On Friday, a 590-foot-long yacht called Azzam took the coveted spot as the world’s largest (to the chagrin of Roman Abramovich). One executive has called the 94,000 horse-power, jet-propelled boat “a 590-foot jet ski.” Its proud owner is yet unknown but has been rumored to be part of the Abu Dhabi royal family. From a private plane with a spiral staircase to a restaurant that seats more than 6,000 customers, here are more things that can obnoxiously boast of being “the world’s largest.”
For a city that receives an estimated 3 million Hajj pilgrims all at once every year, a complex of this enormity is only fitting. Saudi Arabia’s Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, combines a five-star hotel, residential apartments, a 20-story shopping mall, a massive parking garage, and numerous other features to be regarded as the world’s largest building for its total floor area of more than 16 million square feet. It also holds the title as the world’s largest hotel, with 8,000 rooms—enough to beat out contenders from Las Vegas and Moscow.
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On the more unusual side, art enthusiasts may want to make their way to Oberhausen, Germany, where visitors can now wander the recent installation Big Air Package, which holds the record as the world’s largest indoor sculpture at 295 feet in height and 164 feet in diameter.
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Some may say a 15-story-high atrium is a bit of a waste of space. But visitors ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the lobby of San Francisco’s Hyatt Regency Hotel probably think differently.
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In the Lebanese resort town of Brummana, the world’s largest hotel suite is available for your staying pleasure—for a sum available “upon request.” The Royal Residence at the Grand Hills Hotel & Spa has six floors (three of salons and three of bedrooms), private swimming pools, maid’s quarters, and a wine cellar. You’ll never want to go home.
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India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, must have a hard time finding his wife and three children in their 27-story Mumbai residence, Antilia. The 400,000-square-foot building has three helicopter pads, underground parking for 168 cars, a ballroom, a swimming pool, and a 50-seat cinema. It reportedly cost him a cool $1 billion. Is all that too much for one family? Ambani thinks so too—he apparently has 600 staffers running it.
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This Airbus A380 not only bills itself as the world’s largest private jet but as the first known plane to feature a spiral staircase. Not to mention a Turkish bath, Rolls-Royce parking, a concert hall, and, of course, numerous lavish suites. It hasn’t been quite finished yet, but the soon-to-be proud owner is none other than billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
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Founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great, St. Petersburg’s State Hermitage is another architectural wonder of Russia. The expansive museum tops the list as the world’s largest and holds approximately 3 million objects in its collections, including the most paintings of any museum.
Sean Gallup
In Syria’s capital city, Bawabet Dimashq, or Damascus Gate, takes the cake for world’s largest restaurant. The huge open-air area displays replica archeological ruins, and all in all, it holds more than 6,000 diners at 1,507 tables, and even cordons off sections for various types of cuisines.
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Squeamish about taking a dip in the ocean? Well, this vast pool is for you. The San Alfonso del Mar resort in Algarrobo, Chile, boasts the world’s largest outdoor swimming pool, which takes 66 million gallons of water to fill—more than 20 Olympic-size pools. It’s also the world’s deepest pool, at 115 feet. As you can imagine, the upkeep costs millions of dollars.
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