Hot Spot: The Armani Hotel, Dubai

You can not and will not get into the Armani Hotel without an appointment or reservation.  Period.

Yesterday I was privileged to get a personal tour of the Hotel with Indriati Rozi (PR & Marketing Executive) and Candice D’cruz (Marketing Communications Senior Manager) and I’m delighted to report that the experience was seriously impressive …

As you drive up to the Burj Khalifa you are met at the main gate by a well dressed man with a Sony Vaio who checks your details before allowing you through.  A gorgeous man in a sharp black Armani suit awaits your arrival at the front entrance, quietly opening the car door before you even realise you have stopped.  Yet another, fresh-faced, Armani-clad beauty sweeps you inside to be warmly greeted by one of the Hotel’s supremely efficient Lifestyle Managers (who are fabulously dressed in uniforms that perfectly compliment the interior scheme - Armani of course).

There are no check-in desks - guests are taken care of by a personal Lifestyle Manager who greets you by name and checks you in over coffee in the lobby or in your room, to which you are of course personally escorted – instead the spacious entrance is dominated by four huge interlocking arches, the symbol of the project.

I was shown through the lobby and as I sat waiting I was warmly greeted by every member of staff that passed by; there is a real sense of Italian-style warmth and hospitality and I immediately felt relaxed and began taking in the surroundings.  The design is at once curvaceous and linear; the curved, cushioned walls are clad in a luxe mink fabric that you can’t resist reaching out to touch, in contrast the bespoke furnishings and low level tables, covered in a black liquid metal and created exclusively for the Hotel, present simple clean lines.  The sophisticated colour palette is limited to black and shades of warm mink, combined with the range of unique textures the effect is one of calm serenity.

Over the most delicious coffee – exquisitely served in individual Japanese-style silver trays with Armani chocolates displaying the designers initials no less – one of the Hotel’s Brand Ambassadors explained the concept of the Hotel to me.

“Stay with Armani” is the philosophy, promising a “home away from home” experience.  Every detail has been personally chosen by Mr Armani to reflect his own personal approach to hospitality and entertaining.  The interior scheme is supremely stylish yet both comfortable and functional, a true reflection of the designer’s iconic fashion collections … a place where you feel at ease to sit back with your legs curled up and really enjoy your coffee!

And so the tour began …

Running through the centre of the lobby is the Armani Galleria, a haute couture boutique offering the most magnificent pieces, previously available by invitation only – the first and only place in Dubai to showcase the Privé collection.

The elevators are discreetly hidden - a theme that runs throughout the entire Hotel – and you are quietly whisked away.  As you step out onto floors covered with Japanese Tatami, the sensory experience of the Hotel’s design is further enhanced.  The corridors are styled like boutique dressing rooms, it’s all very intimate with the feeling that people keep disppearing into the walls.   

I don’t know what I was expecting of the rooms to be honest, but as Indri held the door to the Armani Signature suite open and I stepped inside … it was quite simply breathtaking, an impression I will never forget.  The stunning entrance leading into the living area was flooded with natural light from the floor to ceiling windows that go right round the suite, offering the most spectacular views of the Downtown area.  The elegance and luxury is almost tangible.

Indri tells me that it wasn’t until the opening of the Hotel when she met Mr Armani (as she affectionately calls him) that she fully appreciated his absolute dedication to the tiniest design details.  She tells me the story of how all the bathroom amenities were designed around a stone that the designer picked up one day on the beach, the soap is the exact size and shape of the stone whilst each container is topped with a slick black version.

Each of the Hotel’s rooms and suites have been carefully and thoughtfully designed, not a single detail has been overlooked; from the pre-loaded iPods to the remote controls that allow you to operate every aspect of the room at the touch of a button.  Unfortunately I can’t show you images of the Signature suite but below are images of the Ambassador suite and one of the Classic rooms …

After the rooms we took a look around four of the Hotel’s eight restaurants, all of which are light and airy, enjoying views of the lake and Dubai Fountain.  The restaurants are the only spaces where the colour palette varies; vibrant accents of warm reds and purples are introduced in the stunning Indian restaurant, Amal, the Peck Deli features a fabulous black and white chequered floor and a wonderfully relaxed style, and Ristorante – the Hotel’s Italian offering – is just heavenly with beautiful and unique seating pods running round the edge of the restaurant.  

What more can I say? … Exclusive address.  Exclusive name.  Seriously exclusive Hotel.