Facing the South China Sea
The Kingdom of Brunei is famous for gold, oil, and luxury. One of its famous spots is the Empire Hotel & Country Club located at the Muara district just a half hour drive from the capital city of Bandar. Dubbed as a 7 star hotel, The Empire boasts of its luxury hotel suites and rooms and first class amenities. But for sightseers like me and my high school pals, a half day trip around the area is more than enough for us.
(Left) Beautiful Glass Walls (Right) Marble floors and stairways.
Opened at October 2000, The Empire's interiors are made of the finest grade marble and some of the furniture you will see inside the hotel are finished with pure gold, one of which is a great grand mirror at the hotel lobby which is leafed with 24 karat gold. The Major pillars are made of Marble and lined with gold which gives is somewhat an Egyptian/Middle Eastern feel.
But what struck me the most is that big and beautiful glass wall made into some sort of a solarium that is several floors high which gives guests an amazing view of the tropical paradise just on the other side of the door. It reminded me of that final scene from beauty and the Beast when all of them were waltzing around at the transformation of the beast into a prince.
Judy, Myrcel, Dianne, Angelica, Lara, Me, Marvin, and Faith at the Empire
The whole receiving area was extravagant and spacious with a very high ceiling that spans several floors high. From the lobby, you would have to take several flights of stairs or escalators to reach the glass walled entrance to the pool and beach area.
The Empire is a member of
Worldhotels which is one of the world's leading organization of independent hotels across the globe. This hotel has several amenities aside from 518 rooms (Yes, five hundred and seventeen!!!) which includes function halls, restaurants, cinema theaters, and a full golf and country club. Now how luxurious can this hotel get?
View from the outside of the glass wall.
Since Brunei is situated in the tropical jungles of Borneo, going outside the hotel premises will open your pores to humid and all-year-long summer heat. But the high temperature does not tamper the beauty that your eyes will witness as you walk along the gardens that lead to the pool and beach areas.
(Left) Pool Area (Right) Open Lagoon where guests can use kayaks
Truly this ambitious project that lasted for a construction time of more than 6 years produces a beautiful and over the top architectural wonder. One thing I realize during our day's visit is that there are very few hotel guests that day when we visited. Our guide told us that it really is a quiet place because of the price per stay on their hotel rooms. Truly, sticking and staying true with Brunei's title of "Abode of Peace".
We were very blessed to have had the chance to witness the Empire's Majestic glory. Will I ever get the chance to stay a night here as a guest someday? Only God knows and time will tell, nothing is impossible. (HAHA)
The Empire Hotel and Country Club is located at Kg Jerudong, Muara - Tutong Hwy, Brunei BG3122, Brunei. You can contact the hotel at +673 241 8888 or click on
this link to visit their website. So when you visit Brunei, tell your guide to visit the Empire. It's beautiful, astonishing and a great place to cool down on Brunei's all year Summer.
Ate Judy and Me at Bander Seri Begawan, Brunei
Before I end this post, let me ask you to greet my sister Ate Judy a Happy Birthday! She is not just my cousin but she is also my best friend and classmate since kindergarten up until highschool. We love to travel together and see the world side by side.Happy Birthday Ate Judy!
***
This post is part of
Skywatch Friday that features different views of the sky around the world. Visit Skywatch and go on tour around the globe seeing sunrises, sunsets and so much more than the sky that you know at
http://skyley.blogspot.in/
