As the saying goes, there are three things that matter in property: location, location, location. The new Four Seasons in Dubai, the second to open in the Emirate, fits the bill, tucked away in the heart of the financial district.
Anyone familiar with Dubai knows it is a city that stops for no one, not even a global economic crisis. It just keeps forging on. The official statistics paint the picture clearly: the resident population has risen from 1.5 million in 2007 to 2.5 million this year. Then there are the tourists. A whopping 13.2 million of them visited in 2015 alone, and by 2020, when Dubai hosts the World Fair, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing expects 20 million guests to cross the UAE border.
While it is no secret that the city is rapidly building hotels to accommodate its growing number of visitors, the news that a new Four Seasons has opened in the already-bursting-at-the-seams DIFC is, admittedly, a little surprising. It is hard to picture the tiny free zone, which already hosts more than 40 restaurants, hundreds of finance offices, 12 art galleries, a private business and social club and a 341-room Ritz-Carlton, easily accommodating another 106-room hotel. Yet having a Four Seasons here certainly gives the place gravitas.
As I walk past the busy chatter and tempting aromas of two of Dubai's most popular fine dining restaurants, La Petite Maison and Roberto's, both filled with suits and loosened ties, I can see how convenient the location might be. The eight-storey hotel is housed in a 17,000-square-metre building that was already there; it is the 92.5 million dollar makeover, a deft move by the Dubai-based developer H&H Investment and Development, that is the game changer. The result is an intimately sized urban oasis for business travellers.
Almost as soon as I set foot inside, the outdoor clatter dissipates and I am surrounded by a sense of calm. The stylish interiors are courtesy of the American luminary Adam D. Tihany, widely regarded as one of the world's preeminent hospitality designers. In a city that often articulates luxury through opulence and brashness, Tihany has given this place quiet splendour at its best. Custom Cassina furnishings, bespoke Flos lighting and neutral-hued pieces with a slight mid-century modern edge whisper welcome rather than scream it from the rooftops.
Check-in is a breeze and thoughtfully adapted to busy travellers: it can be done from the lower level, in the lobby lounge at retail level or even, I am told, from your car. The king-sized bed laden with cool, white cotton sheets looks dreamy enough, but personalised pillow and mattress choices are also available. The giant monsoon shower and bathtub, stocked with exclusive Roja Dove amenities, illustrate how hard they are working to make you feel pampered. Lights and curtains are automated, and hotel services, from ordering a limousine to summoning a concierge, can all be handled from an in-room iPad.
Dinner is at the hotel's signature restaurant, Firebird Diner by Michael Mina, curated by the Michelin award-winning chef himself. The concept is hearty soul food with a contemporary update, set in a traditional, albeit lavish, diner setting complete with a fully operational jukebox. My guest and I wasted no time tucking into buffalo-style chicken wings and foie gras doughnuts, washed down with the bar's signature Moscow Mule served in the requisite copper mugs. I opted for the Lobster Pot Pie, with a generous bite of my companion's All-American Burger and a few too many duck fat chips. We forced our way through a Key Lime Pie and Mina's take on the peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dessert. It is fine dining, but without the stiff upper lip and straight-back chairs.
Needing to walk off our meal, we explored the rest of the hotel. On the rooftop we found an impressive aboveground, glass-walled swimming pool with remarkable views of Zabeel, though oddly you are not allowed to swim past 6pm. We were also too late for the seventh-floor spa, which offers early arrival rooms where guests can shower and enjoy a 30-minute massage before checking in or heading to meetings. So we did the next best thing and headed up to Bar Luna on the eighth floor. Offering cocktails, air-conditioned outdoor cabanas and notable Burj Khalifa views, it is a sweet perch for winding down. We could hear the faint hum of DIFC's merry workforce trundling home for the night, and we opted to have one for the road ourselves. After all, tomorrow we would check out and the madness would begin again.
