The Burj Al Arab, the self-proclaimed most luxurious hotel in the world, can now be visited by users through Google Street View.
Located in an artificial island, and giving itself a rating of seven stars, the Burj Al Arab is known for the lavish luxury it provides to its guests. The hotel provides its guests with gold iPads upon arrival to the hotel, and only a few people in the world have seen its Royal Suite which costs 80,000 dirham a night, equivalent to almost $22,000.
The Royal Suite, along with the atrium, spa, restaurants, lounge and roof-top bar of the Burj Al Arab, can now be viewed by anyone, though only virtually, with the hotel's collaboration with Google.
The collaboration has resulted in the launch of Jumeirah Inside, a 360-degree interactive platform that is similar to how Google's Street View works for roads. Users will be able to navigate the interiors of the Burj Al Arab by simply clicking on their mouse.
Users that move between the hotel's floors will be shown a point-of-view video that provides a glimpse on how guests would be greeted by the hotel staff. If users would visit the hotel's helipad, they would be greeted by a helicopter on standby along with beautiful views over Dubai. Users could also swim through the infinity pool of the Talise Spa and walk through the aforementioned Royal Suite.
The platform also provides users the ability to check the availability of rooms in the Burj Al Arab, as well as to check out other hotels of the Jumeirah Group from around the world.
According to Google, the project is a first in the hotel industry, offering a digital travel platform that is fully immersive to users. Google added that Jumeirah Inside does not just tour users through buildings, but rather showcases the brand in the virtual journey provided to users.
According to Jumeirah Group VP of brand, digital and loyalty Ross MacAuley, the project with Google was one of the most exciting digital efforts for the conglomerate.
"Just as we aim to exceed our guests' expectations whenever they visit our luxury hotels around the world, so is our aim to give an unforgettably rich, immersive online experience in advance of their arrival," MacAuley said.
"We are very excited to see Jumeirah Inside spread its magic to the world," said Google's head of travel and finance for the Middle East and North Africa Ivan Jakovljevic, adding that the Jumeirah Group is setting a high standard for the hotel industry with its continuous push into greater heights in its digital initiatives.
Jumeirah Inside can be viewed through desktop computers, tablets and mobile devices, with the platform available in English, Russian, German, Mandarin and Arabic.
