If like us you love all things fashion, then you’ll jump at the opportunity to stay at a hotel dreamed up by a global luxury brand. Elegant and minimalist in design, this hotel has the personal touch of Georgio Armani himself, his eye for detail and unique style apparent in every fine detail. What’s more, with eight restaurants on site you’ll have plenty of options for dinner and plenty of opportunities to flaunt your wardrobe.
IDEA
The Armani Hotel bills itself as world of sophisticated beauty, living up to that boast and then some. Indeed, this designer hotel is a haven of luxury for fashionistas, combining couture with Armani’s signature minimalist design to create a luxurious environment to unwind and relax.
LOCATION
Located in the social epicentre of downtown Dubai, inside The Burj Khalifa, the Armani Hotel is free of some of the more brash and touristy characteristics of many popular hotels in Dubai. The bottom eight floors of the world’s tallest building, as well as levels 38 and 39, are dedicated to this grand hotel, making it the perfect location to flaunt on Instagram or indulge in a feeling of smug self-satisfaction.
STYLE AND CHARACTER
A soothing space of dark leathers, stone floors and muted furnishings is imagined and designed by the brand’s Casa line. Virtually everything in the hotel is affiliated with the Armani Company in some way, from the bed linen in the rooms, to the olive oil in the restaurant. Even the moisturizer in the Armani Spa boasts their famous scent. The smell becomes more and more familiar as your stay extends, permeating from every wall, hallways, reception spaces and all. If immersing yourself in the Armani experience is your idea of a good time, then the proposition of coming away smelling of him will be an exciting one.
As for the furniture it is simple but chic, with an emphasis on minimalism – the space is all dark, with brushed-wood floors, walls and walkways, accented with candles and orchid plants.
Even as you enter, staff in Armani suits, all looking like runway models, greet you, escorting you to your destination. That’s a pretty special welcome right there. Each guest is assigned a personal lifestyle manager (unfashionable folk might call them butlers) on arrival.
Rooms
All the 160 rooms ranging from deluxe, king to suites, silently scream understated luxury. Sleeping in a sumptuously soft bed surrounded by custom-created fabrics and bespoke furniture and washing with expensive complimentary toiletries, all designed by Armani, makes for a glamourous stay indeed.
FOOD
There are over eight restaurants serving a selection of world cuisines ranging from Japanese and Indian to Mediterranean and authentic Italian fine dining. Each is individually themed for the food type (Indians food served in a blend of golden statues and bright coloured background) and you have a huge selection to choose from. Our favourite restaurant is simple, yet effective. The Armani Deli is counter-style deli cuisine, while Armani Ristorante brings fanciful Italian fare to a stunning dining room cast in personalized bone china and zen-inspired seating areas. Here we enjoyed the most delightful mozzarella that tasted like something straight from the heart of Italy. Simple lunch time delights of a plate of homemade pasta, fresh bread and classic charcuterie is always appealing, especially when accompanied with a glass of bubbles and a view of the dancing fountains!
FACILITIES
The Armani hotel has a stunning spa, where you can relax after shopping in Dubai’s mall (which the hotel has direct access to) or browsing the latest couture collections. Like the rest of the hotel, each room in the spa has been carefully thought out. We love the use of natural light which produces a fresh and relaxing vibe. Individually personalised treatments are devised after personal consultation with one of the spa’s experts, and are all carried out with naturally fragranced oils, created from the Armani Franchise of course. The hotels swimming pool molds itself around curves of the Burj Khalif is absolutely spectacular.
There’s also a custom-made Armani chocolate shop, an in-house florist and contemporary art gallery. A Bentley House car service is available for guests to use, which when considering Dubai’s rush hour, it seems fitting that if you are going to spend time sitting in traffic, you may as well do it in style!
WHY GO
It’s certainly expensive and you feel the urge to constantly look flawless, but with a personal lifestyle manager assigned to you the moment you check in, who takes care of anything you can think of, all of life’s worries seem very far away. That feeling, surely, is worth every penny.
Address: Burj Khalifa – 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
Website: www.armanihotels.com
Disclosure: IDEAL stayed as a guest of the hotel.