Last Updated on March 3, 2024 by Jamie Marshall
Although not on the water, there are some stunning hotels near Dubai Mall. For the first time visitor to Dubai the big question is – where will I stay? Of course, it depends on what you are after, but if you do not need a beachside hotel to know you are on holiday, the area around Dubai Mall has so much to offer. So much so, that several Sheiks have their palaces just across the road in the Za’abeel area. You might not see H.H. Sheikh Mohammed in the Mall, but you might. You will certainly see plenty of fabulous cars cruising around the area and any one of them could be being driven by one of the young Sheikhs.
Staying in the Dubai Mall area means that you have immediate access to an exhausting array of shops, cafes and restaurants in the Mall and Souk Al Bahar. The Burj Khalifa is right there for those with a head for heights and the area is central, meaning you can head out to other areas such as the Dubai Creek or Jumeirah Beach Road with relative ease. Taxis are plentiful and the Metro is close by. So here are six or seven of the best in the Dubai Mall area.
The Palace Downtown Dubai is a beautiful hotel. The whole Downtown/Old Town area of Dubai right next to the Dubai Mall complex is attractive with a strong Middle Eastern influence to the architecture. The Palace Downtown has a lot of visual similarities to The Royal Mirage. All the public areas are lavishly decorated so that you know you have been transported to another world, a world of relaxation and Arabian delights. The rooms retain a flavor of the Arab world blended skillfully with hotel chic. There is no clutter, just tasteful elegance. The pool area is superbly landscaped and provides ample shade for the hot months. You will also be served cooling drinks, a truly thoughtful touch, but one which fits Arabian hospitality perfectly.
The Address Dubai Mall is part of the same hotel group as the Palace Downtown. If you are sitting at a café beside the Dubai Mall fountain, or one of the eateries on the other side of the fountain in Souk Al Bahar, you can see The Address right in front of you. It is positioned perfectly and appears to grow out of the body of water that makes up the famous fountain. The Address is a very modern, sleek hotel. It has a spacious pool area from which it is possible to see the Burj Khalifa, Souk Al Bahar and Dubai Mall, a perfect spot to plan the day’s outings. It also has a branch of Fortnum and Masons attached to it. There is so much available to you just a few steps away.
The Armani Hotel Dubai is basically directly opposite the Address across the fountain. As you might expect, it is beautifully designed in an understated but elegant way. Think of Armani clothes, Armani furniture and you have the approach that has been taken in decorating this hotel. The predominant colors are cream and brown as there is a lot of wood, but do not let that put you off if you like minimalism. The atmosphere in the public areas is subdued and sophisticated; in fact the hotel website describes the interiors as “understated elegance” and I have to concur. Every effort is made to meet the needs of the clients with the services of the Lifestyle Manager. This is the person who will find out what you are hoping to achieve during your stay and make it happen if at all possible. What a fabulous concept!
There are several top restaurants including an Italian one of course. The spa is the last word in simple elegance and there are plenty of facilities for discreet meetings between international movers and shakers. Although I love this hotel, it is not the one that comes immediately to mind when I think of a family holiday.
The Vida Downtown Dubai and the Al Manzil Hotel are four-star options near the Dubai Mall. These hotels are elegantly Arabian in a way that tells you loudly that you have stepped out of Europe or the USA and entered a glamorously exotic zone. Do not forget to make full use of the pools and the restaurants attached to the Vida.
The Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel is housed in one of the iconic tall buildings set back a little from Sheikh Zayed Road between the Trade Center and the DIFC area. So, it is a short taxi ride from Dubai Mall, but I have included it as it is one of those iconic landmarks in Dubai and a good hotel. It is older than the hotels nearer to Dubai Mall but has maintained its elegance. The room keys used to be a little plastic model of the buildings themselves, but I do not know if that is still the case. I still have the one I was given by the hotel staff years ago. The décor of the rooms is hotel chic and there are very good views of Dubai from the rooms higher up. There is also a small mall in the hotel building. I can recommend the Ivy restaurant, which is a favorite lunch meeting place for discerning businessmen
The Park Hyatt Dubai admittedly is not really very close to Dubai Mall. In fact, it is on the Deira side of the creek between the Garhoud Bridge and the Floating bridge. But, I could not pass up the opportunity to recommend this fabulous hotel. With its blue domes and white plaster walls it is like a Greek dream on the Dubai Creek. Not only is it visually stunning, it has two of my favorite restaurants: the Thai Kitchen and Traiteur. There is also a spa and pool complex that is second to none. The rooms are large with excellent views of gardens and the Creek, but one feature surprises some guests. The bathroom is rather open to the bedroom although the toilet is mercifully enclosed if not exactly private. If you can tolerate this little oddity, everything else will delight. There is a golf course right beside the hotel and elegant blue and white yachts, perfectly color-coordinated with the hotel, bob gently on the Creek right out front. Enjoy drinks at the bar on the Creek or an equally delightful bar up one level adjoining Traiteur and watch the sunsets. During the Dubai Shopping Festival, these two bars are the perfect locations for the nightly pyrotechnic displays that kickoff at 8.00pm. This is a part of Dubai I come to to relax and it always works.
So, seven hotels because one is not really very close to Dubai Mall, but it is only a 10 minute taxi ride away and offers so much for that little inconvenience.