The Empire Hotel, a city in itself, comprises 200 hectares/494 acres of land  on the South China Sea. The property was built  as a palace by Prince Jefri Bolkiah, younger brother of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, 29th Sultan of Brunei. As a top level cabinet member, minister of finance and chairman of the Brunei Investment Agency (BIA), Prince Jefri, as he is known, used his influence and access to the country’s vast oil reserves to help develop Brunei’s infrastructure and diversify its economy.  This property was intended to be the palace where he entertained his international friends and business contacts. The extravagance of the property is almost beyond imagination. For example, Prince Jefri spent $475 million on Rolls Royce cars, which he kept as a “transport pool” for guests in the “20-odd royal guest houses” in Brunei. The bill for this palace, the parties and the entertainments are rumored to have gone a bit too far. Prince Jefri fell out of favor with the sultan over the alleged misappropriation of funds during his tenure in his roles in the government, amounting to $14.8 billion, plus another $13.8 billion used for unknown purposes. Prince Jefri was banished from the country. The palace and its villas, sports complex, cinemas, restaurants, beach pavilions, and swimming pools were laid vacant for several years before the sultan decided to turn this property into a hotel. Fully furnished with all the details necessary for royal entertaining ... from silver, china, crystal all the way to lovely linens. bathrobes, and beach towels, the property came under the management of an international hotel company. On our tour, I was informed that the Empire Hotel operates at a loss, and is subsidized by the oil and natural gas-rich state, i.e, by the sultan. Though the Rolls Royce cars are no longer in evidence here, guests  are shuttled around the property by a fleet of golf carts. For example, Henry and I were dashed by “buggy” to the spa for wonderful therapies, upon our return from our city tour. The next evening, we were driven by golf cart to Li Gong Chinese restaurant for a delicious Peking Duck dinner. The restaurant staff  then called a “buggy” to then take us to the property’s cinema, where we caught up on American culture by viewing the new Star Trek film. All this dashing about kept us busy, and served as our preemptive strike against the boredom that would have set in, had we stayed here even one more day!

PHOTOS: Left Column: 1. The imported white sands on the “beach” at the Empire Hotel & Country Club. 2. View of just part of the swimming pool, with the South China Sea beyond. 3. This building houses the Reception at the Empire Hotel. 4. Gurgling fountains on the grounds of the Empire Hotel & Country Club. 5. Henry, drinking his iced coffee on a comfortably upholstered chair, trimmed with gilt. 6. View of the atrium lobby with just one of the massive staircases which linked the various levels of the reception, with restaurants, shops, ballrooms, and meeting rooms.  Center, Top:  Jourdan, relaxing poolside at the Empire Hotel.  Center, Middle: Detail:  Installed in the lobby of the Empire Hotel: (detail) A mural depicting  Sultan Bolkiah’s lavish reception of the first Europeans to visit Brunei in 1521.  The remnants of Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet, which sailed into Brunei Bay, was on its homeward voyage during the historic first circumnavigation of the world. Center, Bottom:  Interior view of the main building with its gilded columns, and 6 levels of  reception, lobby, meeting rooms, shopping, etc.  Right Column: 1. View of the swimming pool, bridge and pavilions. 2. View of the tables, lagoon and sea. 3. View of the guest accommodations at the Empire Hotel & Country Club. 4. Archway and guest wing at the Empire Hotel. 5. View of the landscape and sea as seen from the 5th Floor reception at the Empire Hotel. 6. View of the gilded columns, the dome and cupola, approximately 27.5 meters/90 feet above ground level.

JOURDAN ARPELLE-ZIEGLER                                        BACK TO MAP  PAGE