LAHORE: The world’s largest hotel, the Abraj Kudai, is due to be inaugurated in the Manafia locality of Central Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 2017.
The hotel is going to be a superb addition to the illuminated skyline of Makkah, which receives around two million pilgrims during the annual Haj season alone.
During the rest of the year, more than 20 million visit the most sacred Muslim city, which has become a popular venue for weddings and conferences, fetching tourism revenue of around six billion British pounds per annum.
Here follow some fascinating highlights of this magnificent $3.5 billion (£2.25 billion) landmark, dubbed a “city in the sky” by some esteemed Western media houses:
The 45-storey high hotel will rise out of the desert and apparently contain 10,000 rooms and 70 restaurants in 12 separate towers for worshippers.
Intended to look like a desert fortress, which encompasses a ring of towers standing on top of a podium, this massive structure containing rooftop helipads, royal floors and a full size convention centre, this striking landmark is located just 2.2km south of the Masjid al-Haram.
The Abraj Kudai Hotel has been designed by architects Messrs Dar Al-Handasah, while the London-based M/s Areen Hospitality has been contracted to design the hotel and the rooms’ interiors. While two of the towers will offer five-star facilities, the other 10 will provide four-star accommodation.
Five floors of this blue-mirrored facility will solely be used by the Saudi Royal family. According to architects Dar Al-Handasah, a 7,000-strong global construction conglomerate that turns its hand to everything from designing cities in Kazakhstan to airports in Dubai, the hotel site will also include residential facilities, a shopping mall and plenty of car parking for those visiting the mosque.
Once completed, the hotel will have an approximate total site area of 60,000 million square metres and a total built-up area of 1.4million square metres. A renowned Western media outlet commented: “Four helipads will cluster around one of the largest domes in the world, like side plates awaiting the unveiling of a momentous main course, which will be jacked up 45 storeys into the sky above the deserts of Makkah. It is the crowning feature of the holy city’s crowning glory, the superlative summit of what will be the world’s largest hotel when it opens in 2017.” The grand complex is funded by the Saudi finance ministry.
World’s five largest hotels: According to a prestigious British newspaper Daily Mail, the 20 largest hotels in the world... and six of the top 10 are currently in Las Vegas, boasting nearly 30,000 rooms between them.
The MGM Grand in Las Vegas has 6,852 rooms, the First World Hotel at Genting Highlands, Malaysia, has 6,118 rooms, the Disney’s All-Star Hotel at Orlando has 5,524 rooms, Moscow’s Izmailovo Hotel has 5,000 rooms, Wynn Hotel at Las Vegas has 4,750 rooms and Luxor Hotel at Las Vegas has 4,408 rooms.
Daily Mail had once reported: “With partying going on from dusk until dawn for the 40 million tourists visiting each year, it’s little surprise Las Vegas in the US has a plethora of luxury hotels. But you might still be surprised to learn that six of the 10 largest hotels in the world are found in Sin City. And out of the top 20, 14 are located in the US.
Topping the pile is the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Housing 6,852 rooms and suites, the place is very popular with the rich and famous, including Prince Harry. It is located beside the MGM Grand Arena which, with a capacity of over 16,000 and known for hosting first class shows and sporting events, means the hotel is always busy. First opened in 1993, the hotel has consistently moved with the times, and has now added two luxury ‘wings’ to the existing development.
The eminent British newspaper had gone on to write: “The ‘Skylofts’ are 51 two-storied lofts located on the top two floors, and “The Signature” at MGM Grand are three distinct towers each with 576 suites; most suites offering private balconies. The front entrance of the main hotel features a 100,000-pound bronze lion statue, located at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. The 45-foot-tall lion, perched on a 25-foot pedestal, is the largest bronze statue in the US.
The lion is framed by LED screens, water fountains, Atlas-themed statues and mesmerising landscaping. The Daily Mail had added: “Runner-up in the world’s largest hotel list is the First World Hotel in Genting Highlands, Malaysia. With 6,118 rooms and suites, the colourful hotel is as imposing as it is enchanting. The hotel also houses a 500,000 square feet indoor theme park, a shopping mall and lots of dining stops, with 11 restaurants. Completing the top three with 5,524 rooms is the Disney All-Star Resort Hotel in Orlando, Florida. The resort comprises three separate sites, a Sports Resort, a Movies Resort and Music Resort.
The Sports hotel has five themed areas – American football, baseball, basketball, tennis and surfing, and at the Music hotel, the buildings are decked out with huge saxophones, guitars and drums.
