Abraj Al-Bait, Mecca, Saudi Arabia ($15 Billion USD)
The Abraj Al-Bait is a government-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels located next to the world’s largest mosque and Islam’s most sacred site, the Great Mosque of Mecca. The central tower, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, contains the Clock Tower Museum on its top four floors. The tower also houses has two large prayer rooms (one for men, one for women) and a Fairmont managed hotel to help provide lodging for the millions of pilgrims that travel to Mecca annually to participate in the Hajj.
The developer and contractor of the complex is the Saudi Binladin Group, the Kingdom’s largest construction company. Not only is Abraj Al Bait the tallest hotel in the world (601 m or 1,972 ft), it is also the world’s most expensive building with the total cost of construction totaling $15 billion USD.
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore ($5.5 Billion USD)
At a construction cost of $5.50 billion USD, Marina Bay Sands is one of the most expensive hotels ever built. The iconic hotel comprises three 55-storey towers, 2,560 luxury rooms and suites, and 18 different room types. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the SkyPark floats atop the three soaring hotel towers at a height of 200 m (650 ft).
This gravity-defying platform stretches longer than the Eiffel Tower laid down and is large enough to park four and a half A380 Jumbo Jets. It houses an observation deck, lush gardens, restaurants and an infinity-edge swimming pool with a legendary view. Shopaholics will rejoice in the rows of luxury retailers at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. Complementing the retail space are delectable dining options, which includes restaurants by celebrity chefs, fine dining and casual eateries.
Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore ($4.9 Billion USD)
Resorts World Sentosa, Asia’s premium lifestyle destination resort, is located on Singapore’s resort island of Sentosa. Spanning 49 hectares, Resorts World Sentosa is home to world-class attractions including Universal Studios Singapore, the world’s largegst Aquarium, the Maritime Experiential Museum, Dolphin Island and Adventure Cove Waterpark. Complementing the adventure and adrenaline of its theme parks and attractions are six unique luxury hotels, a world-class convention center, a casino and the Asian flagship of a world-renowned destination spa. Resorts World Sentosa also offers award-winning dining experiences and exciting cuisines from around the world across its many renowned celebrity chef restaurants.
Wynn Palace, Macau, China (4.2 Billion USD)
With the award-winning destinations in Las Vegas (cf supra) and Macau in mind, Wynn Resorts created perhaps its greatest statement yet with the opening of Wynn Palace in 2016. This incredible 28-story retreat features the finest in upscale resort living, offering 1,706 supremely sumptuous rooms and suites, tantalizing restaurants, an ultra-plush spa, and a retail esplanade featuring the world’s finest designer labels, all enhanced by just the right touch of fantasy and spectacle. As the latest entry in the family of Wynn Resorts – which have captured more Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards than any independent hotel company in the world – Wynn Palace has been designed to set a new standard in luxury hospitality.
Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates ($3 Billion USD)
Emirates Palace is managed by Mandarin Oriental and owned by Emirates Palace Company, a subsidiary of the government of Abu Dhabi. The hotel, which is a fine example of Arabian design, was conceived to host the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit and remains the preferred venue for several high-profile conferences in the public and private sector. It is also well recognised for welcoming several heads of states, foreign dignitaries and celebrities.
The Emirates Palace hotel sits on a 1.3 km (0,8 mi) private beachfront, featuring 394 guestrooms and suites, 12 restaurants and bars, 40 meeting rooms, a concert grade auditorium and a ballroom that can accommodate up to 2,500 people. Leisure facilities include a marina, two swimming pools, a spa and two fitness centers.
The Venetian Macau, China ($2.4 Billion USD)
The Venetian Macau is a 39-story, 3000 suites casino hotel on the Cotai Strip in Macau, modeled on its sister casino resort in Las Vegas. The Venetian Macau is the largest casino in the world, the largest single structure hotel building in Asia, and also the seventh-largest building in the world by floor area.
More than 350 world-class shopping choices line a masterfully reconstructed Grand Canal, bridges spanning each bank, just as they do in Venice. An incredible array of dining options, from the food court to the Michelin-starred Golden Peacock to room service, bring guests the best of global cuisines no matter their appetite. The lead architect for the Venetian Macau were Aedas and HKS Inc joint venture, who were responsible for the design, coordination and implementation of the project on site.
City of Dreams, Macau, China ($2.4 Billion USD)
Located in Cotai, the beating heart of Macau’s dynamic entertainment scene, City of Dreams offers thrills in style with an innovative collection of experiences – electrifying entertainment, Michelin-starred dining, designer shopping, internationally renowned art, iconic architecture, and a diverse array of exclusive accommodation – all created in collaboration with visionary talent such as legendary chef Alain Ducasse, the world’s greatest patissier Pierre Hermé and audacious show maker Franco Dragone, just to name a few.
The City of Dreams fetaures a collection of hotels: the five star Nüwa, the world renowned Grand Hyatt Macau, the unconventional Countdown Hotel, and the provocatively designed The Libertine that is housed in the iconic Morpheus with its exoskeleton steel frame.