Skip to main content

Blingtastic! Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel offers guests gold iPads

gold ipad dubaiWhen a hotel charges from between $1400 and $20,000 a night for a room, you might well expect it to throw in a few extras to keep the customer satisfied.

Dubai’s Burj Al Arab, which modestly calls itself “the most luxurious hotel in the world”, this week announced it’ll be equipping all guests with iPads. Being the kind of hotel that it is, however, these are no ordinary Apple tablets. No, no, no. These blingtastic babies are 24-carat gold devices, each worth just over $10,000.

The special iPads, provided by UK-based Gold & Co. London, have been engraved with the hotel’s logo (presumably to make them harder to pilfer, along with the pure pulp micro-embossed 4-ply luxurious toilet roll) and will act as a virtual concierge, providing a plethora of information about the hotel’s multitude of services and facilities.

“The Gold & Co. London 24-carat gold iPad is the ultimate in luxury accessories, hence we wanted it to be paired with Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel,” Amjad Ali, CEO of Gold & Co. London, said in a release. “The symmetry is obvious, as both the gold iPad and the hotel are unique in terms of extraordinary quality and design.”

Should a guest become so attached to their gold-plated gadget that they can’t bear to leave it behind at the end of their stay, the sail-shaped hotel – which sometimes refers to itself as the world’s only 7-star hotel – will also be selling the device in its bespoke boutique, where it’s also possible to purchase a gold iPad Mini, gold iPhone 5 and gold BlackBerry Q10.

The Burj Al Arab, which comprises 202 luxury suites and happens to be the fourth tallest hotel on the planet, features in-suite check-in and check-out, reception desks on every floor, a rooftop tennis court, round-the-clock private butlers and use of the hotel’s Rolls-Royce fleet and private beach.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Two popular iPad models just got pretty steep price cuts — from $250
A YouTube video playing on the iPad (2022).

The current and previous model of the entry-level Apple iPad have both received significant price cuts from Best Buy, so if you're on the hunt for cheap iPad deals, these are the offers that you wouldn't want to miss. The Wi-Fi, 64GB model of the ninth-generation Apple iPad is down to $250 from $330 for savings of $80, while the Wi-Fi, 64GB model of the 10th-generation Apple iPad is on sale for $349 following a $100 discount on its original price of $449. We're not sure how long stocks will last for these tablets, so if you're interested in taking advantage of either of these offers, you need to hurry with your purchase. If you don't act fast, you may miss out on the savings.
Apple iPad 9th Gen (Wi-Fi, 64GB) -- $250, was $330

The ninth-generation Apple iPad was released in 2021, but it maintains a spot in our list of the best iPads as the best iPad on a budget. It's still a very reliable and solid choice if you want an Apple tablet, with a 10.2-inch Retina display that's bright and beautiful, and smooth performance despite the relatively old A13 Bionic chip that was introduced in the iPhone 11 because it can be upgraded to the latest iPadOS 17. The device also features an 8MP Wide back camera, a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage technology, the Touch ID fingerprint recognition system for security, and battery life of up to 10 hours on a single charge.

Read more
Hurry! This iPad just crashed back to its Black Friday price
The iPad on a tablet displaying web content.

If you've always wanted to buy an iPad but the latest releases are beyond your budget, you may want to consider going for a previous-generation model like the 2021 Apple iPad. The tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, which is already relatively affordable at $330, is currently even cheaper from Best Buy, as an $80 discount pulls its price down to $250. That's what the device was going for during the iPad deals of Black Friday 2023, so if you missed the chance to take advantage of that bargain, proceed with your purchase immediately to make sure this opportunity doesn't slip away.

Why you should buy the 2021 Apple iPad
The ninth-generation Apple iPad, which was released in 2021, will be three years old in several months. However, it's still listed in our roundup of the best iPads as the best iPad on a budget, as it still offers great performance by today's standards with Apple's A13 Bionic chip that also powered the iPhone 11 series. The tablet also features a 10.2-inch Retina display with 2160 x 1620 resolution, for sharp details and vivid colors when you're browsing the internet, watching streaming shows, and playing mobile games.

Read more
Apple’s new iPad Pro and iPad Air just got delayed
Someone holding an iPad Air against a wooden floor.

It seems like the countdown to the next iPad reveal has been stretched out a bit more, though not by an earth-shattering amount of time. So far, we’ve heard rumors of a late March or early April reveal, but that likely won’t happen, according to a new report from Apple insider Mark Gurman.

In his latest Bloomberg report, Gurman says the next Apple tablets should arrive in early May, and he cited the speeding up of production at Apple’s suppliers. Interestingly, production-related challenges apparently pushed back the launch of the new slates across the Pro and Air lineups.

Read more