20 facts we bet you didn’t know about...

To mark two decades of Abu Dhabi’s most famous hotel, we reveal some surprising insights

Since making its debut in the UAE capital in January 2005, Emirates Palace has established itself as one of the world’s most luxurious hotels and a symbol of authentic Arabian hospitality.

Located on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, a mere four-minute stroll to a private beach, the spectacular 302-room five-star hotel officially rebranded as Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental on 1 January 2020, reopening in February 2023 following an extensive refurbishment.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in February 2025, here are 20 facts you need to know about the palatial property.

1 The hotel cost US$3 billion to build
Construction of the hotel began in December 2001, with a team of 80 professionals from WATG Architects taking on the mammoth task. It cost US$3 billion (AED11.09 million) to build, the third costliest hotel construction in the world, and took three years to complete, opening in 2005. Some 20,000 construction workers were hired for the project.

2 The “arrival” is designed to heighten expectations
The hotel was built in an elevated position with the drive designed to take visitors up through gardens, past water fountains and under arches, an arrival sequence designed to “heighten expectations”, according to WATG Architects.

3 Emirates Palace is larger than Buckingham Palace
Set on a sprawling 100 hectares adjacent to the stunning Presidential Palace, the eight-storey main building stretches 1km from wing to wing. To cover the vast area and provide privacy, security and service, the hotel has nearly 7,000 doors, 102 lifts and 128 kitchens. The entrance alone is among the biggest internal spaces anywhere, larger than St Paul’s Cathedral and almost the size of Paris’ Arc de Triomphe.

Located on the shores of the Arabian Gulf

4 The hotel is lit by 1,000 crystal chandeliers
Renowned for its show-stopping décor, the hotel dazzles with 1,002 Swarovski crystal chandeliers, the largest of which weighs 2.5 tonnes.

5 A selection of suites are reserved for heads of state
Emirates Palace consists of 390 residences, including 92 suites and 22 residential suites dedicated to visiting dignitaries. The hotel regularly hosts royals and heads of state, with King Mohammed VI of Morocco once staying with his entourage for three months.

6 The region’s first vegan rooms are found here
Following its rebrand, the hotel opened the first vegan rooms in the Middle East. Entirely free of animal products, rooms combine faux leather furniture and sustainable bedding with cruelty-free bath products and plant-based in-room dining options, including milk alternatives and kombucha drinks.

7 The hotel made two Guinness World Records
These included the first hotel to house a gold vending machine, in 2009, and the world’s most expensively dressed Christmas tree, in 2010, with the latter still holding. Valued at AED41 million (US$11.4 million), the 13-metre-tall tree was covered with jewels, including a AED3.5 million diamond necklace.

8 Bocelli, Coldplay and Christina Aguilera performed here
Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and Coldplay have all performed concerts at Emirates Palace, which more recently welcomed award-winning Jazz musician Gregory Porter and world-famous tenor Andrea Bocelli, who delivered a one-off concert on New Year’s Eve 2024.

9 Emirates Palace stars in Fast and Furious 7
The seventh instalment of the Fast and Furious film franchise, Furious 7, was shot in parts of Abu Dhabi, including at Emirates Palace, in 2014. Famous shots see the cast walking down the front steps of the hotel to a convoy of super-luxurious sports cars. All the stars stayed in the hotel’s Palace Suites while filming.

10 The building has more than 100m domes
All bar one of the 114 ornate domes rise 18 metres in height. The breathtaking central dome is 200 metres high and adorned with floor-to-ceiling marble and intricate geometric patterns crafted with gold, mother of pearl and crystals.

The central dome

11 Guests can choose from 20 accommodation types
From vegan rooms to family suites, the property offers 20 accommodation categories. The pinnacle is the three-bedroom Palace Suite at 470 square metres that features a majlis, an expansive terrace with 180-degree sea views, a dining room and three hot tubs.

12 Birds and bees call the hotel home
Thanks largely to the property’s landscaped gardens, complete with 8,000 trees, running paths, 200 fountains and an organic vegetable garden, more than 150 bird species have been spotted here. There are also dozens of beehives, with the honey used in desserts, salad dressing and marinades, and many palm trees, from where 20 tonnes of dates are harvested every year.

13 It has two Michelin-starred restaurants
The hotel has 11 restaurants, two claiming one of the four stars awarded in Abu Dhabi’s 2025 guide. Talea by renowned chef Antonio Guida delivers innovative twists on classic Italian dishes, including pizzas with black charcoal dough, while Hakkasan brings authentic Cantonese cuisine to the capital.

Talea by Chef Antonio Guida

14 It’s the world’s only hotel with an in-house gold-leaf specialist
Their job is to ensure the preservation of more than one million square metres of 24-carat gold leaf that adorns the palace interiors. Elsewhere, guests can enjoy edible gold on the hotel’s signature cappuccino, the camel-milk ice cream at Cafe Fountain and the chocolate mousse at Episodes. However, the hotel’s room keys, once shaped like gold coins, have been swapped for wooden cards.

15 Prince William, Beyoncé and Will Smith have stayed here
Known for hosting high-profile guests, from foreign dignitaries to athletes and actors, Emirates Palace has welcomed Beyonce, Queen Elizabeth II, Shakira, Will Smith, Naomi Watts, Orlando Bloom and Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. Prince William stayed here in 2022, Joe Biden visited before he became US president and Manchester City players are regulars.

16 There’s a mini hotel replica just for kids
Opened in July 2024, Kids Palace is a three-storey mini replica of Emirates Palace nestled between the children’s pool and the private beach. Highlights include a virtual reality ride, toy kitchen, craft area, music room and dressing-up section, while activities range from PlayStation tournaments to cooking classes.

Kids Palace craft workshop

17 Largest theatre in any hotel globally
Equipped to host prestigious events, the hotel is home to 44 event spaces including a multi-award-winning Conference Centre that houses the largest theatre in any hotel globally, accommodating up to 1,100 guests and crowned by a chandelier weighing in at 2.5 tonnes.

18 Sand sourced from Algeria
Overlooking a natural bay, the hotel sits along a 1.3km stretch of private beach, created from imported white sand from Algeria. Fringed with palms, the beach offers volleyball courts and loungers, while an aqua fun park sits just offshore.

19 Guests can charter a private jet in the lobby
RightJet has opened a business jet showroom in the lobby of the hotel, offering a fully immersive sales experience they say is “handcrafted to the requirements of discerning clientele looking for exclusivity and discretion”.

20 MO signature fan features 200 pearls
Every Mandarin Oriental has its own signature fan reflecting the country’s culture. Designed by artist Ahmad Al Areef, and inspired by the UAE’s pearl diving heritage, the Emirates Palace fan is made with dhow wood and blue silk and embellished with 200 handpicked pearls representing Abu Dhabi’s islands.

For more information, visit www.mandarinoriental.com/en/abu-dhabi/emirates-palace

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