Saturday, January 28, 2012

Floating on a Sea of Bubbles: The Opening of Jumeirah Etihad Towers

In the Emirates people often lament that there isn't a lot of "old" stuff around town.  We don't have a lot of old main streets or squares, buildings or shops - but we what we do excel at is new.  There is always something new opening up and if we are lucky sometime we get invited to check out some of the brand new digs around town, and this time around we were really in for a big treat.

Matt and I were invited to attend a private event in the new Jumeirah Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi the evening before it opened for business to the public.  The occasion was to mark the first dinner in the hotel with the help of a private tasting of Dom Perignon vintage.  Anyone knows that bubbles are pretty much my favorite accessory for an evening out - so this was like wearing the crown jewels!  The hotel was in top notch, untouched form as we entered the spacious foyer - greeted by a bell hop who said "welcome to the Fairmont!" with enthusiasm and then upon realizing his mistake said, "sorry sir first day in the new job".  It's so new the staff haven't even said the right name yet!

It was a beautiful and memorable evening where we had a chance to sample some of the finest years on offer from the house of Dom Perignon, proving that pairing something old with something new is a winning combination.
The beautiful lobby is a great open space with a water feature built right into the floor.
All smiles when Dom is on the carte du jour.
The specialty of house comes with it's own luggage.  This is a hand crafted champagne fridge that was brought in from France for the event.  Even the flutes must travel in style.
Our fabulous hostesses for the evening from Duty Free Shopping.
I was admiring the craftsmanship (and adding to my dream Christmas list)!
As a former clarinet player, I'm always happy to enjoying the music stylings of a fellow woodwind.
 
The table center pieces were simple stunning - hello secret garden.

Every good party sends you away with favors!  We each received a Dom champagne preserver.  Ironic - who wouldn't finish a bottle of Dom!

The meal from the team at Etihad was fantastic.  Each dish was designed to pair with the sparking from the specific year.  It was a wonderful treat!
Class is in session!  Learning about the history of champagne makes Benedictine monks look like party animals!

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