With most visitors to Dubai drawn to the waterside luxury of the Marina, the glitzy vibes of Downtown or the beach resorts of the Palm, it would be easy to overlook the Al Jaddaf Rotana Suite Hotel.
Yet the five-star property, which offers generously sized accommodation in a traditional and elegant Arabian style, is perfectly located for the ultimate in exploration blending the new and old parts of the city.
The property is just 10 minutes by road from Dubai International Airport and Dubai International Financial Centre – with its myriad Michelin-starred restaurants and ultra-modern architecture – but is also a stone’s throw away from landmarks including the Dubai Frame, Dubai Festival City and the Culture Village.
Not that you’ll want to leave your room in the first place. The hotel’s Two Bedroom Suite is quite simply enormous, with the lounge area even featuring a spacious kitchen stocked with everything you might need to cook up a storm.
A dishwasher and separate laundry room with washer-dryer are a welcome addition for longer stays.
In the master bedroom, a giant, pillowy bed looks on to a 55-inch flatscreen TV, while the neighbouring twin room means this is an ideal accommodation option for families (larger Three Bedroom Suites are available, too).
Unlike many rooms we’ve stayed in, the TV tech setup is refreshingly simple to use, while an in-built media unit makes it easy to plug in an external HDMI cable if you’re bringing your own devices.
Adding to that, the main bathroom – which offers an option to play through the TV audio – is enormous, featuring a free-standing tub and a separate shower, with several lighting configurations seamlessly switching the space into a zone for true relaxation.
The twin room also has its own bathroom, and if that isn’t enough then there’s a spare guest toilet off the lounge area.
The room’s furnishings are traditional but elegant, and by no means dated – a palette of neutral browns is punctuated by splashes of ochre and navy blues, while the walls are lined with tastefully selected contemporary art pieces bringing colour to the space.
If you don’t feel like cooking in the in-suite kitchen, the hotel offers a range of restaurant options, from authentic Italian fare at Timo to fresh Lebanese at Stouff Beirut and late-night bites at sports-focused The List Bar.
There’s also a small outdoor pool on site with an adjoining jacuzzi, open each day until sunset – plus a fully equipped gymnasium open from 6am-10pm each day and an on-site spa with a wide range of pampering massage treatments.
Staff in the airy hotel lobby are welcoming and ready to help – especially if you want to park your supercar among the Ferraris and Rolls-Royces lined up outside the entrance under the multi-colour stained glass roof.
Whether you’re bringing the family, hosting a dinner party or just looking for an elegant, comfortable room in a hotel that’s close to all the key UAE sights, the Two Bedroom Suite at the Al Jaddaf Rotana Suite Hotel is more than worthy of booking.
