What’s it like? This new hotel opened in September and is attached to Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping centres in the world. The Address has 16 floors with 244 rooms and suites spread over levels four to 15. The hotel is contemporary, light and spacious.
Where is it? In downtown Dubai, about 20 minutes from the airport. It’s also convenient for meetings in the International Finance Centre (IFC) and Dubai Internet City, and is a short drive from the marina.
Room facilities There are 159 Deluxe and 32 Premier rooms, 21 Premier and 29 Club suites, two Tower suites and one Presidential suite. All rooms have balconies and wifi is free throughout the property.
Almost two-thirds of the rooms are Deluxe and I had one of these. They are large, at 45 sqm – I have stayed in smaller executive suites. It had a warm feel with a mix of wood, leather, marble, and brown and cream carpets. On one side of the large bed was an iPod dock/clock radio, and on the other, items that showed the thought that had been put into the room – power sockets for charging devices, hand cream and a jewellery tray. There was also a well-stocked minibar, free water, a Nespresso machine and kettle, a good-sized workdesk, a safe and an easy-to-use TV.
The bathroom was large and had a generous bath next to the window, twin sinks set in imitation marble with lights underneath creating a warm glow, scales, bathrobes and a shower. Toiletries were by Angelo Caroli.
Guests staying in suites are charged in 24-hour blocks from when they check in, and Club and Tower suite guests get Club lounge access and privileges. These include a VIP welcome and free airport transfers. The lounge is on the 15th floor and is open 24 hours, offering five meal presentations during the day and free drinks. There is a meeting room that would be comfortable for about six to eight people and is free for up to two hours, plus two computer stations with printers.
Restaurants and Bars All but one dining outlet can be found on the lobby level, although when I was staying not all had opened. The main restaurant, Na3Na3, is open 6.30am-1am (2am on weekends). It has an open kitchen and buffet and à la carte options, with the main emphasis on pan-Arabic food. Cabana (open from 9am, closing at 7pm in winter and 2am in summer) is next to the pool on the third floor and serves snacks, salads, wood-fired pizzas and meat skewers. I had the five-spice chicken with sweet soy sauce and wasabi pea mash – it was delicious.
Ember is set to open in January and will be the hotel’s signature bar and restaurant, open 10am-midnight (1am weekends) and offering international à la carte grills. Amatista serves Spanish and Lebanese snacks and features an eclectic mix of modern Arabica and European designs and furniture. It is set over two floors with a bar on the ground level and a cigar bar upstairs. It’s open from 5pm weekdays and 2pm weekends until the early hours. A huge selection of drinks and snacks is available in the lobby lounge, Karat (open 8am-1am).
Business and Meeting Facilities The business centre, on the second floor, is for guests only and is open 7am-11pm. It is the biggest I have ever seen and has a boardroom that can be hired. Also on this floor are five meeting rooms with lots of natural daylight and a large, bright breakout area. The first floor has a ballroom for 650 delegates, along with lots of pre-function space and a boardroom.
Leisure facilities The third floor has a spa by Aromatherapy Associates (open 9am-9pm) with nine treatment rooms and male and female hairdressers. There is a 24-hour gym, which was in a temporary home when I stayed. I was told it would be moving to a larger space with more equipment soon, although it still had more kit than most hotels of this size. There is also an outdoor pool, which at 36 metres is probably one of the largest I have seen at a city centre hotel. It has several recliners and cabanas and is open 7am-8pm.
Verdict A fabulous product – large rooms, a good location and first class service.
Julian Gregory
Fact file
How many rooms? There are 244 rooms, including 53 suites.
Room highlights The comfortable interior, superb interactive TV system and attention to detail.
Price Internet rates for a midweek stay in February started from Dhs 1,439 (£235) for a Deluxe room.
Contact The Address, Dubai Mall, Downtown Burj Dubai; tel +971 4438 8888; theaddress.com
