Suite Dreams – Get the royal treatment in Dubai’s most awe-inspiring hotel rooms
It should come as no surprise that the world’s only “seven-star hotel” – the Burj Al Arab Jumeirah – is located in Dubai. Towering over the Persian Gulf, the sail-shaped property has become something of a city landmark since it first opened in 1999. (The $7.8 billion project took five years to complete.) At the Burj, even entry-level suites are lavish, but there’s no reason to settle for second best in this town. Go all out and book the Royal Two-Bedroom Suite. The experience begins at the airport, where guests can choose to be picked up in a helicopter or a white Rolls-Royce Phantom (the Burj has a fleet of them). Once you’ve cheeked in to the 8,395-square-foot room, you’ll find gold-leaf chocolates, gold-plated iPads and a gold staircase, plus a library, cinema and on-call butler. The room might set you back around $20,000 per night, but can you really put a price on that level of indulgence?
While the Burj is known for its iconic silhouette, the pyramid-shaped Raffles Dubai, just a few miles north, has a wow factor of its own. (Architects drew inspiration for the 19-story building from Ancient Egypt, of course.) At Raffles you can have an entire floor to yourself. The 21,500-square- foot space – called the Dubai Floor – is the former residence of the hotel’s owner, Sheikh Mana Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum. It comes with a chauffeur, chef and butler, as well as its own spa and three kitchens. The hotel will even perfume the floor with the scent of your choosing.
If the idea of staying in a high-rise feels far too vanilla, head to Atlantis, The Palm, where a duo of Underwater Suites offers subaqueous views. The three-story space features floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the 3 million-gallon Ambassador Lagoon Aquarium, which is home to more than 65,000 marine animals – sharks included.
Atlantis is just one of many lavish options on the artificial archipelago of Palm Jumeirah (known simply as “The Palm”). For a more traditional ocean view, One&Only The Palm’s 3,500-square-foot Beachfront Mila doesn’t disappoint. The two-bedroom pad has its own garden, private pool and a shaded gazebo for dining outdoors. The Beach Garden Mila at the hotel’s sister property One&Only Royal Mirage, is equally impressive, and located just across the bay.
On the eastern crescent of the Palm, Anantara’s resort-style property brings an Asian aesthetic to the Middle East. Book a One-Bedroom Over Water Mila and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to an exotic retreat in the middle of nowhere. Even more unique, stay at a wintry ski resort during the heat of the summer at the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, a mountain lodge-inspired property in the heart of the city. Its three-bedroom Aspen Ski Chalet comes with a crackling fireplace and views of Ski Dubai’s perfectly manicured slopes.
For those who prefer polo over fresh powder, there’s Per Aquum Desert Palm, a resort situated on a 160-acre polo estate. You’ll want to reserve Villa Layali. The exclusive accommodation was completed this May, and if you go during Dubai’s polo season – from October to April – you can take in a match from the comfort of your balcony. The villa comes stocked with fresh-baked breads, house-smoked meats and a fridge filled with your favorite wines.
Similar attention to derail can be found at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara. While not technically in Dubai (it’s in Abu Dhabi’s Rub Al Khali), the five-star oasis is a scenic drive or short helicopter ride from the city, and well worth a weekend trip. It appears almost like a mirage, camouflaged by hulking sand dunes. Qasr Al Sarab’s Royal Pavilion Villa is exquisite, and also comes with a laundry list of perks. For starters, you’ll have a chef at your disposal who will create a custom menu to fulfill your every culinary fantasy, which will be much needed after a busy day in the desert: Guests can choose experiences that range from dune bashing and archery to desert land sailing and falconing.
It’s only fitting that a destination with the largest mall in the world would also be home to a number of designer-branded hotels. Giorgio Armani was such a fan of the Emirate, he chose it as the location for his first-ever Armani Hotel, occupying 10 floors of the Burj Khalifa skyscraper. The Italian fashion icon’s Armani Dubai Suite is refreshingly minimalist and understated – two words you won’t hear very often in Dubai – unlike Palazzo Versace Dubai, an over-the-top hotel designed to look like a 16th-century Italian palace. Palazzo Versace’s pièce de résistance is the Imperial Suite. Located on the top floor of the hotel, it’s teeming with Carrara marble and opulent furniture from the House of Versace. Soon, Armani and Versace will be joined by a third Italian fashion conglomerate: Bulgari has an eponymous property slated to open in 2017.
