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It was way back in October 2008 that I reported on the campaign to free Sammy the Shark from her tank in the lobby of Atlantis, the spectacular luxury hotel in Dubai.

I hear now that she’s finally been returned to the waters of the Gulf, from where she was first picked up.

The freckled whale shark, which is an internationally protected species, was a top crowd puller, but also attracted unwelcome publicity for the hotel after animal rights groups demanded her release. A Facebook campaign attracted 26,000 entries. The American actress Pamela Anderson was among the celebrity lobbyists who branded the shark’s capture cruel, and pushed for her to be set free from the luxury hotel in Dubai.

However, Atlantis said all its marine life was cared for to the highest standard and that valuable research had been carried out while the creature had been in captivity.

It said Sammy had been tagged for monitoring and research before being set free.

by Andy Moreton

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Just over a month after it was formally opened, the world’s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, has been closed to the public.

The observation deck on the building’s 124th floor is currently out of action because of unspecified technical problems. The owners said they were carrying out ‘maintenance and upgrade’.

One report says about 60 people were stranded there for more than an hour four days ago because of a power supply fault. They were brought down by service elevators.

Tickets to the observation deck had been a sell-out since the opening day and it’s thought this unexpectedly high traffic contributed to the problems. Guests who hold tickets will be offered the option to re-book or receive an immediate refund.

by Andy Moreton

See the wonder that is Dubai – Luxique offers a selection of a dozen of the finest luxury hotels in Dubai City.

I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone organised a parachute jump from the world’s tallest building – the Dubai tower I wrote about last week.

Omar Al Hegelan and Nasser Al Niyadi, two experienced base jumpers, leapt from 2,716 feet (828m), taking just one-and-a-half minutes to reach the ground at speeds up to 136 mph.

Al Niyadi, who already holds a world record for the first Mount Everest sky dive, described the feat as ‘the best experience ever’.

“When we were at the top of the building I was thinking ‘this is crazy’. I was a little nervous but I wanted to jump from the highest tower in the world to record an achievement for my family and for my country,” he said.

Originally named the Burj Dubai, the tower was renamed Burj Khalifa in tribute to Dubai’s financial rescuer – its oil-rich neighbour, Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Khalifa is its President).

When news of the sky-dive appeared online, one message board contributor suggested:

“If its economy continues as it is, it will not be long before we see the royal family of Dubai jumping from the top … without a parachute.”

by Andy Moreton

See the over-the-top phenomenon that is Dubai – Luxique offers a selection of a dozen of the finest luxury hotels in Dubai City.

Even though it recently hit something of a financial black hole, Dubai continues to astound.

Its latest contribution to the wonders of the world is the tower called Burj Dubai, which has just been officially opened. At 2,716 feet (828 metres) high, it’s the tallest building on earth – its spire can be seen 60 miles away.

Constructed with 28,000 glass panels, it has 160 habitable floors. It sets the record for the highest occupied floor, the highest observation deck – on the 124th floor – and the highest mosque.

The opening ceremony included a spectacular firework and light show around the tower, while a screen revealed its exact height which had previously been kept secret.

Burj Dubai will be home to about a thousand luxury apartments, 49 floors of offices and eventually a 160-room Armani-branded hotel.

Steve Rose, writing in Monday’s Guardian newspaper in the UK, commented:

“We’re going to need a new word. The Burj Dubai doesn’t scrape the sky; it pierces it, like a slender silver needle, half a mile high. It’s only because Dubai never has any clouds that we can even see the tower’s top. And, judging by the images released so far, the view is more like looking out of a plane than a building. It has made reality a little less real.”

by Andy Moreton

Luxique offers you a choice of a dozen of the finest luxury hotels in Dubai, including the world famous Burj Al Arab, the award-winning Jumeirah Beach and one of the newest luxury hotels, the Grand Hyatt Dubai.

Dubai, which has already snapped up arguably the world’s most famous cruise ship, the QE2 (see past articles – “Full Steam Ahead For QE2” and “Dubai’s Floating Phenomena”), is now bidding for an icon of the skies - the supersonic Anglo-French Concorde.

Forty years after the British version of the graceful delta-winged aircraft took off on its maiden 22-minute flight, it’s reported that a Dubai-based consortium wants to turn one of the planes into a tourist attraction, possibly on one of the country’s man-made palm-shaped islands.

British Airways grounded its seven-strong Concorde fleet six years ago and gave six to museums. But it kept one, Alpha Bravo, which is now hidden away behind the airline’s engineering base at Heathrow Airport.

By contrast, an Air France Concorde stands proudly on a plinth outside the airline’s headquarters at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Another is preserved at the Paris Air and Space Museum by former engineers who regularly run the electronic and hydraulic systems. A report at the beginning of the month that one of the French models would fly again was revealed later as an April Fool’s hoax.

It’s BA’s Alpha Bravo that is the reported subject for negotiation, but the wings would have to be sliced off before it could be loaded on to a ship for Dubai. Concorde devotees (and there are many), are not happy on either count. Ben Lord, of the Save Concorde Group, said: “Sending it to Dubai would be a kick in the teeth for Britain’s aviation heritage. Chopping off its wings and putting it on a ship would be the final insult.”

A source close to the Dubai consortium told the Times newspaper in London that it would spend several million pounds restoring the aircraft’s interior, much of which was removed and used as spares on other Concordes.

by Andy Moreton

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The company aiming to turn the old QE2 cruise liner into a luxury hotel in Dubai has insisted that the project remains on track.

The government-owned developer, Nakheel, bought the liner in 2007 saying it wanted to “usher in the next exciting chapter of her rich and dignified life.”

But there have been rumours that the plans might be shelved because of a lack of funds. The company has cut staff and postponed several projects, including a tower planned to be the world’s tallest, and a high-end hotel being built with Donald Trump.

Nakheel insists, however, that the conversion will go ahead. The company told the Sunday Times in the UK: “The plans for QE2’s full restoration and refurbishment are ongoing; we have no intention of selling the ship to any party whatsoever.”

The refurbishment plans include replacing the ship’s funnel with a glass structure housing penthouse suites, installing a 500-seat theatre in the engine room and building an extensive spa complex.

Dubai is decidedly not immune from the worldwide recession. Cash-strapped tourists have been staying away and the Dubai government has mounted a £10 million ($14 million) campaign to try to lure them back.

Hotel occupancy rates dropped to 79 per cent last year, the lowest level since 2004, with a particular decline in demand from Europe because of the recession.

Hotels in Dubai are said to be cutting rates by up to 60 per cent, so now might be the time to see this modern wonder of the world. Luxique has great deals at a choice of 12 top luxury hotels in Dubai City.

by Andy Moreton