David Westley

The Totally Bonkers $11 Million Christmas Tree

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From the same hotel that has given us the gold bar vending machine, the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi,  comes what must be the world’s most expensive Christmas tree – we’re talking about $11.5 million US of fake spruce.  Las Vegas eat your heart out.

It is the “most expensive Christmas tree ever,” with a “value of over 11 million dollars,” said Hans Olbertz, general manager of the Emirates Palace hotel, at its inauguration.

However, truth be told, it’s not the tree that’s worth all that money – the faux evergreen is valued at a paltry $10,000. What costs the money is the awesome bling on it: necklaces, earrings and other jewellery draped around the tree’s branches. We’re talking 181 diamonds, pearls, emeralds, sapphires and other precious stones.

The jewellery is said to have a value of over 11 million dollars — “I think 11.4, 11.5,” said Olbertz. I mean, what’s 100 or 200 thousand dollars?

This will probably be an entry into the Guinness book of world records, Olbertz told newswire AFP, adding that Emirates Palace planned to contact the organisation about the tree which is to stay until the end of the year.

Asked if the tree might offend religious sensibilities in the United Arab Emirates, where the vast majority of the local population is Muslim, Olbertz said he did not think it would. “It’s a very liberal country,” he said.

The hotel, which bills itself as seven-star, in February introduced a package for a seven-day stay priced at one million dollars.

Takers of the package have a private butler and a chauffeur driven Maybach luxury car at their disposal during their stay, as well as a private jet available for trips to other countries in the region.

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