Hotel guests staying at the newly
opened Kempinski Hotel Mall of
the Emirates in Dubai will be able do to
something rather unexpected: snow ski in the desert.
Thats because the
luxury, 395-room, Swiss-chalet style property encompasses one of
the worlds largest indoor ski complexes -- 
complete with tow-and chairlifts, five ski
slopes and a snowboard park. Ski Dubai is 25 stories high, 250 feet
wide and covered with real snow all year round.
The hotel/ski
resort anchors the 12-acre Mall of the Emirates, which includes 426
retail stores; a 14-screen movie theater; an entertainment center
(it even has a roller coaster and other rides); plus several dining
establishments, including the 935-seat Sezzam Dining restaurant,
with three interactive open
kitchens offering different cuisines.
Dubai is a fantasy
world, said Reto Wittwer, CEO of Kempinski Hotels and Resorts.
Where else on earth can you stay in a divine hotel and ski an
Alpine-standard slope ... in the middle of the desert?
To contact the
reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to Michael Milligan at
[email protected].