The Emirates Palace is owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, and the Kempinski Group was chosen to operate the facility. As the oldest European luxury hotel group, Kempinski has vast experience in managing legendary properties such as the Adlon in Berlin, Germany; Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, Turkey; Grand Hotel Europe in St. Petersburg, Russia; and the Leela Palaces in India, to name a few.
The architecture firm for the Emirates Palace is Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo (WATG), one of the leading hospitality designers worldwide. The firm, which has offices around the world, has designed some of the world's finest hotels, including the Atlantis on Paradise Island, the Bahamas; The Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and the Hotel Bora Bora, among others. “The design challenge was to create the finest example of a grand civic building in the United Arab Emirates,†according to WATG, which said its design solution “blends traditional materials and motifs with the latest technology.â€