at The Atlantis are perhaps the gigantic hotel's most famous feature.
courtesy Atlantis, The Palm
For approximately $12,250 a night, guests can look out of any of the three-floor suite's windows and see sharks and stingrays among 65,000 sea creatures occupying a humongous aquarium.
courtesy Palazzo Versace
The Palazzo Versace -- More is more might be the unofficial motto of Dubai, but it fits the bill for Versace too. The opulent Italian fashion brand cut its teeth nearly two decades ago with its first hotel in Australia, and their Dubai establishment continues the theme. Its unique selling point: every piece of furniture and textile within is designed by the House of Versace.
courtesy Palazzo Versace
The hotel, built to mimic the maximalist aesthetic of a 16th century Italian palazzo, contains 215 luxury rooms and is believed to have cost $625 million to build.
Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa
Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa -- Located a 50 minute drive inland from Dubai City, Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa lies within a conservation zone which, among other things, reminds guests just from what the UAE arose: a vast swathe of hot, unforgiving desert. Of course, this being a luxury retreat, you need not feel the heat of the beating sun, with capacious suites ranging from 808 to 5,705 square feet.
Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa
The presidential suite sleeps up to six in blissful isolation, with unrestricted dune views. Camel treks, spa treatments and desert picnics are all thrown in to the deal for the resort's most exclusive guests.
courtesy Dukes Dubai
Dukes Dubai -- The Dukes Hotel is a London institution, tucked into a quiet corner of plush Mayfair. As it undergoes refurbishing, the company opened a new venture in Dubai in January 2017. Located on the Palm Jumeirah overlooking the city's towering CBD, it offers a slice of anglophilia for any homesick British expat, including Liberty prints and Andrew Martin furniture in bedrooms -- a first for the UAE.
courtesy Dukes Dubai
The 506-room complex includes 279 bedrooms, with 20 suites on the Duchess floor designated women-only, intended to cater for female solo travelers.
Courtesy Habtoor Palace
Habtoor Palace -- The Hilton-owned hotel oozes grandeur, with butler service for every guest, access to a private beach and helipad, and a suite named after Sir Winston Churchill with its own rooftop plunge pool.
Hakan Akdemir/Renaissance Downtown Dubai
Renaissance Downtown Dubai -- Located in the city center with rooftop views of Dubai's skyline, Renaissance Downtown is undeniably stylish. Foodies especially rejoice as it hosts three restaurants run by celebrity chefs Masaharu Morimoto, David Myers and Mohanad Alshamali.
Armani Hotel Dubai
The Armani Hotel Dubai -- The world's first hotel designed by fashion icon Giorgio Armani features his signature minimalist style with muted grey interiors, sumptuous fabrics and Japanese wooden floors.
Armani Hotel Dubai
The Armani Hotel Dubai features a handful of restaurants with influences from around the world. Amal offers Indian cuisine in a spectacular setting.
Bulgari Hotels and Resort
Bulgari Resort Dubai -- Situated on the exclusive, man-made Jumeira Bay, this opulent hotel was crowned best new luxury hotel of 2017 by Luxury Travel Intelligence.
Courtesy One & Only Royal Mirage
One & Only Royal Mirage -- This romantic beachfront resort is set in 65 acres of lush gardens and a kilometer of private beach.
Sheraton Grand Hotel Dubai
Sheraton Grand Hotel Dubai -- The 54-story hotel has enviable views of the city's skyline.
Courtesy of QE2 Dubai
QE2 -- The hotel on a ship was built in England but remains permanently docked in Dubai's Mina Rashid, a man-made commercial port. Tentative cruise-goers might start with a stay here to see how they fare before embarking on open waters.
This will add yet another Dubai entrant to the list of the world’s tallest hotels, which already includes the Gevora, the JW Marriot Marquis (355 meters, 1,165 feet), the Rose Rayhaan (333 meters, 1,093 feet), and the Burj al Arab (321 meters, 1,053 feet).
The title of tallest hotel is typically applied only to buildings used wholly as hotels. However, the highest hotel incorporated into a building is currently the Rosewood Guangzhou, which occupies the top 39 floors of the CTF Finance Centre in the Chinese city, reaching 530 meters (1,739 feet) at its summit.
The First Group will seek formal certification for Ciel Tower as the tallest hotel in the world ahead of its opening date.