Too much seasonal spirit: Abu Dhabi hotel 'regrets' $11,000,000 Christmas tree

[Turborama]

Emirates Palace hotel has second thoughts over decision to 'overload' tree with diamonds, rubies and other gems

Associated Press
guardian.co.uk, Sunday December 19 2010 12.53 GMT


The Christmas tree which has been decked out with $11m worth of
gold and precious stones, in the lobby of the Emirates Palace hotel.

An Abu Dhabi luxury hotel that boasted an $11m (£7m) Christmas tree decorated with gold and gems has admitted it may have taken the holiday spirit a bit too far.

A statement from the Emirates Palace hotel said it regretted "attempts to overload" the Christmas tree tradition by adorning it with premium bling including gold, rubies, diamonds and other precious stones from a hotel jeweller.

The tree was unveiled last week with full fanfare in a hotel that features its own gold bar vending machine and a one-week $1m package that includes private jet jaunts around the Middle East.

But the hotel management apparently had second thoughts after questions arose about whether the opulent tree was innocent good cheer or unfortunate bad taste.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/19/abu-dhabi-hotel-christmas-tree

Video and more details of the gawdy extravagance: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/unitedarabemirates/8207263/Abu-Dhabis-7-million-Christmas-tree.html

Some of the ornaments...




The Emirates Palace Hotel

[Ken Burch]

1. This could be the hook for the next George Clooney "Ocean's" movie

Terry Benedict puts a $500 MILLION dollar tree in the casino lobby...

[Loudmxr]

2. They should have asked Pat Roberson... he would have said its OK!!

[Brother Buzz]

15. OK? Pat Robertson probably supplied the blood diamonds for the tree

[NV Whino]

3. The strangest part of this is the Christmas tree itself

I mean this isn't exactly Kansas we're talking about here.

[valerief]

9. In a way, it is. American money bought all that shit. nt

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

13. I am more often wished a "Merry Christmas" in non-christian countries than here

The Egyptians especially love Christmas, their thing is poinsettias rather than Christmas trees though. And yes - they call it Christmas.

[Old and In the Way]

4. Less a symbol of Christmas and more a symbol of 30 years of US energy policy.

Americans should look at that tree and understand that it was our USD that make this possible.

[CC]

5. I don't have a problem with

the tree being over done. It is what is to be expected if you are getting your ideas of what Christmas is from US culture and fits right in with our commercialization of the holiday. I just wondered why they felt the need to even put up a tree. I know people that used to go to Asia and the Middle East to escape from Christmas.

[NoPasaran]

6. This thread needs more myrrh

[Swede]

10. Or frankenonsense.

:shrug:

[Turborama]

11. Sorry, I'm out of myrrh. How about some cowbell instead....?

[Angry Dragon]

7. Aren't they really Druid trees??

Nice to see the christians enjoying a pagan rite
especially in a Muslim country

[valerief]

8. Care for another pallet of billions, er, trillions of US dollars, sir? nt

[MichiganVote]

12. Uh huh...and then they slaughtered the Romanovs...just sayin'

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. spirit of the season means flaunting it?

To some it may, but this is a classic FAIL.

[onethatcares]

16. maybe they should have read

the story about where Jesus was born.

I realize I keep forgetting that supply side Jesus is different than "help the poor among you Jesus",

it's just that I can't picture Joseph or Mary needing all that bling.

Good luck to all of you guys during the next year. OTC