Dubai's seven-star hotel

Burj Al Arab

The Burj is very much a giant sail; its exoskeleton is comprised of a woven, Teflon-coated fiberglass cloth. Not only is this the tallest hotel on Earth, but it's also "the world's tallest structure with a membrane facade."

Don't be surprised if they know your name. The staff at the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai do their homework. They also take service very seriously — at a buffet lunch there three weeks ago, your correspondent was assigned a personal assistant.
The Burj bills itself as the world's only seven-star hotel, a self-awarded distinction that seems unlikely to be challenged, at least until someplace is imaginative enough to start calling itself an eight-star establishment. It is definitely, however, the world's tallest hotel. That's been verified.
But in an oil-rich country that is home to one out of every six cranes in the world, and is building (among other things) the world's tallest building, largest mall, and biggest indoor ski resort, the Burj is par for the overly manicured course. Dubai is the Vegas of the Middle East. A private island chain in the shape of a world atlas is currently under construction.