Some may criticise it for being a dimly lit designer maze, but having recently turned five, we want to celebrate the Armani Hotel Dubai, especially for steadfastly avoiding 'Arabian' aesthetic clichés and carving its own path of simple elegance and sophisticated comfort. The 160-key hotel is built within the world's tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, taking the first eight floors of the building as well as floors 38 and 39, where the Armani Signature Suite and Armani Dubai Suite are located.
It is set away from Dubai Mall yet still connected to it, via the overground concourse that links the mall to the Burj's 'At the Top' observation deck. To take advantage of cooler winter climes, the hotel recently added three new outdoor terraces that expand its al fresco dining options.
How can we not mention all the beautiful materials used in the décor? From the wood-like Eramosa polished brown limestone flooring in the lobby and the simulated goat and lizard leathers covering various desks and tables, to the matte concrete-looking grey Alicante stones in the bathrooms, every surface was chosen by Giorgio himself.
Like the Address hotels, which are also owned and operated by Emaar, the Armani Dubai has a signature scent that wafts about the common areas, but this one actually smells really good, and so it should, considering it was developed by Armani Privé.
Among the seven restaurants is Armani/Deli, which serves great Italian food, including traditional Sardinian favourites like linguine alla vongole and bottarga; just make sure to ask for extra bottarga. The Armani/Mediterraneano, meanwhile, makes crêpes every morning instead of American-style pancakes, and we found that half a crêpe with sugar and half with Nutella does the job perfectly. Fittingly, the hotel's fleet of cars is exclusively comprised of black Bentley Flying Spurs.
