Review of The Fairmont Dubai, by Vanessa Kaoukji

The Fairmont Dubai is yet another luxury hotel on the ever-growing strip of skyscrapers that line Sheikh Zayed road, but it stands out from the others in that it is the closest thing to a design hotel that Dubai has to offer. This very modern luxury hotel sports a great deal of stainless steel and glass, only emphasized by the dramatic lighting effects. Lifts are like space capsules which travel up the central atrium at enormous speed.

The facilities

The luxury hotel's main restaurant, Spectrum, leaves one spoilt for choice and very much reflects the consumer attitude in Dubai. Numerous kitchens spread around the restaurant and offer cuisine from every country you can think of, and the chefs will coordinate to make sure that all dishes, from all over the world, arrive at your table at the same time.

On the ninth floor of this luxury hotel guests will find two outdoor pools, beautifully designed, with views over the city. At night the exterior of the building is lit up in purples and blues which reflects into the pool and swimming becomes a surreal experience. On the same floor is the Willow Stream Spa which is designed to reflect an ancient Roman villa; you can be properly pampered here.

The rooms

The Fairmont boasts 394 rooms in which the decoration ranges from Japanese minimalism to Arabic Orientalism to European contemporary. Perfect if you're looking for elegance and style and located opposite the Emirates Towers which makes it convenient for meetings or shopping, but this is not the luxury hotel for a sloppy relaxing holiday.