Introduction
I only just realised that although I come to Dubai fairly often, I‘ve never actually posted on where I normally stay in the city.
The Sofitel Downtown Dubai is located in walking distance to the Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa. The hotel has a very French feel to it, from the smell of overly sweet perfume to the friendly bonjour guests are greeted with when they arrive.
The lobby is generously laid out and features a French style pâtisserie/lobby bar where you can get some gorgeous looking pastries if you‘re feeling hungry. Well, maybe not hungry, but in need of something good and sweet.
The Rooms
The Sofitel is oriented parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road, which is more like an eight lane highway that cuts through the city than a road in the traditional sense. There are rooms overlooking the busy road on one side, and the pool and Burj Khalifa on the other side.
On this visit, I‘ve been upgraded to an Opera Suite which looks out on Sheikh Zayed Road.
The room is enormous. You enter into a large reception area with its own closet and toilet, a small meeting table with two chairs and a sofa and coffee table.
For a welcome gift, a bowl of fruit, a bowl of dates and a tray with four macarons and a box of chocolates have been left on the coffee table.
There are also tea and coffee making facilities.
The bedroom is in a separate room which is roughly the size of a standard room.
The bathroom is located behind the bedroom. It features a separate bath and walk in shower.
The toiletries are by Balmain.
Facilities
The Sofitel Downtown features the usual facilities you‘d expect. There is a moderately sized gym with free weights and a few cardio machines and a spa, which looks quite large from the outside. On the fifth floor, on the side of the building facing the Burj, there is a large pool area with a cooled adult pool and a smaller pool for the kiddies. The pool area is attended and there is also a large bar area.
Restaurants
There are several restaurants at the Sofitel. I‘ve only ever used La Cuisine on the second floor, which is where breakfast is served. Breakfast can get quite busy. But it‘s a large and well managed space, so that it never feels crowded. The breakfast spread is extensive and includes a good selection of Indian dishes (my favourite).
Location
As previously mentioned, the hotel is located right on Sheikh Zayed Road, which may not be very pretty but is awfully convenient.
The Burj metro station is two minutes away on foot, which is also where the footbridge to Dubai Mall starts.
Conclusion
The Sofitel Downtown Dubai is an excellent place to stay. The location right next to Burj Khalifa is very convenient. In all the time I‘ve been coming to Dubai, the hotel has remained very well maintained and taken care of and the rooms have a very comfortable feel.