Urban exploring has become increasingly popular over the years, attracting thousands of people. What began as a niche hobby has become increasingly mainstream, after the term “urbex” started to spread on social media in the early 2000s.

Enthusiasts explore marginal and abandoned sites, which are generally entered without permission. These include closed factories, disused army barracks, former sanatoriums, palaces, hotel complexes and the like. The hobby offers a tantalising glimpse into the past, as well as providing a sense of adventure and an opportunity to travel.

One of the most intriguing abandoned sites is a former palace built for a ruler from Abu Dhabi.

However, the huge complex in Dubai was transformed into a four-star hotel in 1998, with 118 rooms.

It was renovated in 2013 and taken over by a new management company, in a bid to revive its fortunes.

These efforts turned out to be in vain as it was forced to close its doors to the public in 2016 and has remained empty ever since.

The reasons for its closure were never revealed, but judging by many critical online reviews, the service left a lot to be desired.

In an episode on his Exploring the Unbeaten Path YouTube channel, Bob and his girlfriend decide to pay the mysterious palatial hotel a visit.

As they walk along the sandy beach towards the former luxury resort, the couple see a pair of abandoned jet skis.

They pass by an empty swimming pool and closed bar before making their illicit entry into the hotel.

As they enter, Bob whispers: “Wow it’s pretty epic. This is already better than expected. It seems like everything is still inside.”

The camera then shows a huge empty lounge with a few chairs. The couple continue their explorations, entering an office with paper and files scattered on the floor.

They stumble across a large dining room, fully equipped with chairs and tables, before heading to the bedrooms.

Here they make a grizzly discovery, as they find the skeleton of an animal in the diplomatic suite.

“It’s a parrot I think, look at the beak. Yeah, it’s maybe one of the green parrots and you see he had a ring,” Bob says.