Go big or go home, amirite? No one knows trying to have the "largest _____" than NYC. Largest ballroom on the east coast. Largest rooftop farm. Largest gingerbread village– we do not mess around.
However, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Finance has had "largest hotel" on lock for a while, unless Donald Trump like buys out the entirety of Staten Island or something (even then, it'd be the largest bankrupt hotel in the world, so it's kind of a wash).
The Abraj Kudai, under construction in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, will consist of twelve towers and TEN THOUSAND F*CKING ROOMS.
To put that into perspective, the current (for now) largest hotel in the world, The First World Hotel in Malaysia, only has 7,351 rooms, so Saudi Arabia is really knocking this one out of the park.
Also, because at this point there's no turning back, the property will be home to the world's largest central dome atop its largest tower.
With over 70 restaurants, a godd*mn shopping mall, and five rooftop helipads among its' more luxurious features, the Abraj Kudai is officially way nicer than most folks' hometowns combined. Considering it's $3.5 billion price tag though, this is hardly surprising.
It's worth pointing out that this definitive definition of extravagance comes with criticism from a few fronts.
[anad]
A Hajj, a pilgrimage, to Mecca is a modest rite of passage for over two million Muslims a year. For many of these people, and most normal people in general, fancy ass hotels are not exactly the most affordable. The Abraj Kudai's property is less than a mile from the Grand Mosque.
The Guardian reports that tourism in Mecca is on the rise, since it is an increasingly popular venue for weddings and conferences. Besides the pilgrims, more than 20 million tourists visit the city.
The skyline is littered with cranes. This hotel is amongst 26 existing and upcoming luxury hotels. More and more, people are getting priced out of their areas.
Hmmm... does that sound familiar to anyone?
[via travelandleisure] [Feature Image Courtesy theguardian]