Dubai has arrived!

First time that I am in Dubai in the last 5 years and what an experience.  The world’s tallest building is here – the iconic Burj Khalifa - http://www.burjkhalifa.ae/at 2717 feet, which naturally features the world’s highest restaurant, at.mospehere - http://www.atmosphereburjkhalifa.com/.   At the base of Burj Khalifa is a lake with a dancing fountain that puts on a different show every 30 minutes (think Vegas but grander).  Next is Dubai Mall - http://www.thedubaimall.com/en which is full with luxury brands and features a 50 foot high aquarium, indoor waterfall, along with an ice skating rink.

The restaurants, much more so than before, feature cuisine from every part of the world and many feature world famous chefs.  Just like back home in NYC many restaurants double as lounges and night clubs with world class DJ’s, popular music, and a very hip crowd that dances on tables and consumes Grey Goose by the bottle.  Leaving People, a trendy night club, we noticed that many of the cars waiting outside were Ferraris, Bentleys, Rolls Royces, Porsches, and even a few Range Rovers.

There is also a shiny Atlantis - http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/ outlet, the popular beach resort from Bahamas, with many restaurants, aquariums, and tourists.  The hotel is on Palm Island, which is manmade group of islands in the shape of a palm tree.

The train system is brand new and very clean.  Streets are very safe and you can walk anywhere at night. Service everywhere is excellent.

Nearby government of Abu Dhabi had built a hotel, Emirates Palace - http://www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi/emirates-palace/welcome/, which cost USD$3 billion and only has 400 rooms.  Many of the rooms are specifically reserved for Emirati royalty and their guests, who are usually heads of state and celebrities.