The taste of money
Dubai, UAE
I AM DRINKING a cappuccino in the lobby lounge of the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, the only 7-star hotel in the world. This is no ordinary cappuccino, however. Flakes of real 24k gold sparkle on the foam of my coffee drink.
The hotel is splendid, decorated in primary colors of red, blue and yellow with gold accents. It is shaped Iike the sail of a boat, jutting up majestically from the sea. My room has two floors, the sitting room and a bathroom downstairs, the bedroom and another bathroom reached by walking up a wide, curved staircase. Both floors have huge windows overlooking the Dubai marina, the skyline of the city stretching in the distance.
Amin is the butler on the 23rd floor, always ready to take care of me and my needs or wants. But there is nothing I need or want. Everything has been meticulously arranged for my 3-night stay.
One evening I go for a swim in the ladies-only indoor pool on the 18th floor. It is an infinity pool with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, glittering below me in the night. Huge pillars circle the pool, made of blue and red mosaic pieces, accented with bright gold inserts.
This pool enclosure is sublime. Lattice woodwork evoking the balcony of an old Arab house reaches the ceiling. Golden lounge chairs are carefully, spotlessly, made up with white and gold towels, for hotel guests to recline. I am the only one here.
I step into the jacuzzi. It is a round infinity pool, filled to the top where it meets the floor, then spilling over into a drain set in the surface. I have never seen an infinity jacuzzi before. The spa attendant turns on the jets for me. As I look around I think, it is so sumptuous and luxurious, Cleopatra could have bathed here.
What does a $70 cappuccino embellished with 24k gold flakes taste like? It tastes like money.