It was reported that the hotel was probably packed with guests due to its clear view of the New Year's fireworks display at Jumeirah Beach (including Burj Al Arab) and Burj Khalifa. The show still went on as planned, but with some flaws in the LED programming; by midnight, authorities had deemed the fire to be 90 percent contained. The following day, smoke continued to rise from the building. Criticism was leveled towards the high amount of cladding—layers of material that are fixed to the outside of buildings for insulation—implemented into the building's design; it was reported that this cladding may have contributed to the fire's spread.